Waaia’s vaulter soars to gold

WAAIA teenager Rhys Hansen has soared to gold at the Australian All Schools field and track championships in Adelaide.

A rising star who took up vaulting when he joined South Bendigo Athletics Club last season, Hansen has gone on to dominate at state and national titles level.

An Athletics Bendigo Region record-holder at vaulting, Hansen soared 3.50 metres to clinch victory on day one of the Australian All Schools in Adelaide.

Victory capped many hours of training with Bendigo-based coach Peter Barrett at the Flora Hill track and the many kilometres spent travelling from Waaia to compete.

In the lead-up to the titles, Hansen cleared 3.50 meters in round six of Athletics Victoria Shield League in Bendigo.

Away from the athletics track, Hansen studies at Nathalia Secondary College.

His feat in Adelaide was among many highlights for athletes with links to Bendigo region at the three-day meet.

Bendigo University distance runner Avery McDermid claimed silver in the under-15 boys 1500 meters on Sunday the final day of the All Schools with a time of 4:10.38.

A student at Bendigo South East Secondary College, McDermid is coached by Bendigo’s top distance competitor and Birmingham Commonwealth Games runner Andy Buchanan.

South Bendigo’s Kai Norton shone in three of the under-14 boys finals.

Highest placing for the Weeroona College student was fourth in hammer on a mark of 38.67 meters.

Norton’s best of 14.37 meters at shot put earned fifth, and a mark of 42.00 meters earned sixth place in the javelin final.

Maryborough Education Centre’s Jake Gavriliadis contested two under-17 field events, with a 13.38-metre put of the shot good enough for eighth place.

One of the Bendigo Harriers’ best in this season’s AVSL action, Gavriliadis also threw the discus to a mark of 44.13m to be sixth.

Eaglehawk Athletics Club was represented by Kate Wilson in the under-14 high jump where a leap of 1.49 metres put the Girton Grammar student in equal 11th place.

The under-15 girls’ hammer final included Hailey Stubbs from Sacred Heart College Kyneton, with a best effort of 44.54 metres for the Bendigo Harrier earning fourth place.

The New South Wales team at the Australian All-Schools included Connor Wilson, a member of South Bendigo Athletics Club, in the under-14 shot put.

Wilson’s best of 13.90 metres clinched sixth place.

The talented teenager is coached by South Bendigo clubmate Emma Berg, a dual national open shotput champion.