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Feburary 2023 Newsletter
Published Sun 12 Feb 2023
It's Zoom Week! Unlike a regular AW meet, if you want to participate in the sprint events you need to pre-register. Entries are set to close at noon tomorrow.
The 200m Zoom is a sprint celebration - and it is for EVERYBODY. There are lucky lane draws for cash and (additionally, for AW members) prize packs. We want as many members to participate as possible: sign up!
Why is it different and you have to sign-up this week? We need start lists for the seeded races prior to the night. We will have timing gates, live results, accredited officials, and a wind gauge; so that times count for qualifying purposes.
While it might be a little extra effort, here's the pay-off:
- FREE ground entry (no need to pay at the Leisure Centre counter)
- FREE entry to the sprint events for AW members (it costs $10 for other clubs' entrants, check your email for the code or ask athleticswollongong@gmail.com about it)
- the aforementioned LUCKY LANE DRAWS and PERMIT TIMING, as well as
- CASH PRIZES for fastest overall, and fastest AW members.
...and if that isn't enough, then we'll also have Ada on the BBQ working her magic!
Thanks to Peter Gandy's Process Integrations for their sponsorship, the AW Life Members Fund, Wollongong City Little Athletics and our officials.
NB - if you don't enter beforehand, you won't be eligible to win prizes (and most likely won't get to have a run due to time constraints).
World Cross Country Championships
It's been a long and - at times - rocky road, but the World Athletics Cross Country Championships have finally made it to Australia. The Aussies will be fierce competitors in Bathurst next weekend, with the Mixed 4x2km team - including local girl, Jessica Hull - among the favourites in their event.
On the Sunday we'll see the running of the World Masters Cross Country Championships, with AW's Emma O'Sullivan entered in the 45-49 Women's category. Best of luck, Emma!
It's not too late to be a part of this festival of running, with several mass event races occuring across the weekend. This includes the 'Golden Ticket' races: finish in the top 7 in these and you're into the World Championship field as a wildcard entrant! You can also go on a 'Hot Lap' and trial the course that the stars of distance running will be contesting the following day. See the event website for more details.
The first of the NSW Championship events were held last weekend, with our Masters athletes doing battle at Campbelltown. Twenty of our members participated, which meant that it was very rare that an AW uniform wasn't in action and being supported by their clubmates. There were medals galore, with full results now available for viewing on the club website.
Special note must be made of the performances of Anthony Howlett (who medaled in each of the *9* events he contested) and Christine Shaw (who brought home the highest tally of gold: 4). Well done, everybody!
Our Masters have surely inspired their younger counterparts, ahead of the upcoming NSW Junior Championships. Entries closed last week for the event being held at SOPAC on February 24th - 26th. Best of luck to all our competitors there!
Finally, it's not too late to enter the following weekend's NSW Open & U23 Championships. Entries are closing this Friday at noon.
While the local track and field season may be winding up, it's very much heating up! We will be ending 2022/23 with a bang. While it's still a month away, circle March 15th on your calendar. This will be our Summer Pointscore Season Finale and will include some big-money racing!
For the last few seasons, club member Anthony Howlett has sponsored the 60m Skins Champion of Champions. This is an event that tests fitness and determination. To graduate to the deciding race, athletes have to first survive a series of handicapped 60m elimination races with low recovery. Who, then, has the legs left to lift them to a victory in the final? It'll be fun to find out!
This year, we have secured additional sponsorship from FitTech Studios in Wollongong. A total of $300 will be up for grabs!
We'll also have a free BBQ for our members and their supporters, the 'World Famous' One-Vs-Many Relay, and the only edition of an 800m Chocolate Run to be held this season. Be there!
South Coast Region Championships
...but that's not all! NEW this season is a blast from the past: after a decades-long hiatus, the South Coast Region Championships are returning to close out the local track and field season.
In latter years, the South Coast Region mostly just existed for local clubs to enter a combined team in relay events. In the olden days though, there was a Branch/Region Committee, an entirely different uniform when representing that organisation, and an annual Championships that were contested by local clubs as early as 1960.
It's been revamped and it's back!
- If you're a local/social athlete: the Region Champs are for you! It's your grand final and your last chance to set a season best in every event.
- If you're going to Nationals: the Region Champs are for you! It's the perfect opportunity for a final hit-out ahead of Aussies.
- If you missed out on State Little A's or Nationals: the Region Champs are for you! So much more convenient to compete on your home track...
Each of the resident Beaton Park clubs will be hosting a leg of the South Coast Region Championships:
- Thursday, 16th March - w/ Kembla Joggers, from 5:30pm
- Sunday, 19th March - w/ Illawarra Blue Stars, from 1:00pm
- Wednesday, 22nd March - w/ Athletics Wollongong, from 5:30pm
Come for one, or go to all. The program for each night will be out sometime this week, with events named after local athletes of yore. Learn your local track and field history and be inspired to excel: if they could do it, then so could you!
An exhibition 600m event was held at an Athletics Wollongong meet last month: club member Harry Keats was aiming to beat the world's fastest time on record by a 12 year old. Assisted by some of his training squadmates, Harry destroyed the previous mark and set a new leading time of 1'26.40s.
