TOP MARKS FOR VALLEY JUNIORS AT ALL SCHOOLS
The Diamond Valley Athletic Club is blessed with a wealth of riches in its junior ranks. While athletes represented their school at the first week of the Victorian All Schools Track & Field Championships, the Diamond Valley Athletic Club follows the achievements of each club athlete with great interest. For many young athletes it was an introduction to competition under the stresses of Championship pressure and the formality of Check in and Call Room.
There were 32 DVAC juniors (21 Girls & 11 Boys) who competed over the two days of Weekend #1 of the All Schools Championships. Among this group of athletes there were a total of 20 medals won (12 Gold, 3 Silver and 5 Bronze) over the two days of competition. This compared with the 29 competing athletes in 2022 who won a total of 17 medals.
GOLD MEDALS:
Jaimie Ritchie (Eltham East PS) 100m 12.80
Matilda Johnson (Genazzano) 1500m 4:47.59
Ally Brooks (Eltham HS) 1500m 4:39.09
Kirra Wright (T38) (Assumption College) 100m 15.51 (79.81%)
Kirra Wright (T38) (Assumption College) 400m 81.31 (74.12%)
Kirra Wright (F38) (Assumption College) Shot Put 6.84m (54.37%)
Sugi Neecowen (Our Lady of Mercy College) 400m 62.30
Dillon Vidanapathirana (T20) (Warrandyte SC) 400m 61.10 (76.69%)
Toby Hamilton (St Helena SC) High Jump 1.68m
Asher Andrews (Plenty Valley Christian College) Discus 39.24m
Max Davidson (Diamond Valley SC) 3000m Walk 15:03.12
SILVER MEDALS
Katie Oliver (Montmorency SC) 100m 12.73
JAIMIE HVALICA (Ivanhoe Grammar) 3000m Walk 15:55.00
DILLON VIDANAPATHIRANA (Warrandyte SC) (T20) 100m 13:05 (81.68%)
BRONZE MEDALS
Lucy Johns (St Helena SC) 3000m Walk 17:39.52
Zoey Ryan (Viewbank SC) Shot Put 10.85m
Maddy Meagher (Eltham College) 100m 12.57
POPPY SCOT-DALGLEISH (Viewbank SC) 1500m 4:43.26
ASHER ANDREWS (Plenty Valley Christian College) 100m 11.26
The Diamond Valley Athletic Club congratulates all athletes who took part in the Vic All Schools Championships.
DVAC CLUB HELPERS
While the Championships were an All Schools meet, AV still required clubs to provide Club Helpers and DVAC covered at least 13 hours of duty. A big vote of Thanks goes to the following: Kate Ryan (Saturday & Sunday duties), Bronwyn Neecowen, Kathy Andrews, Chris Whelan, Max Balchin & Chris Boyne who all helped to fill the required duties for DVAC.
AV will soon inform DVAC of the Club Duties it will be expected to fill over Weekend #2 of the 2023 Victorian All Schools T&F Championships.
LISTENINGS AT LAKESIDE
There were so many stories from the weekend at Lakeside, but here are just a few overheard:
- 10m Barrier – What barrier! Zoey Ryan had never put the Shot over 10m before until Saturday and then … BOOM … Zoey let go with three monster ‘puts’. After her first put of 9.23m, Zoey unleashed three efforts measured at 10.27m, 10.46m and 10.85m to give her the Bronze medal in the GU15 Shot Put.
- How to get to Nationals – Part 1: Sugi Neecowen pinned her hopes on a medal to get to the Nationals in 2024. Thinking maybe Bronze … but Bronze turned to Gold as she ran a brilliant race to tear away with the GU18 400m in 62.30 and book her place at the Nationals.
- How to get to Nationals – Part 2: Walks athletes, Max Davidson and Jaimie Hvalica were full of plans for the Australian All Schools in Perth (8/12/23 to 10/12/23). They executed their plan perfectly as Max won Gold in the BU15 3000m Walk in 15:03.12 and Jaimie took Silver in the BU14 3000m Walk in 15:55.00. Lucy Johns won a third Walks medal for the DVAC crew, taking Bronze in the GU15 3000m Walk in 17:39.52.
- Triple Bling: Kirra Wright (T38) was the most decorated of the DVAC athletes at Lakeside over the weekend taking Gold in the GU17 (Para) in the 100m, 400m & Shot Put.
- Whooshka! Asher Andrews thrilled the Valley crowd with his run of 11.10 in the Heats of the BU17 100m. The decathlete had another successful meet winning Bronze in the BU17 100m and taking out Gold in the BU17 Discus with a clutch last throw.
- How high can you go? Two athletes in their first season with DVAC, Liezel Cilliers (U14), 1.60m, and Toby Hamilton (U14), 1.68m, both won Gold medals in the High Jump and set new club records in the process. Liezel has another year left in the U14 age group! Toby won the Gold on a countback!
