Anita Punt

{{Infobox field hockey player

|name= Anita McLaren

|image= Anita Punt, NZL vs AUS Women's Hockey, 2012 Summer Olympics.jpg

|caption= McLaren at the 2012 Summer Olympics

|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1987|10|2|df=y}}

|birth_place= Nelson, New Zealand

|height= 1.63 m{{cite web |url= http://www.london2012.com/athlete/punt-anita-1124934/ |title= Anita Punt – London 2012 Olympics |access-date= 10 August 2012 |archive-date= 10 August 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120810075834/http://www.london2012.com/athlete/punt-anita-1124934/ |url-status= dead }}

|weight= 55 kg

|position= Midfielder

|currentclub= Capital

|years1= 2005–

|nationalyears1= 2009–2018

|clubs1= Capital

|nationalteam1= New Zealand

|nationalcaps1= 264

|nationalgoals1= 42

|medaltemplates=

{{MedalCountry|{{NZL}}}}

}}

Anita McLaren (née Punt; born 2 October 1987) is a New Zealand field hockey player.{{cite web |url= http://blacksticks.co.nz/Player-Profiles/Black-Sticks-Women/ContentId/1938 |title= Black Sticks Women |access-date= 3 June 2016}} She competed for the New Zealand women's national field hockey team (the Black Sticks Women) from 2009 to 2018, including for the team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2012 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |url= http://www.hockeynz.co.nz/Portals/30/Images/2014%20Documents/240414%20BSW%20Caps.pdf |title= New Zealand Hockey Representatives – Women |publisher= Hockey New Zealand |date= 24 April 2014 |access-date= 14 June 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140626051330/http://hockeynz.co.nz/Portals/30/Images/2014%20Documents/240414%20BSW%20Caps.pdf |archive-date= 26 June 2014 |url-status= dead }}{{cite web |url= http://www.hockeynz.co.nz/Portals/30/Images/2014%20Documents/240414%20BSW%20Goal%20Scorers.pdf |title= New Zealand Goal Scorers – Women |publisher= Hockey New Zealand |date= 24 April 2014 |access-date= 14 June 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140626015254/http://hockeynz.co.nz/Portals/30/Images/2014%20Documents/240414%20BSW%20Goal%20Scorers.pdf |archive-date= 26 June 2014 |url-status= dead }}

Career

Born in Nelson to Nicolaas and Adele McLaren, Anita Punt is of Dutch descent through her father and holds dual New Zealand and Dutch citizenship.{{cite news |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/sport/4051025/Warming-up-die-World-Cup |title= Warming up for World Cup |publisher= Nelson Mail (via Stuff.co.nz) |date= 23 August 2010 |access-date= 17 December 2012}} She attended Waimea College in nearby Richmond, before moving to Wellington at age 18 to focus on her hockey with the Capital National Hockey League team.{{cite news |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/7329661/Going-for-gold |title= Going for gold: Local athletes' quest for Olympic glory |first= Wayne |last= Martin |publisher= Nelson Mail (via Stuff.co.nz) |date= 21 July 2012 |access-date= 12 August 2012}} McLaren was first selected for the Black Sticks Women in June 2009, along with ten other players as the Black Sticks squad was overhauled following its last place finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.{{cite news|url=http://www.hockeynz.co.nz/news/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=Middle/focusModuleID=9304/overideSkinName=newsArticle-archivedfull.tpl |title=Fresh new talent defines the 2009 Black Sticks women's national squad |publisher=Hockey New Zealand |date=2 June 2009 |access-date=20 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209075548/http://hockeynz.co.nz/news/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace%3DMiddle/focusModuleID%3D9304/overideSkinName%3DnewsArticle-archivedfull.tpl |archive-date=9 February 2013 }} She played her first match for New Zealand on 19 June 2009 against India in hometown Nelson. She helped New Zealand win a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, scoring the first goal in the bronze medal match.{{Cite web|url=http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/hockey/1025673/anita_punt.html|title=Glasgow 2014 – Anita Punt Profile|website=g2014results.thecgf.com|language=es|access-date=2 May 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://g2014results.thecgf.com/PEVU/PEVU_HOW400102.html|title=Glasgow 2014 – Women's Bronze Medal Match|website=g2014results.thecgf.com|language=es|access-date=2 May 2017}}