This feat created quite the buzz, with Harry subsequently appearing on local radio and in print. It also likely didn't do him any disservice at the recent Berrima District Sports Awards, where he took out the Junior Sports Star category.
AW's Champion thrower Chelsy Wayne recently broke through the 50m barrier. At only 15 years of age, this distance has her among the upper echelon of discus throwers in the nation. Her effort saw her among the starters at the Adelaide Invitational this weekend, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour series. She finished 5th among the international field, giving away up to 20 years(!) on her competitors.
Coached by discus guru Dennis Knowles, best known through his long association with former World Champion and four-time Olympian Dani Stevens née Samuels, the future is looking bright!
NSW Country Championships Review
Oh, what a weekend in Dubbo! Athletics Wollongong was belatedly presented the award for the 2021/22 NSW Country Club of the Year and defended our Hooper Cup pointscore trophy.
An incredible 52 athletes made the long journey with tremendous performances across the board. Full results are up on the club website, but special mention must be made of our record-breakers:
- Chelsy Wayne beat a 40yo record in the U20 discus (held by Sue Culley, a local thrower who went on to Commonwealth Games selection)
- Mitchell O'Neill broke the electronic Open Men's 200m record, and
- Cheyannah Hall set a new U14 Pole Vault record
Once again, it proved itself to be the best event on the calendar - and we urge people to experience it next season (location TBD).
ACT Open & U20 Championships Review
The ACT Championships have proven a popular target for NSW athletes, with the track particularly having a reputation as a fast one. It was in the circle though, where AW members showed some of their best work: Zoe Daniels took out the U20 discus, while Chelsy Wayne came second in the Open division.
On the track, Olivia Sivills continued her cracking run of red-hot form. Her silver in the 3000m Steeplechase was a big PB time, qualifying her for the National Championships (and it was much the same story with her performance at last night's NSW 5000m Champs!).
Our other medallist was Charlize Colwell, who took home a bronze in the Open Para Ambulant 400m.
The U14 to U18 ACT Championships are being held at the same time as the NSW Juniors, so we are unlikely to see much AW representation there. Entry for these are still open though, so - if anyone missed the closing date for NSW - the ACT Champs are an option.
Thank you to those who assisted the club with providing athlete check-in services at the Australia Day Aquathon. We did a great job representing our club, with a lot of positive reports about us fielded from participants. Our good work at both the Aquathon and Splash Wollongong earned us a donation of $2000 from race organiser Activate Events. This money will go into the Athlete Support pot, assisting people to attend National Championships, along with other initiatives.
Wollongong Tennis Club are sponsoring our club this season and AW will earn a percentage of the money spent at the bar and bistro by our affiliates! (Ensure to note us down on your membership form).
Tennis Club memberships start from as little as $10 for 1 year and $5 for age pensioners. To join up, lodge your membership form, either available at the venue or online here: https://bit.ly/3RMXaMK. If you're an existing Tennis club member, ask them to affiliate your membership with us.
One area that Athletics Wollongong could improve upon is the number of accredited officials associated with the club. With people knowing the correct way to officiate an event, it means that our participants will have a better experience - and that there'll be no surprises if they were to compete elsewhere under stricter eyes. While we very much do NOT want to change the relaxed and social feel of our club meets, more educated and experienced helpers there can only be a good thing.
The good news is that gaining accreditation these days comes at no cost, and can be done in your own home in your own time. For more information on the Scheme, or to begin your online learning, see: https://www.athletics.com.au/officials/australian-athletics-officials-education-scheme-/.
You can help the club whenever you make a purchase at rebel Sport. Just drop our name at the checkout and the club could receive 2% of your purchase price to buy prizes or equipment for our members. Note that we don't receive a record of what those purchases are, nor who has done the purchasing: no shaming of shopaholics!
Coming Dates
- 15th February - 200m Zoom/Athletics Wollongong, Round #16, Beaton Park
- 17th - 19th February - World Cross Country Championships, Bathurst
- 19th February - Campbelltown High Velocity
- 22nd February - Athletics Wollongong, Round #17
- 24th - 26th February - NSW Junior Championships, SOPAC
- 1st March - Athletics Wollongong, Round #18
- 3rd - 5th March - NSW Open & U23 Championships, SOPAC
- 8th March - Athletics Wollongong, Round #19
- 10th - 13th March - Australian Masters Championships, SOPAC
- 11th March - Sydney Track Classic, SOPAC
- 11th March - Australian 3000m Championships, SOPAC
- 15th March - Athletics Wollongong - End of Pointscore Celebration (incl. 60m Skins Champion of Champions & 800m Chocolate Run), Round #20
- 16th March - South Coast Region Championships #1 (@ Kembla Joggers)
- 19th March - South Coast Region Championships #2 (@ Illawarra Blue Stars)
- 22nd March - South Coast Region Championships #3 (@Athletics Wollongong)
Contact Details
Email davidrosswollongong@hotmail.com with athletics news to include in our regular Illawarra Mercury column. Send other enquiries to athleticswollongong@gmail.com.
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