A RECORD-breaking performance by Zen Clark headlined a strong list of results for Bathurst competitors at the weekend’s Little Athletics Regional Championships in Dubbo.
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Clark’s effort of 6.29 metres in the under 15s boys long jump broke the previous regional record by half a metre, and makes him one of several Bathurst competitors who will go on to contest the State Championships from March 17 to 19.
Bathurst sent a team of 60 athletes up to Dubbo’s Barden Park for the event and performed well in the hot weather.
Saturday’s action had to be put on hold at 11.30am due to the heat, and didn’t resume until 7pm that night.
However, it didn’t stop the Bathurst contingent from soaring to great heights – much like the conditions they tested themselves in.
Bathurst Little Athletics president Mitchell Duffy said the team can holds their heads high.
“It was a fantastic performance from the kids, especially in that heat. It was also very well run by Little A’s NSW,” he said.
“Our results show little As is strong and will keep on growing. To come home with our athletes qualifying in 37 events for state and medalling in around 50 per cent of those events [at regionals] is not a bad effort.”
Clark’s performance was one of a staggering 74 regional records broken across the weekend.
Duffy said the Bathurst girls in particular were a force to be reckoned with under the Dubbo sun.
“Kasey Wallace and Jamie Powley finished first and second in the under 8s girls 70 metre sprint,” he said.
“We had Paige Lowe finish first in the girls under 11s 60m hurdles, Hope Coombes win the girls under 12s 800m and 1,500m and Amy Belfanti came first in the girls under 15s 1,500m.
“In the boys Logan Coombes finished second in the under 9s 70m sprint and Lachlan Dagg was third for the under 17s boys 200m.”
Bathurst winners covered a variety of events.
They included Sian Campbell (under 8s 100m), Emilee Curran (under 13s 800m and 1,500m), Tiaani Bijelic (under 10s long jump), Hayley Davis (under 12s triple jump), Cushla Rue (under 14s triple jump), Teleisha Besant (under 15s discus and javelin), Maddy Coombes (under 13s 1,500m walk), Emma Brodie (under 17s 1,500m walk), Kobe Borgstahl (under 8s 60m hurdles) and Tim Babbage (under 12s discus).
The Dubbo event was a massive gathering for junior talent as 720 competitors in total made their way to Barden Park, spread across 28 different centres.
Regional Championships bring together three zones in a busy weekend of action – Central Tablelands (of which Bathurst is a part of), Western Plains and Western Ranges.
