This weekend’s Little Athletics Relay State Championships brings lots of excitement and a touch of the unknown to Sunbury Little Athletics Centre.
The centre will have several first-time state championship participants and, unlike the last few years, won’t have one of the most dominant relay teams.
The centre has won eight medals, all gold, in the past three years, which were all won by the same group of boys progressing through the age groups.
While they would have loved to have the boys back again, centre president David Thies said it will be exciting to see what this year’s relay teams can do.
“We’ve had some of the first timers [competing at regions], who have performed surprisingly well,” he said.
“There have been a couple of fast groups in the under-9s that stood out.
“It was their first time doing relays and, being at the start of the season, they didn’t get much chance to do training.
“They were happy just to get a medal,” Mr Thies said.
“They will go ballistic if they win anything at the state championships.”
Among the competitors this weekend are three under-9 teams.
It’s the first time this group of runners have been old enough to qualify for the championships.
The team of Alyssa Evans, Eden Wilkins, Bridie Berne, and Gemma Ellis will compete in both the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 metre events.
Tait Rennie, Christian Cowell, Indiana Stott, and Katherine Watson will compete in the mixed under-9 4 x 200 metre relay.
The other teams to qualify are the under-10 boys 4 x 200 metres team of Lucas Arbanas, Jameson Haxby, Alex Fish and Riley Coughlan, the under-11 girls 4 x 100 metres team of Brianna Mastin, Maddison Vowles, Isabella Jordan and Zoe Ryan, the under-11 girls 4 x 200 metres team of Brianna Mastin, Maddison Vowles Zoe Ryan and Piper Sanford, the girls under-12/13 medley team of Maddison Vowles, Georgia Stepanoski, Abbey McDonald, and Jordan Van Pelt, and the mixed under-10 4 x 100 metres team of Brianna Mastin, Piper Sanford, Lucas Arbanas, and Jameson Haxby.
Thies said the teams are training really hard ahead of the championships.
“The parents have taken a real interest and many of the kids are practicing by themselves,” he said.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how they go.”
The centre itself has recorded its best participant numbers in at least eight years.
More than 200 athletes have signed up for this season.
