Successful National Champs for students

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The Sydney Uni Athletics Club is hoping that three of its athletics will be selected in this years Australia World Championships team in Daegu after a string of strong performances at the Australian National Championships held over the weekend in Melbourne.

In quite difficult cold conditions the two major standout performances came from Anneleise Rubie and Lachlan Renshaw.

Rubie smashed her personal best taking more than half a second of it to finish third in the women’s 400m in a time of 53.31.

Despite being just 18 years of age, Rubie ran a World University Games qualifier and although not yet selected has certainly done enough to gain selection for the World Championships 4×400 relay team. 

The standout male performer of the weekend was none other than Lachlan Renshaw.

Renshaw has had his best domestic season ever, posting a personal best at the Melbourne Track Classic.

Two weeks later Renshaw finished second to World Record holder David Rudisha and beat Olympic Gold Medallist Asbel Kiprop in the same race at the Sydney Track Classic.

Renshaw is still just one tenth of a second outside the qualifying standard for the World Championships in Daegu.

With the National Championships 800m expected to be a tactical affair allowing almost no chance of securing a qualifying time, Renshaw decided to train through the National Championships with the bigger picture in mind.

The men’s 800m in Australia is probably the strongest it has ever been in terms of depth of talent, meaning that Renshaw’s approach meant he was always a chance of being beaten by a number of others in the field.

As the race panned out Renshaw left himself a lot of work to do in the last 150m as he ran in to second position but could not reel in James Kaan from New South Wales.

Renshaw was still able to post a time of 1.47.88 which was quite solid considering he posted his largest ever training week leading up to the nationals.

Renshaw will now race at The Prefontaine Meet in Oregan and also the New York Diamond League Meet in late May.

These are without doubt the biggest races that he will have featured in and offer the best chance for him to qualify for the World Championships in Daegu.

Andrew Giltrap was impressive in the Men’s javelin, posting his best ever performance to finish fourth with a throw of 69.50.

Giltrap’s first season in the Open division has seen him improve his personal best significantly, and the club expects big things to come from him in the next four or five years.

In other Men’s results Lachlan Chisholm and James Nipperess finished 7th and 9th respectively in the men’s 1500m.

Chisholm, the two time national champion, has recently run into some really good form and with a solid winter at home is a realistic chance to qualify for London 2012.

Nipperess challenged the leaders with 180m to go but faded in the straight in a very tactical affair.

In the sprints Andrew Clarke ran well in the heats of the 100m but missed the start in the Semis, sadly a better start would have seen him progress to the finally quite easily in a close race.

Junior athletes James Dooley (100,200), Ray Smith (110 Hurdles) and Ronan Casey(1500) all ran well and will be better for the experience of having competed against much older competitors.

In other women’s results Jacqui Fry ran a personal best in the 400 hurdles, narrowly missing the final at her first attempt.

Larissa Pasternatsky (200m) and Lizzie Jenkins (100.200m) ran strong races with improvement to come.

With three athletes in the mix for selection at the World Championships in Daegu (Renshaw, Rubie, and Lara Tamsett) and a number of others with the potential to make London, World X-country and World University Games, the Athletics Club is in a very good place at present.

 

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