2023 VICTORIAN TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
WEEK 2 - OPEN & U20
VALLEY OUT IN FORCE
There was a strong Valley presence at Week 2 of the 2023 Victorian Track & Field Championships – Open & U20. Along with the 21 DVAC athletes competing there were the family members & support team of each athlete, Coaches, Club Helpers and DVAC Officials with AV. Not to mention the current President of Athletics Victoria, our own Rob Wendel.
The Championships are a highlight of the season and they are certainly run in a very professional and supportive manner so that the athletes can concentrate on producing their best performances in competition.
The DVAC Club Helpers do deserve special mention: over the two weeks of Championships the DVAC Club Helpers covered the various roles allotted to them for a total of 55 hours!
Congratulations to all the DVAC athletes who competed at Lakeside in Week 2 of the Championships. For some, it was about gaining the experience, for others it was about doing your best under the pressure of Championship competition and for others it was about challenging for a medal. Whatever the reason, you are all winners!
In all 21 DVAC athletes competed in the second week of the 2023 Victorian Championships (11 Women & 10 Men). There was a total of 10 medals won against quality opposition. Valley athletes won 4 Gold medals, and 6 Silver medals across the three days of competition.
The total number of DVAC athletes who competed across the two weeks of the Championships was 52 and the combined medal haul was 40. This tally was up from the DVAC total in 2022 when 28 medals were awarded to the Valley line-up of 41 athletes.
The Diamond Valley Athletic Club finished 9th on the HH Hunter Shield. This prestigious award by Athletics Victoria lists points to the top 8 finishers in all Women’s & Men’s Track & Field Championship events. Essendon headed the table for 2023.
ELYSSIA KENSHOLE BOOKS TICKET TO TRAVEL
There were many highlights for the Diamond Valley Athletic Club at the 2023 Open & U20 Victorian Track & Field Championships but the performance by Elyssia Kenshole in the Open Women’s Pole Vault ranks with the best. After a lengthy time on the sidelines following navicular surgery on both feet Elyssia is now reasserting herself as one of Australia’s rising stars in athletics. Elyssia cleared 4.15m in the Pole Vault to win the Victorian championship and book her ticket for the Athletics Australia European U20 & U23 Tour planned for June.
There were moments of stress along the way. Elyssia came into the competition at 3.80m after a wait of an hour and a half and missed her first two attempts. The clearance on her third and final attempt was a huge relief to Elyssia and her team. Then at 4.00m there was an issue with her pole and Elyssia again made a clutch effort on her third attempt to stay in the competition. Having won the Championship, Elyssia went straight to 4.15m to book her place for Europe, and that came on her third attempt.
Elyssia narrowly missed her three attempts at 4.30m. Before the foot surgery, Elyssia had achieved her best clearance at 4.26m. Elyssia will next compete at the Brisbane Track Classic before focussing on the Australian National Championships.
JORDAN RUDD’S ‘EXCELLENT ADVENTURE’
Jordan Rudd, MU20 Para, moved into an older age group with great success. Five medals, three Gold and two Silver and four pb’s made Jordan one of the standout athletes of the Meet. The T20 athlete won Gold medals in the 400m (62.92), 800m (2:31.31), and Long Jump (4.18m) and Silver medals in the 1500m (5:09.71) and the 200m (27.92). Jordan improved on his previous best performances in the 200m, 400m, 1500m and the Long Jump in a wonderful display of how to cope with the added pressure that comes with Championships in a positive way.
Another indication of the improvement that Jordan has made over the past year can be seen in the Baseline scoring percentages that he gained at this year’s Championships where he moved well into the 70% band for all events, 76.82% for the 200m, compared to last year where his top result was in the 1500m at 69.37%. In the Long Jump Jordan was scored at 47.64% last year while his 4.18m this year was scored at 71%.
Jordan set new DVAC club records for the T20 category in the 200m, 400m, 1500m and the Long Jump.
THE RACE: JARYD CLIFFORD & the Final of the Open Men 1500m.
It was Jaryd Clifford, a T12 Para athlete, who provided the Valley supporters with the excitement in the Track events. A vision impaired athlete, Jaryd had a tough and physical qualifying round in which he finished in second place in 3:57.67 to make the final. Jaryd’s training partner, Tim Logan, finished in 4:01.16 in his heat and qualified on times for the final. There was a buzz around the Valley camp having two athletes in the final of the Open Men 1500m.
The final of the Men 1500m had a field of 15 starters, and Jaryd moved quickly to take up the lead and avoid some of the jostling for position that he had experienced in the qualifying round. Jaryd held on to the lead until there was 300m remaining when Lachlan Herd and Dale Carroll made an effort to push past Jaryd. With 200m to go Jaryd had been relegated to third position. In the race down the home straight, Jaryd produced a withering sprint finish to move into second place and crossed in 3:46.85.
Tim Logan finished in 8th place in a time of 3:55.27.
