Tahlia Blight took out gold in the Under 17 400m at the Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships. Photos: Echuca-Moama Athletics Facebook.
Echuca-Moama athletes have swept into the Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships — and struck gold.
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Tahlia Blight burned up the track to win the Under 17 400m with a sizzling time of 57.62 seconds.
She backed that up the next day with a bronze in the 100m in just 12.98 seconds.
After her success in the 400m and 100m, Blight qualified for the 200m final, but fell agonisingly short of a medal.
Blight’s time of 26.14 seconds was only good enough for fourth, even though gold medal winner Tanamai Szirom was only 0.25 seconds faster.
And in the same age range Hannah Downward leapt on to the top of the high jump podium, with a golden 1.63m height.
Under 17 high jump winner Hannah Downward.
Both Moama Anglican Grammar students have now booked their trips to the nationals — to be held in Perth in December.
Joining them on the plane will be Harry Sly of St Joseph’s College, who snuck into first in the Under 18 400m hurdles, clocking a blistering 57.2 seconds.
Harry Sly (centre) won the Under 18 400m hurdles.
Unfortunately for the trio, the weather in Melbourne wasn’t too kind. But it clearly didn’t matter.
“There was torrential rain at times,” EMA president Kate Downward said.
“It was difficult for the athletes to warm up and stay dry, ready to compete across the first three days. Sunday was much better.
“On the track they were splashing through puddles.
“In the field events, trying to keep warm between jumps creates problems as well, because sometimes you’re at a field event for up to an hour.
“So we had long jumpers and of course Hannah in the high jump battling that, but country athletes are resilient and everyone did really well.”
Fellow Echuca-Moama Athletics Club member Ruby Andrews also had a big weekend, recording a strong result in the Under 16 2000-metre steeplechase – her time of 8:31.91 securing bronze.
Ruby Andrews took out bronze in the Under 16 2000m steeplechase.
In fifth in the Under 15 event was Esther Griffiths, clocking in at 8:25.28.
They’re adding to a legacy in the event started by Remi Baulch, who “paved the way”, as Downward put it, winning silver at last year’s championships.
“Ruby and Esther are very new to steeplechase and performed exceptionally well in what looks like a fun event, but is very challenging,” she said.
“You’re jumping into water and then over some very solid hurdles.
“It’s great to see some other young steeplechasers interested in the event.”
There are plans to provide more assistance for them as well.
“We have applied for a grant to purchase a steeplechase, which you can imagine is $2000,” Downward said.
“Nothing's cheap these days so we are hoping to add the equipment to offer Esther and Ruby, along with anybody else who’s interested, the opportunity to practise more on our home track before they go to competitions like this one.”
Of course, not every athlete can make nationals.
But there were heaps of other results worth shouting about.
The Downwards also had young Quinn show off her versatility, making the final of the Under 16 400m and long jump.
In other distance events, Cleo Haw was a finalist in the Under 14 400m, while Tommy Quirk’s impressive engine saw him into the Under 17 3000m final.
Meanwhile, another EMA trio leapt into field finals — Ebony Patten in the Under 14 high jump, Summer Scambler in the Under 15 triple jump and Paige Patten in the Under 16 long jump.
If that wasn’t enough, there was also Oliver Bowles, who surged into two semi-finals — the Under 14 100m and 200m.
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