After an intense six-week campaign, the Sydney University Athletic Club (SUAC) has successfully retained the Treloar Shield title for 2024. The Treloar Shield is a weekly team competition where athletes contribute to their club’s points total, ultimately qualifying the club for the final. The series is named in honour of Sydney man John Treloar AM, one of NSW and Australia’s greatest ever sprinters.
On Saturday, December 14th, at Sydney Olympic Park, SUAC athletes faced tough competition from UTS Norths, Cherrybrook, Hills District, Manly Warringah, Wests Track & Field, Ryde Athletics, Minagara, and Newcastle Runners. With 31 athletes in action, SUAC athletes were certainly dreaming of an all-White Christmas! SUAC dominated, finishing with 499 points, ahead of UTS Northern Suburbs (412) and Manly Warringah (340).
It was a fiercely competitive evening, with every point hard-fought. Chair of Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness, Jane Spring was in attendance to show her support to the athletes.
The men’s 4x100m relay set the tone with a big win and a personal best from Ethan Quintana, while Thomas Tucker secured 4th. The pair went on to claim 1st in the 2x100m relay.
In the women’s high jump, SUAC athletes Alex Harrison and Heegy Xu finished 1st and 2nd with jumps of 1.80m and 1.60m, respectively. Katrina Blackett and Tali Baltineshter topped the javelin event, while Katrina followed up with a 3rd-place finish in the shot put, joined by Jemima Keay Doak in 5th.
Elysha Cramer and Eliza De Silva took 3rd and 5th in the women’s 100m, while the men’s 400m saw Hayden Flemming, Jack Lynch, and Damien Mizzi finish 4th, 5th, and 8th, respectively. Taylah Anderson posted her second-fastest 400m time to finish 5th, while Jessica Quilter Jone and Julia Baxter took 7th and 10th.
In the field, Cristobal Corvalon led the javelin with 4th place, before finishing 6th in the shot put, where Avilash Tharmanesan earned 3rd. Lily Tilt impressed with 2nd in the long jump, and Nikola Salinger added depth with 9th. In the women’s 2x100m relay, Gen Cowie and Eliza De Silva finished a close 2nd.
The men’s 1500m saw a tactical battle, with SUAC’s Lockie Townsend, Drew Fryer, and Ben Bishop claiming 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Ava Honore led the women’s 1500m, winning in a new personal best, while Aspen Lambert finished 2nd and Kristen Cook 5th.
Mitchell Hatfield, returning to form after the U20 World Championships, finished 3rd in the high jump with 2.05m, followed by Angus Clarke in 5th with 1.90m. Angus later won the long jump with a superb 7.17m, while Will Moir posted a season’s best 2nd place (6.99m).
The night culminated in the mixed 4x200m relay, where Gen Cowie, Elysha Cramer, Joseph Ayoade, and Billy Blair clinched 1st by just 0.01 seconds in 1:32.08, sealing SUAC’s victory.
