One of the strongest junior contingents to ever represent our club fronted up to the NSW Junior Championships last week and did our club, Wollongong and the Ilawarra, proud with their personal efforts, dedication to task, and with many medals with which to remember the occasion.
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Our largest grouping ever, also achieved qualification standards to compete in the Australian Junior Championships being held at SOPAC from Wednesday, March 14, to Sunday, March 18.
They are: Delta Amidzovski - 80m Hurdles, LJ, HJ; Blake Barklay - 110m Hurdles; Jenna Bentley - 400m Hurdles; Gabriel Bickel - 100m, 200m; Erin Dalley - 200m, 400m, 400m Hurdles; Tierney Dunne - 100m, 200m; Chelsea Ezeoke - 100m, 200m, 400m, Shot Put; James Gorham - Pole Vault; Austen Lantry - High Jump; Jackie Lenartowicz - Hammer Throw; Jett Link - 200m Hurdles; Kirra Lockett - Shot Put Para, Discus Para; Isaac O'Brien - 110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles; Jessica Quilter-Jones - 400m; Karlee Symonds - 100m Para, 200m Para, 400m Para, 800m Para; Rosie Tozer - High Jump.
Gold medallists
Out of our 26 entrants, gold went to Rosemary Boyland in the women's shot put U20 ambulatory 10.65m.
Three gold went to speed queen Chelsea Ezeoke in the U14 400m in 58.98 sec, U14 100m 13.35 sec, with the first three place getters finishing within 0.1 sec, and in the 200m 25.59 sec.
Just to show her versatility, she hurled the shot put 11.11m to win silver. Twelve-year-old Chelsea still has another year to compete in the U14. No doubt giving potential opposition something to worry about
Young Para athlete Karlee Symonds is another addition to the growing squad of very talented para athletes at Athletics Wollongong. Karlee scored gold in Para Ambulant 200m in a new T11 Australian record of 34.19s and may have also broken the Australian U18 and U20 record for that distance. Gold also in the U20 Women Para Ambulatory 800m. Her time of 3'15.59 beat her own T11 record of 3'33.99 and broke the U18 and U20 800m ambulatory records.
She won gold also in the U20 400m ambulatory in 1.20.30 sec breaking 20-year-old U18 and U20 Australian records in the process. Gold also in the Para ambulatory 100m in 16.58 sec, but this time just shy of the Australian record.
Silver medallists
Another one of our junior speed queens, Delta Amidzovski won double silver - one in the 80m hurdles 12.92 sec at a time faster than her title winning run in the Country Championships and in the U14 women's high jump 1.55m.
Other silver went to James Gorham U17 pole vault 3.70m; Jackie Lenartowicz U15 hammer a massive 39.50m; Kirra Lockett u20 para ambulatory discus 21.24m.
Bronze Medallists
Blake Barklay U18 110m hurdles 15.59 sec with only 0.2 seconds separating 3rd from 6th; Rosie Tozer competing as a 15-year-old in the U20 category high jump 1.70m; Austen Lantry U17 high jump 1.85m; Gabriel Bickel U17 200m 23.04 sec; Tierney Dunne U17 200m 25.34.
A tremendous well done to all the athletes. There were some who came so close to medalling.
This last weekend saw some of our athletes competing in the Open Age Australian Athletics Championships at the Gold Coast.
The irrepressible James Turner blasted down the track in the Para ambulant 200m, winning gold in 24.23 sec, just shy of his world record time.
Rosemary Boyland, who also featured in the NSW Junior Championships busily hurried up to the Gold Coast winning bronze in the para ambulatory Shot Put 9.99m and bronze in discus with 25.47m.
Long time stalwart Karen Clarke was 7th in the open javelin with 47.45m and 5th in discus 43.64m.
It was good to see Suzie Seitaridis giving the 400m hurdles a good go, just finishing off the placings with 67.13 sec.
The NSW Little Athletics Region 4 championships were held this weekend. There will be a full report on our juniors in our next bulletin.
