VALLEY ATHLETES ENDORSE NEW VIC CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAT
Athletics Victoria embraced the strength of Overage Athletics in its new format of Victorian Championship competition in a move that has paid great dividends for the sport and for the Diamond Valley Athletic Club. Over the first three days of the Vic Champs Juniors for 17Yrs to 20Yrs as well as Overage athletes competed in a full range of Championship events.
The Diamond Valley Athletic Club was represented by a total of 37 athletes over the weekend. This number included 27 Juniors (15 Female & 12 Males) and 10 Overage athletes (4 Female & 6 Male).
The total Medal tally for DVAC at the end of Day 3 stood at 29 medals (9 Junior & 20 Overage). For most athletes the experience at competing in a very well conducted Championship, at times held in testing weather conditions, was of great value as well getting to watch other super talented athletes at work. The quality of the athletics was outstanding all weekend: seeing the final of the Male U20 800m where the winner ran 1:51 or the winner of the Female U18 Triple Jump land at 12.58m was worth the price of admission to Lakeside Stadium.
The DVAC congratulates all athletes who competed over the weekend. Here are our medal winners at Week 1 of the Vic Champs:
DVAC 17Yrs – 20Yrs MEDAL WINNERS:
GOLD:
Rebecca Hvalica Female 17: 100m: 12.25
SILVER:
Vanessa Smith Female 20: Javelin: 37.07m
Amelia Di Benedetto: Female 18: Javelin: 29.36m
Zoey Ryan: Female 17: Hammer Throw: 44.18m
BRONZE:
Tara Smith: Female 20: Javelin: 36.80m
Elisha Blair: Female 18: 100m: 12.64
Rebecca Hvalica: Female 17: 200m: 26.03
Hanna Rowe: Female 17: Hammer Throw: 36.09m
Brodie Batt: Male 17: 2000m Steeple: 6:37.93
DVAC OVERAGE MEDAL WINNERS:
GOLD:
Briony Rheuben: F40-44: Hammer Throw: 46.95m
Colin Newman: M40-44: Hammer Throw: 34.61m
M40-44: Shot Put: 12.81m
M40-44: Discus: 28.85m
Meg Nicholls: F45-49: 200m: 32.27
Gaelyne Kenshole: F50-54: Pole Vault: 2.80m
Lalith Udugampala: M50-54: 100m: 12.56
M50-54: 200m: 25.89
M50-54: Javelin: 38.50m
M50-54: Triple Jump: 9.61m
Paul Schofield: M50-54: High Jump: 1.60m
Greg Luck: M60-64: High Jump: 1.25m
M60-64: Long Jump: 3.15m
M60-64: Triple Jump: 7.60m
SILVER:
Victoria Lindores: F40-44: 100m: 15.19
F40-44: 200m: 32.27
Meg Nicholls: F45-49: Triple Jump: 7.51m
Adam Scott: M50-54: 200m: 27.26
Lalith Udugampala M50-54: Long Jump: 4.92m
Greg Luck: M60-64: 200m: 31.22
BRONZE:
Adam Scott: M50-54: 400m: 59.17
Lalith Udugampala: M50-54: Discus: 30.29m
Greg Luck: M60-64: 100m: 15.05
NOTES FROM THE STAND:
Ø DVAC CLUB HELPERS FOR WEEK 1: It was ‘wet & wild’ at times but our band of DVAC Club Helpers have done a wonderful job in keeping in tact the reputation of DVAC as a solid citizen of the athletics community. THANK YOU TO EACH ONE.
