Graham Croker
Medals and good memories have been prevalent on the Sydney University campus since the World Masters Games finished recently in Sydney.
Of the 28,000 competitors from 95 countries contesting 28 different sports in and around the city, Sydney University was well represented in a number of fields.
Cris Penn, a Sydney University graduate and SUS Life Member who has been involved with SUSF and the Wellness Program for the past 21 years, had a busy time in winning four gold medals and a silver.
Cris won gold in the 400m, 800m, 1500m and 4X400m relay and a silver in the 4X100m relay.
“I had a successful competition,” she said understatedly. “Having my 86-year-old mother watch me race for the first time helped me find that extra drive to the line.”
Shannon Townsend, an Arena Gym shift supervisor, returned to the pool at the WMGs after a five-year break from competitive swimming. She finished 7th in the 50m butterfly, 12th in the 200m freestyle and 14th in the 100m freestyle.
Holt Hardy, another SU graduate, SUS Life Member and Blue, won gold in the 2km beach run. He also won the 800m.
Sydney University Athletic Club treasurer and Vice-President Larissa Stanley won bronze in the W30 1500m with a time of 5:04.29.
Jacinta Jacobs, a Sydney University Athletics Blue, who works as a sports co-ordinator at St Vincent’s High School, won gold in the W38 2000m steeplechase and silver in the 400m hurdles.
SUS Blue and Gold – Jeff Phillips won bronze in the M50+ 10km road walk and finished 4th in the 5000m, race walk, while Brendon Hyde, also a Blue, and member of the SUS Blues Association, was one of the busier athletes at the Games.
Brendon finished 8th in the 5km track walk and 52nd in the half marathon, while at the pool he finished 15th in the 800m freestyle, 7th in the 200m freestyle, 21st in the 100m freestyle and 4th in the 200m freestyle relay, 7th in the 200m butterfly, 8th in the 100m butterfly, 7th in the 400m medley and 5th in the 200m medley relay. He also finished 9th in the 14km kayak marathon.
Mary Boland, an active member of the Senior Wellness Classes, won two gold, two silver and one bronze medals in rowing events for over 60s.
And Janet Naylor, who earned First Class Honours in her BEd (Human Movement) degree in 1989 and was on the SU Athletics Club committee from 1986-89, managed the Technical Information Centre at the WMGs.
