Over the weekend Sydney Uni Athletics Club (SUAC) competed at Sydney and Brisbane Track Classics and the World Indoor Championships in Portalnd, Oregon.
Michelle Jenneke made her indoor track debut competing at the World Indoor Championships where she covered herself in glory in the Womens 60m hurdles. Jenneke finished 9th missing the final by 1/100th of a second in a very high quality field. The meteoric rise of the young hurdler continues.
The star of the show in Sydney was SUAC’s Ella Nelson who won the 200m for the 2nd consecutive year. Nelson stopped the clock at 23.12 which was her 3rd consecutive 200m this year under the Olympic qualifying standard of 23.20. James Nipperess also posted a win in the 3000m steeplechase running a swift 8.45.42 with Jack Colreavy not too far away from his personal best in 3rd running 8.58.
In other Sydney events, Justin Merlino had his first run of the season running 3rd in the 110 hurdles. Angus Armstrong was 3rd in the Pole vault jumping 5.20m. Alex Pettigrew produced a personal best performance of 1.49.21 to finish 4th in the 800m with Jenny Blundell finishing 4th in the women’s 1500m in a tactical affair.
At the Brisbane Track Classic Annie Rubie continued her excellent season finishing 2nd in the 400m, with Courtney Schultz 7th in the same race. Nicola McDermott jumped 1.85m in the high jump to finish 2nd to the Commonwealth Champ Elenoar Patterson. Joanna Cubis also finished 6th in the 800m.
SUAC athletes were also prominent at the National Junior Championships held in Perth. Beth Croft won the 3000m steeplechase and was also 3rd in the 1500m, Angus Armstong jumped 5.40m in the Pole vault, which bettered the previous championship record. Both Armstrong and Croft were able to secure spots on the Australian team for the World Junior Championships later in the year. Youngster James Olson-Keating was also able to win bronze in the Under 15 1500m running a huge personal best in the process.
Attention now turns to the National Championships and Olympic Trial held April 2-5 at SOPAC with a large number of SUAC athletes competing at this event.