STUART SCHNAARS (2 shifts); KATHRYN WILLIAMS, MATTHEW ROWE, ANDREW STIRLING, ROB WENDEL, VICTORIA LINDORES, MARYANN MURRAY (2 shifts), MAX BALCHIN (2 shifts), LYN DAVIS, CADEN MURRAY, AMANDA SMITH
Ø DVAC CLUB HELPERS FOR WEEK 2:
Friday: Athlete Check in: (5:00pm – 6:30pm) & (6:00pm – 8:00pm)
Field Team 3 (Pole Vault): (5:00pm – 6:30pm) & (6:00pm – 8:00pm)
Saturday: Field Team 2 (Hammer Throw): (12:30pm – 3:00pm & 3:00pm – 5:00m)
Admin Runner: (12:30pm – 3:00pm & 3:00pm – 5:00m)
Sunday: Track: Track: (9:30am – 12:00pm & 12:00pm – 2:30pm)
Field Team 1: (Javelin) (9:30am – 12:00pm & 12:00pm – 2:30pm)
The URL for the signup is this:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4EAFA829ABFFC52-55078429-2025
OR: Text Max Balchin on 0409 350 280: email: mbalchin29@bigpond.com
The next 12 to register their spot on the Club Helper call up will go into a draw (along with those already registered) for a FREE BACK TO BACK DVAC T-SHIRT. Winner announced on Monday 17th February 2025.
DO IT … for your Club
DO IT … for our athletes
DO IT … for yourself
JUST …
Ø Charlie Cooper speaks to Chehan Udugampala in the Stands:
Charlie: So Chehan, what events have you done today?
Chehan: I have done Hammer Throw & came 4th with a 36.74m but it is all good because I have got my qualifier (Chehan has bettered the M17 Hammer Throw qualifier of 37.00m with the 5kg Hammer with a pb of 39.55m).
Charlie: Any more events tomorrow?
Chehan: Yeah, I’ve got Javelin. I’m hopeful of doing well in that. What have you done, Charlie.
Charlie: I have done the 400m Heats last night & I ran 53.27 to finish 2nd. I had finals about an hour and a half ago.
Chehan: How do you feel about that?
Charlie: Not very good. I didn’t run very good. My legs were dead in the last 100m but …I think I tensed up … (Charlie ran 54.09 to finish 4th in the final)
Ø A couple of happy people … Colin Newman got a pb in the Shot Put with a 12.01m put. This extended his previous best by 2cm & furthers his own DVAC club record for the M40-44 age group. Gaelyne Kenshole went into the comp hoping for a 2.80m clearance and guess what? Gaelyne cleared 2.80m! This extends hor DVAC club record for the F50-54 by 5cm.
Ø Busy Brodie Batt: three pb’s in three days! That’s something very rarely done. Brodie ran a three second pb on the Friday night in the 1500m (4:16.71), tackled the 2000m Steeplechase for the first time and won a Bronze medal in 6:37.93 to qualify for Nationals; and then on Sunday, lowered his best time for the 3000m to 9:17.62.
(Max Balchin)
2025 VICTORIAN TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Lakeside Stadium
Friday 14, Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 February 2025
DVAC Results:
Female 20
100m: Olivia Sheens 13.00 (1.0) (P);
200m: Olivia Sheens 28.03 (0.3) (P);
1500m: Poppy Scot-Dalgleish 4:57.19 (8th); Matilda L'Estrange 5:25.87 (10th);
Hammer: Tara Smith 34.93m (5th); Vanessa Smith 30.19m (7th);
Javelin: Vanessa Smith 37.07m (2nd); Tara Smith 36.80m (3rd);
Female 18
100m: Elisha Blair 12.64 (-1.9) (3rd); 12.77 (1.0) (P);
800m: Georgia L'Estrange 2:31.55 (8th);
1500m: Georgia L'Estrange 5:11.08 (7th);
