Fourteen Athletics Wollongong members contested the NSW Open, U23 and Para Championships.
Our highest achiever at the event was the experienced Karen Clarke, who collected a bronze medal in the Javelin (45.53m).
While that was the club's only Open medal, further success was found in the U23s. Under 23 medals are a relatively recent invention, with the thought in mind that it may encourage newly-minted Open athletes to continue in the sport. It can be quite a competitive leap to the older category so, those turning 20, 21, and 22 are exclusively eligible for a medal, while still contesting an 'Open' event.
Rosie Boyland was our must successful athlete in this respect, claiming a silver U23 medal in the Para Ambulant 800m (3'38.75 - 58.40%) and a bronze U23 medal in the Para Ambulant Discus (28.92m - 66.28%).
Our other Championship medallist was Tierney Dunne, claiming a gold U23 medal in the 400m. Tierney's exciting development in her new event continued with a PB (55.38s) and a National Championships Qualifier.
While not claiming any jewelry, James Mcpaul otherwise managed to match Tierney's feats. It had been a long wait for him between PBs, but James finally improved on his own 400m mark, running a stunning 48.01s on his way to the 'A' final.
Mitchell O'Neill was unable to match his bronze medal-winning feats of last season, but he showed he's in comparable form: making the 200m final and running just 0.01s slower than his PB, while also claiming a Nationals Qualifier.
Perhaps most encouraging was the performance by our Juniors in these Open events. This was shown to greatest effect in the women's discus where AW's Chelsy Wayne (14) and Zoe Daniels (16) finished in 4th and 5th positions respectively. Chelsy made the Open National qualifying mark with her throw of 45.39m, while Zoe could now choose to also contest the U20 Nationals with her 42.75m effort.
The hard-luck story of AW's tilt at the Championships must surely go to Delta Amidzovski though. While previously collecting a World U20s qualifier in the 100m Hurdles, Delta (15) has been in a season-long hunt for a similar performance in the Long Jump. At Opens she jumped the exact distance required - 6.12m - only for an illegal wind to be measured. While unfortunate, no doubt this will give her even greater confidence for the NSW Junior Champs, being held this coming weekend.
Well done to all athletes. Full results are available HERE.
