BATHURST Little Athletics have had 12 athletes named in the upcoming NSW State Championships qualifying event running in Dubbo over February 5 to 7.
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Savannah Auvaa, Jacob Blundell, William Curtin, Lily Dawson, Carla Grimm, Hayden Grimm, Sam Hunter, Amali Locke, Byron Rosier, Dylan Ruming, Kasey Wallace and Lucy Windsor have all put themselves one step away from a state championships appearance.
The talented dozen earned their place at the Dubbo event thanks to their performances at last month's Western Ranges Zone Combined Event at Katoomba.
All bar one of the Bathurst members have a full program of four events lined up at next month's carnival.
Bathurst Little Athletics committee member Mike Curtin said the club should be proud to see so many juniors putting themselves within reach of a state berth.
"It's wonderful to have so many kids qualify in four of their events. We're only allowed to nominate four events ... because numbers have been capped. It's been a trying year because the normal pathway hasn't be available to follow," he said.
"It's a different game at Dubbo because this is individual events, so they have to come first or second in their events to qualify for state. It's filled with heats and finals so it's a completely different kettle of fish.
"Everyone's done really well to qualify for the events they have and it should be a great couple of days up at Dubbo."
Dawson, Curtin and Rosier will be the Bathurst athletes gunning hardest for a place at state after they won their age divisions at the recent Katoomba event.
The Bathurst crew are one speedy bunch.
Ten of the 12 state qualifying competitors will be contesting 100 metre heats and eight of them will also have the 200m on their agenda.
Field events are well represented among them as well, with four long jump and four discus entries.
Several Bathurst athletes are hoping to go back-to-back at this level after successes in 2020.
"Will is the defending regional champion in the 100m and Byron was competing for Mudgee last year, and he's come across to Bathurst, and he's going over as the defending high jump champion," Curtin said.
"Lily performed so well at Katoomba. We think she's got big things ahead for her. We're also looking to put a relay team together, especially in the boys. Will and Byron both won their 100m events and Dylan was second.
"Unfortunately our biggest hurdle is that we don't have an athletics venue in Bathurst so it's difficult to train and get better at relays when you don't have a venue with markings. We'll do our best at Morse Park in the week leading up to it and see how we go."
The Little Athletics Under 9s to 12s State Championships will feature the best performers from the upcoming Dubbo carnival, and will be held on March 20 and 21 at Sydney Olympic Park.
Following that the The Little Athletics Under 13s to 17s State Championships will take place on March 27 and 28 at the same venue.