SILVER SISTERS IN THE SPRINTS: KEELY & MONICA
DVAC athletes won Silver medals in both the Open Women 100m and the Open Women 200m Victorian Championships.
Keely Boyne, better known for her distinguished record as a Hurdler, won her first Open Women sprint medal when she finished in second place in the final of the Open Women 100m. Keely had qualified for the final by winning her Preliminary round in 12.24. This was her second fastest time for the 100m, not far behind the 12.22 she ran in December last year. In the final, Keely finished in second place in a new personal best time of 12.18.
Fellow DVAC sprinter, Katie Oliver (U18) also made the final of the Open Women 100m at her first Open Championship experience. Katie gained an automatic qualifier with a second placing in her heat (12.51) and then finished 5th in the final in 12.37.
Keely finished in 4th place in the final of the Open Women 100m Hurdles in a time of 14.55. After getting into trouble early in the race it was all catch up for Keely.
Monica Brennan went close to winning her sixth Open Women Victorian Championship over 200m, finishing in second place after an exciting tussle with Jessica Payne of Ringwood. Monica crossed in 24.53 just behind the winning time of 24.45. Monica had earlier won her Preliminary round in 24.55.
PB COUNTRY:
Hayden Moon MU18 100m 11.72
Harley Gilbert MU18 Long Jump 5.61m
Bianca Eiting-Brown WU18 Javelin 24.95m
Apologies if I have overlooked anyone. Do let me know so I can amend the article.
DVAC CLUB HELPERS – WEEKEND #2
We did it! DVAC filled every duty for the weekend allotted to our club. And extra! There were DVAC Lap scorers busy at work during the 3000m races and that was not on our job description.
DVAC thanks those members who took the time to book into the Cathy Freeman room & do their assigned Club Helper duty. I believe that in most cases, the duty turned out to be a positive experience. In all DVAC Club Helpers covered 25 hours of duty over the weekend.
The AV Team did look after the Club Helpers well providing delicious foods and bringing water around.
A huge THANK YOU to the following for their support at the Victorian Open & U20 T&F Championships:
Field Events:
Damien Clifford, Susanne Derrett, Tony Kenshole, Max Balchin, Maryann Murray, Darren Rudd, Lyn Davis
Lap scorers:
Maryann Murray, Shania Murray, Matilda L’Estrange, Lyn Davis
As well DVAC had plenty of members out in their capacity as AV Officials: these included Jeff Hughes, Andrew Stirling, Paul Schofield, Stuart Schnaars, & Keira Sanchez. Apologies if I have overlooked anyone.
2023 Victorian Track & Field Championships
U20 & Open
Lakeside Stadium
Friday 3, Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 March 2023
DVAC Results:
WOMEN:
Under 20:
1500m: Ally Brooks 4:46.56 (4th);
Javelin: Bianca Eiting Brown 24.95m (7th);
Shot Put: Bianca Eiting Brown 9.37m (5th);
Open:
100m: Keely Boyne 12.18 (0.1) (2nd); 12.24 (0.7) (P); Katie Oliver 12.37 (0.1) (5th); 12.51 (1.6) (P);
200m: Monica Brennan 24.53 (-1.0) (2nd); 24.55 (2.2) (P);
100m Hurdles: Keely Boyne 14.55 (-0.1) (4th);
400m Hurdles: Charlee Dickson 72.89 (P);
Discus: Alexandra Mills 40.29m (5th);
Hammer: Lucinda Derrett 38.25m (11th);
Javelin: Emma Butler 41.39m (2nd); Tara Smith 31.37m (7th);
Pole Vault: Elyssia Kenshole 4.15m (1st);
Shot Put: Emma Butler 10.51m (6th);
MEN:
Open:
1500m: Jaryd Clifford 3:46.85 (2nd); 3:57.67 (P); Tim Logan 3:55.27 (8th); 4:01.16 (P); Caden Murray 4:07.04 (P);
Shot Put: Colin Newman 11.41m (7th);
Under 20:
100m: Zack Lambie 11.74 (S); 11.64 (1.4) (P); James Hurley 11.97 (-0.8) (P); Charl Louwrens 11.78 (-0.8) (P); Hayden Moon 11.72 (1.4) (P);
200m: Charl Louwrens 23.42 (0.9) (P); Hayden Moon 24.22 (-1.6) (P);
800m: Dillon Vidanapathirana 2:37.27 (P);
1500m: Dillon Vidanapathirana 5:28.15 (14th);
Long Jump: Harley Gilbert 5.61m (3.1) (10th); James Hurley 5.54m (-1.0) (11th);
Triple Jump: James Hurley 12.20m (1.5) (8th); Harley Gilbert 11.61m (0.2) (11th);
Under 20 Para:
200m: Jordan Rudd 27.92 (5.1) (2nd);
400m: Jordan Rudd 62.92 (1st);
800m: Jordan Rudd 2:31.31 (1st);
1500m: Jordan Rudd 5:09.71 (2nd);
Long Jump: Jordan Rudd 4.18m (0.1) (1st);
