SHOALHAVEN athletes have once again punched above their weight at the track, bringing home a number of medals from the recent NSW Combined High Schools Athletics Championships, while representing South Coast, at Sydney Olympic Park.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Nowra High School quartet Lara Check, Siwa Harvey-Aziz, Karlee Symonds (T11) and William Dyball each secured a top-three finish in their respective events.
Check claimed gold in the under 16 girls high jump (1.61m) and 17 years plus girls pentathlon (high jump 1.68m, shot put 10.41m, 200m 26.44 second, long jump 5.60m and 800m 2:42 seconds), where she finished on 3,419 points - 466 points ahead of second place and only 128 points shy of the NSW CHS state record.
She backed this up with a silver in the triple jump (10.93m) and bronze in the long jump (5.60m) - with Check also finishing sixth in the 100m (12.94 second) and 12th in the shot put (9.98m).
Check also anchored the 16 year girls 4x100m relay team, alongside with Amelia Anderson, Taylah Moffat and Ella Dyball, which finished seventh.
Not to outdone were Harvey-Aziz (gold in 17 years plus boys discus - 51.56m), Symonds (gold in girls 16-19 years ACME 100m - 15.51) and Dyball (bronze in 14 years boys 1500m - 4:31.00) - with the latter also finishing sixth in the 800m (2:11.0), which were both personal best times.
Multi-class athlete Symonds also finished fourth in long jump (2.43m), 10th in discus (5.18m) and 12th in shot put (3.90m)
Other Nowra High students to compete were Ella Dyball (seventh in 12-19 years girls 2000m steeplechase - 8:19.1), Elke Keane (18th in 13 year girls long jump - 4.09m), Denva Dwyer (11th in 14 year girls long jump - 4.59m), Abby Koglin (18th in 14 year girls discus - 18.28m), Emma Keane (16th in 15 year girls discus - 23.78m), Lachlan Musson (heats of 13 year boys 90m hurdles - 16.97), Nash Hay (eighth in 15 year boys 800m - 2.10.31 and sixth in 15 year boys 1500m - 4:36.8, which are both personal best times), Jackson Winter (10th in 16 year boys javelin - 40.35m) and Ethan Havadjia (fifth in 17-19 year boys 400m - 51.4).
Shoalhaven High School's Alexis Charalambous finished seventh in her 15 year girls 1500m, in a personal best time of 5:26.70 - before withdrawing from the steeplechase due to a virus.
Vincentia High's Jake Pepper, competing at his first state event, finished 12th in the 12-15 year boys 3000m (10:34.2).
Fellow VHS student Lily Wheeler, competing in the 16 year girls, finished seventh in the 800m (2:29.1) and seventh in the 400m (65.08).
Other VHS results included Laylah Connelly (fifth in 13 year girls 400m - 61.11 and heats of 13 year girls 80m hurdles - 14.59), Hollie Miles (18th in 17 year plus girls shot put - 9.34m), Byron Morris (ninth in 12 year boys 800m heats - 2:58.3) and Kiera Watt (11th in 12-14 year girls 1500m walk - 9:04.8) - as former VHS student Sam Taylor claimed gold 17 year plus boys long jump (7.04m).
While Bomaderry High athletes also gave their all, including Talia Miller (19th in 13 year girls discus - 22.39m), Amika Blade (ninth in 14 year girls high jump - 1.50m), Emelia Matthews (fourth in 16 year girls javelin - 31.50m), Tom Speed (12th in 15 year boys shot put - 11.79m), Rhys Burinaga (11th in 17 year plus boys discus - 39.19m) and Akala Miller (fourth in both 12-15 year girls multi-class 100m (15.02) and 200m (31.43) as well as fifth in 12-15 year girls multi-class long jump - 3.33m) - with their 17-19 year girls relay team reaching the heats (54.85).
Finally, Ulladulla High School also produced a number of excellent results, including Harm Schaap taking out gold in the 17 year plus boys 800m (2:00.9) and bronze in the 16-19 year boys 3000m (8:58.3) (as well as finishing fourth in the 1500m (4:16.2)), Ella Colusso claiming silver in the 12 year girls 800m (2:30.0), Olivia Greenhalgh securing second in the 13 year girls 800m (2:24.1) (as well as fifth in the 12-14 year girls 1500m (4:57.1) and Lily Winward winning bronze in the 14 year girls 800m (2:22.4) - as well as sixth in the 12-14 year girls 1500m (4.57.6).
Other UHS students to compete were Ben Shepard (sixth in 12-19 year boys steeplechase - 6:54.9 and fifth in 16 year boys 800m heats - 2:10.9), Brodie McCluskey (eighth in 12 year girls 100m - 13.96, seventh in 12 year girls 200m - 28.45 and 11th in 12 year girls long jump - 3.96m), Rachael Percival (13 year girls 100m heats - 13.6), Lauren Percival (fifth in 15 year girls 200m - 25.64 and fourth in 15 year girls 100m - 12.62), Ethan Magnusson (10th in 16 year boys triple jump - 11.78m and 16th in 16 year boys high jump - 1.70m), Helena Kastelein (fifth in 17-19 year girls high jump - 1.55m), Micah Boye (11th in 16 year boys 1500m - 4:27.6), Hailey D'Ombrain (eighth in 12-14 year girls 3000m (11:39.5) and Riley Pearce (13th in 12-15 year boys triple jump - 11.39m) - with the 12 year girls 4x100m relay team finishing fifth (57.4) and the 15 year girls 4x100m relay claiming seventh (53.32).