- Top efforts in Middle Distance: Matilda Johnson (GU14) and Ally Brooks (GU17) showed all class in winning their respective 1500m finals. Matilda, 4:47.59 and Ally, 4:39.09 both made their winning moves with authority. Poppy Scot-Dalgleish (GU17) ran a pb of 4:43.26 to take out the Bronze medal.
- Walk straight in … to the club records: Jaimie Ritchie, 12, has been a member of DVAC for just on two months and is now in the DVAC club record book. In the final of the 100m, Jaimie ran 12.80 to better the 10 year old record for GU13. Jaimie had already run a Heat (12.88), a Semi (12.92) before the final.
- Super Saturday: Dillon Vidanapathirana (T20) had both his events, the 100m and 400m on the Saturday. Dillon went home with a Gold (400m in 61.10) and a Silver (100m in 13.05). Dillon’s 100m time set a DVAC club record. The run was scored at 81.86% under the Baseline system which is a particularly high score.
- DVAC OFFICIALS WITH AV: there are always Diamond Valley people acting in their role as AV Officials at AV Championships. This gives our athletes a degree of confidence to see people they know. These AV Officials last weekend included Keira Sanchez, Jeff Hughes and Andrew Stirling.
Victorian All Schools Track & Field Championships
Week 1: Saturday 28th October & Sunday 29th October 2023
Lakeside Stadium
Results of DVAC Athletes:
Girls:
Under 14:
100m: Jaimie Ritchie (Eltham East PS) 12.80 (1st); 12.92 (S); 12.88 (P);
1500m: Matilda Johnson (Genazzano) 4:47.59 (1st); 5:05.58 (P); Grace Robinson (Diamond Valley) 5:06.59 (11th); 5:09.41 (P)
High Jump: Liezel Cilliers (Glen Katherine PS) 1.60m (1st)
Under 15:
100m: Rebecca Hvalica (Ivanhoe Grammar) 12.93 (5th); 12.86 (S);12.90 (P); Liv Nicholls (Our Lady of Mercy College) 14.24 (P); Zoey Ryan (Viewbank SC) 14.57
1500m: Lucy Johns (St Helena SC) 5:59.90 (18th)
3000m Walk: Lucy Johns (St Helena SC) 17:39.52 (3rd)
Triple Jump: Liv Nicholls (Our Lady of Mercy College) 8.41m (16th)
High Jump: Liv Nicholls (Our Lady of Mercy College) 1.30m (12th)
Shot Put: Zoey Ryan (Viewbank SC) 10.85m (3rd); Hanna Rowe (Craigieburn) 7.78m (12th)
Discus: Zoey Ryan (Viewbank SC) 27.42m (4th)
Under 16:
100m: Maddy Meagher 12.57 (3rd); 12.66 (S); 12.68 (P);
1500m: Georgia L’Estrange (Montmorency SC) 5:14.33 (10th)
Shot Put: Amelia Di Benedetto (St Monica’s) 8.56m (7th)
Under 17:
1500m: Ally Brooks (Eltham HS) 4:39.09 (1st); Poppy Scot-Dalgleish (Viewbank) 4:43.26 (3rd)
Under 17 (Para)
100m: Kirra Wright (Assumption) 15.51 (1st)
400m: Kirra Wright (Assumption) 81.31 (1st)
Shot Put: Kirra Wright (Assumption) 6.84m (1st)
Discus: Vanessa Smith (St Helena SC) 26.99m (7th)
Under 18:
100m: Katie Oliver (Montmorency SC) 12.73 (2nd); 12.93 (P); Olivia Sheens (Marymede) 13.17 (5th); 13:02 (P)
400m: Sugi Neecowen (Our Lady of Mercy College) 62.30 (1st)
1500m: Matilda L’Estrange (Eltham College) 4:48.92 (4th)
Discus: Tara Smith (St Helena SC) 29.70m (7th)
Boys:
Under 14:
1500m: Kai Bunyard (Montmorency SC) 4:46.80; Juan Herrera (Montmorency SC) 4:58.39; William Quigley (Hume Anglican) 4:53.67
3000m Walk: Jaime Hvalica (Ivanhoe Grammar) 15:55.00 (2nd)
High Jump: Toby Hamilton (St Helena SC) 1.68m (1st)
Triple Jump: Toby Hamilton (St Helena SC) 10.70m (8th)
Under 15:
1500m: Brodie Batt (Parade College) 4:35.07 (9th); 4:34.48 (P)
3000m Walk: Max Davidson (Diamond Valley College) 15:03.12 (1st)
Discus: Chehan Udugampala (Aitkin College) 42.59m* (5th)
Shot Put: Chehan Udugampala (Aitkin College) 11.30m (6th)
Under 17:
100m: Asher Andrews (Plenty Valley Christian College) 11.26 (3rd); 11.10 (P)
1500m: Rhodri Whelan (Eltham HS) 4:42.98
Discus: Asher Andrews (Plenty Valley Christian College) 39.24m (1st)
Under 20 (Para)
100m: Dillon Vidanapathirana (Warrandyte SC) 13.05 (2nd)
400m: Dillon Vidanapathirana (Warrandyte SC) 61.10 (1st)
