SUSF Scholarship holders shine

Outstanding performances were the order of the day from SUSF Scholarship holders at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships held at Sydney Olympic Park over the weekend.

The standout performer at the meet was superstar in the making Anneliese Ruby, who easily won the women’s 400m in a personal best time of 53.88sec – booking herself a seat on the plane to Moncton, Canada for the World Junior Athletics Championships later in the year.

Ruby, 18, also put herself in the frame for Commonwelath Games 4x400m relay selection. She also made the final in the women’s 200m and anchored the NSW women’s 4x400m to victory in a close battle with Queensland.

“To put things in perspective, if she maintains her current form she will challenge for a medal at the World Junior Championships,” SUAC Head Coach Dean Gleeson said.

Todd Wakefield won the men’s 1500m in a World Junior Qualifying time ensuring his selection for the World Junior Championships.

In what was one of the most hotly contested races on the program, with five athletes having already posted World Junior Qualifying times, Wakefield was able to steal the victory, upsetting the highly fancied Victorian pair of Kane Grimster and Jordon Williamz.

“Wakefield has been the biggest improver in junior middle distance running in the country in the past six weeks, taking a huge chunk out of his personal best times and will be in the mix at the World Juniors,” Gleeson said.
Larissa Pasternatsky placed 3^rd in the women’s 100m, 5^th in the 200m and 2^nd in the 4x100m, staking her claim for World Junior selection in the relay.

Other SUSF scholarship holders performed admirably posting a string of personal best perfomances and top 10 finishes to highlight the depth of the current program and produce easily the best ever Junior Championships for the University of Sydney.

They included Hugh Williams’ 4^th in the men’s 5000m, Jordon Mulhearn’s 4^th in the 10000m walk, Stephanie Langridge’s  4^th in the women’s pole vault, Andrew Giltrap’s 5^th in the javelin and 6^th in the shot put, Jacqui Fry’s 6^th in the 100m hurdles and Siobhan Clayton’s 12^th in the women’s 800m.

Athletics action continues this weekend with Sydney University athletes competing at the Christchurch Grand Prix Athletics meet in New Zealand and the ACT Championships in Canberra.