Bacchus Marsh Little Athletics

After two seasons of State Cross Country being cancelled due to COVID, athletes were very excited to participate in this year’s State Championships.  The Bacchus Marsh Centre was extremely fortunate to once again host this event, with races being conducted at Lake Dewar, Myrniong.  Over 600 athletes competed, representing close to 80 Centres from across the State.

The Bacchus Marsh Centre was represented by 12 athletes on the day.

Alexis Johnston was our first athlete to toe the line in the Under 13 girls 3km event.  This was Alexis’ first taste of State Championship competition and sat mid pack for the majority of the race before upping the tempo over the last 500 metres. Leaving nothing out there, Alexis showed pure guts and determination as she finished strongly to place 18th overall.

Sam White, who always enjoys his running, whether it be in local competition, state competition or social running.  Sam ran the entire race with a massive smile on his face and after a 11th place finish, looked like he could run if all over again.

After a short lunch break, the Under 9 boys were next to compete. Bacchus Marsh was represented by Joshua Askew, Mitchell Tung and Angus Norman.  The boys also formed to make a Centre team.  This was the first State Cross Country meet for the boys, and although a little nervous and anxious in the call room, the boys quickly settled down as the race commenced.  Joshua Askew continued his great season form and finished in 24th place.  Mitchell Tung, displaying his strength in the closing stages, overtook several runners in the last 200 metres to finish 35th overall.  Angus Norman, still recovering from illness, found the going tough but left nothing in the tank and crossed the finish line in 49th place.  The boys were the 6th team overall.

Anni Clarke was our sole representative in the Girls Under 9 1.5km event.  ‘Small in stature but big in heart’, Anni gave 100% in her event and should be extremely proud of her 30th place, out of over 60 girls.

The Boys Under 10 were next up for their 1.5km race.  Zeke Horne, Logan Simons and James White also formed a team as they vied to back up their form from the recent Region Championships. Zeke Horne ran a sensational race finishing in 26th place.  Logan Simons ran a consistent pace throughout the course, sprinting to the finishline to place 57th, while James White should be congratulated on his 60th place.  In extremely tough competition, they placed 9th as a team.

Iyla Robinson, toed the line against a hot field of athletes in the Under 10 1.5km girls event.  After suffering from illness during the week, Iyla felt the effects during the course of the race, but dug deep, showed sheer determination and grit as she pushed to the finish line and claimed a magnificent top 8 placing.  Iyla was rewarded with a State Championship ribbon presented by the Little Athletics Victoria CEO, Anthony McIntosh at the medal presentations. She will now move her focus to the National Schools Championships later in the month, to be held in Adelaide, SA.

Dushan Baniluk started well in the Under 11 Boys 2km event, sitting in the front pack for the early stages of the race.  As the pace picked up, Dushan found the going a little tough but did not give up and will only benefit from his first experience at State level.  Dushan placed 28th overall in a solid performance.

Myah Estlick was our final athlete to represent the Centre and got off to a great start.  Once again, the pace was hot as Myah endeavoured to stay in touch with the leading pack. As the race progressed the gaps began to open, Myah finished off with a great sprint to the line to cross in 28th place.

Next week – Centre Cross Country meet will be held at Rupert Moon Reserve, Bacchus Marsh.