McLaren has a reputation for her speed, being touted as one of the fastest female hockey players in the world with a time over ten metres ranking her within the top eight of the Black Sticks Men's squad.{{cite news |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/5311171/Speed-queen-dishes-out-plenty-of-stick |title= Speed queen dishes out plenty of stick |first= Mark |last= Geenty |publisher= The Dominion Post (via Stuff.co.nz) |date= 20 July 2011 |access-date= 22 December 2012}}{{cite news |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/7112645/Punt-primed-for-the-real-deal-this-time-around |title= Punt primed for the real deal this time around |first= Sam |last= Worthington |publisher= The Dominion Post (via Stuff.co.nz) |date= 16 June 2012 |access-date= 22 December 2012}}{{cite news |title= In the Spotlight.... New Zealand Women – A closer look at the 24 competing teams in London |url= http://www.fih.ch/en/news-3801-in-the-spotlight-new-zealand-women |publisher= International Hockey Federation (FIH) |date= 12 July 2012 |access-date= 22 December 2012}} In February 2013, McLaren was entered as a wildcard entry into the annual International Track Meet in Christchurch,{{cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10862948 |title= Athletics: Hockey ace keen to take on track stars |first= Dana |last= Johannsen |publisher= The New Zealand Herald |date= 2 February 2013 |access-date= 3 February 2013}} in which she won the 100 metres in 12.61 seconds (on a grass track and with a strong 2.9 m/s headwind), beating many seasoned New Zealand track athletes.{{cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10863119 |title= Athletics: Hockey rep wins on track |publisher= The New Zealand Herald |date= 3 February 2013 |access-date= 3 February 2013}} She later won the 100 metres and 200 metres at the Porritt Classic in Hamilton,{{cite news |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/sport/8285319/Black-Stick-and-track-star |title= Black Stick and track star: Hockey player wins sprints in Hamilton |first= Aaron |last= Goile |publisher= Waikato Times |date= 11 February 2013 |access-date= 14 April 2013}} before competing in the New Zealand Track and Field Championships in March 2013 in Auckland. However, McLaren was off pace and came fifth in the 100 metres, with a time of 12.23 seconds (wind +0.1 m/s).{{cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10873043 |title= Athletics: NZ's new fastest man set on trimming time |first= Dana |last=Johannsen |publisher= The New Zealand Herald |date= 23 March 2013 |access-date= 14 April 2013}}

{{As of|August 2012}}, McLaren resided on the North Shore of Auckland.{{cite news |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/7510515/No-medal-a-letdown |title= No medal a letdown |first= Kerry |last= Gallagher |publisher= Rodney Times (via Stuff.co.nz) |date= 21 August 2012 |access-date= 24 August 2012}} She is a retail assistant by trade, but is currently studying veterinary nursing.

She married decathlete Scott McLaren in March 2016.{{cite web |url= http://www.womansday.co.nz/celebrity/new-zealand-celebrities/anita-punts-romantic-wedding-4381 |title= Anita Punt's romantic wedding |date= 1 April 2016 |access-date= 3 June 2016}}

McLaren announced her retirement from international hockey in October 2018. She subsequently headed the sport department at King's College in Auckland.{{Cite web|date=17 October 2018|title=Anita McLaren ends record New Zealand Hockey career|url=https://www.thehockeypaper.co.uk/articles/2018/10/17/anita-mclaren-ends-record-new-zealand-hockey-career|access-date=23 May 2021|website=The Hockey Paper|language=en-GB}}