By Tara Murray
The Sunbury Little Athletics Centre is hoping to finish the season on a high.
After a year that has seen a number of athletes achieve goals and personal bests, the future looks bright.
Communication manager Brooke Rennie said it had been an exciting year for the centre with the athletes continuing to outperform expectations.
“Over the course of this season our athletes have broken or created new records for 33 events,” she said. “One record for the under-15 girls shot put was broken by Abbey McDonald after 45 years and another record, the under-15 boys 1500-metres was broken by Elias Kahsay after 13 years.
“We concentrate heavily at our centre on the athlete’s best performance. To date our athletes have achieved 1828 PB’s so far this season.”
To end the season, the centre has nine athletes who have made it through to this weekend’s competing state championships.
Sunbury athletes won three medals last year at the same event.
Ashlea Thies, in her final year at little athletics, will compete in the under-16 girls discus, javelin and shot put.
Kahsay will compete in the under-15 800 and 1500 metres. He will be one of the favourites after winning the under-14 boys 800 metres and finishing runners-up in 1500 metres last season.
Liam Joyce, who won silver in the under-9 70 metre run last season, will compete in the under-10 70 and 100 metre races.
Michael Sparks will compete in the under-14 boys 1500 metre walk while Riley Coughlan will compete in the under-12 boys 1500 metre walk and run.
Logan Carroll will compete in the under-13 boys discus, Nicholas Hill will compete in the under-9 boys high jump, Robert Sparks will be in the under-14 shot put and long jump and Georgia Stepanoski will compete in the under-14 javelin.
The centre will host a championship day and end of year presentation in the coming weeks.
The season end will also mark the end of an era, with president David Thies stepping down and leaving the club.
Thies and his wife Robyn have been involved with the centre since their daughter Ashlea started in under-6s. Ashlea has outgrown little athletics and they’ve decided to step down.
Rennie said it would be sad to the family leave after such a long time.
“We are extremely grateful and proud of their years of service.
“In our eyes, you couldn’t ask for better and more dedicated volunteers who constantly put in time to ensure children from our local Sunbury community have the opportunity to compete in Little Athletics after a long rich history of over 47 years.”