Hammer: Amelia Di Benedetto DNS;
Javelin: Amelia Di Benedetto 29.36m (2nd);
Female 17
100m: Rebecca Hvalica 12.25 (0.8) (1st); 12.30 (0.3) (P);
200m: Rebecca Hvalica 26.03 (-0.5) (3rd); 25.77 (0.2) (P); Zoey Ryan 29.34 (0.2) (P);
400m: Daisy Whyte 62.20 (4th); 62.04 (P);
3000m: Rose Jarvis 10:39.25 (7th);
Hammer: Zoey Ryan 44.18m (2nd); Hanna Rowe 36.09m (3rd);
High Jump: Liv Nicholls 1.40m (7th);
Javelin: Ines Caton-Smith 32.74m (4th);
Shot Put: Zoey Ryan 9.39m (9th); Hanna Rowe 9.15m (10th);
Female 40-44
100m: Victoria Lindores 15.19 (0.3) (2nd);
200m: Victoria Lindores 32.27 (-2.0) (2nd);
Hammer: Briony Rheuben 46.95m (1st);
Long Jump: Victoria Lindores 3.93m (-2.4) (3rd);
Triple Jump: Victoria Lindores 7.78m (-3.9) (3rd);
Female 45-49
200m: Meg Nicholls 32.74 (-2.0) (1st);
Long Jump: Meg Nicholls 3.50m (-0.5) (3rd);
Triple Jump: Meg Nicholls 7.51m (+0.0) (2nd);
Female 50-54
Pole Vault: Gaelyne Kenshole 2.80m (1st);
Male 20
100m: Asher Andrews 11.35 (-2.0) (7th); 11.21 (-1.5) (P);
110m Hurdles: Asher Andrews 16.58 (0.4) (4th);
Discus: Asher Andrews 35.13m (4th);
Long Jump: Asher Andrews 6.44m (4.6) (5th);
Pole Vault: Asher Andrews 3.80m (4th);
Triple Jump: Elliot Williams SCR;
Male 18
100m: Janusz Kubicki 12.14 (-1.6) (P); Charlie Gray 11.75 (-1.5) (P);
800m: Glen Imbriano 2:12.74 (P); Ethan Armstrong-Bourne 2:04.80 (P); Joshua Fitzgerald 2:06.39 (P);
1500m: Ethan Armstrong-Bourne 4:07.62 (11th);
3000m: Patrick Knight 10:30.55 (18th);
110m Hurdles: Charlie Gray 15.47 (1.0) (4th);
High Jump: Janusz Kubicki 1.75m (6th);
Long Jump: Janusz Kubicki 5.80m (1.5) (8th);
Male 17
100m: Elliot Williams 12.26 (-1.6) (P); Harvey McGregor 12.24 (-1.6) (P);
200m: Charlie Cooper 24.75 (0.2) (P); Harvey McGregor 24.71 (0.6) (P);
400m: Charlie Cooper 54.09 (4th); 53.27 (P);
1500m: Brodie Batt 4:16.71 (11th);
3000m: Brodie Batt 9:17.62 (9th);
2000m Steeple: Brodie Batt 6:37.93 (3rd);
110m Hurdles: Elliot Williams 18.18 (2.7) (P);
Discus: Chehan Udugampala DNS;
Hammer: Chehan Udugampala 36.74m (4th);
Javelin: Chehan Udugampala 39.99m (4th);
Long Jump: Elliot Williams 4.33m (1.5) (11th);
Shot Put: Chehan Udugampala 12.62m (4th);
Male 40-44
Discus: Colin Newman 28.85m (1st);
Hammer: Colin Newman 34.61m (1st);
Shot Put: Colin Newman 12.81m (1st);
Male 45-49
Discus: Arunan Arumainayagam 21.44m (4th);
Hammer: Arunan Arumainayagam 20.82m (3rd);
High Jump: Arunan Arumainayagam 1.25m (3rd);
Javelin: Arunan Arumainayagam 29.17m (3rd);
Long Jump: Arunan Arumainayagam DNS;
Shot Put: Arunan Arumainayagam 7.91m (3rd);
Triple Jump: Arunan Arumainayagam SCR;
Male 50-54
100m: Lalith Udugampala 12.56 (-0.2) (1st);
200m: Lalith Udugampala 25.89 (2.0) (1st); Adam Scott 27.26 (2.0) (2nd);
400m: Adam Scott 59.17 (3rd);
Discus: Lalith Udugampala 30.29m (3rd);
High Jump: Paul Schofield 1.60m (1st);
Javelin: Lalith Udugampala 38.50m (1st);
Long Jump: Lalith Udugampala 4.92m (-0.8) (2nd);
Triple Jump: Lalith Udugampala 9.61m (-0.6) (1st);
Male 60-64
100m: Greg Luck 15.05 (-0.2) (3rd);
200m: Greg Luck 31.22 (1.2) (2nd);
High Jump: Greg Luck 1.25m (1st);
Long Jump: Greg Luck 3.15m (-0.4) (1st);
Triple Jump: Greg Luck 7.60m (-0.6) (1st);
