Baxter boys battle it out
In the combined 3000m event, Nowra was well represented. Oliver and Cameron Baxter both competed in the U16 category, alongside Denzel Atkinson and Hamish McLaren, whilst Harrison Baxter contested the U17 category. All the boys ran well, demonstrating resilience and persistence. Harrison finished 2nd in his age group, taking the silver medal in 10.04.83. Cameron Baxter, competing up two age groups, finished 7th in 10.57.18 and Oliver crossed in 8th place in 11.07.44.
All three boys also contested the 1500m. This time it was Cameron who medalled, claiming the bronze medal in U14 category in 5.05.55. Oliver was 12th in U16 and Harrison was 4th in U17.
In the 800m, Cameron again medalled, sprinting the last 100m to edge out Preston Davis from Port Macquarie for the bronze medal in a time of 2.31.56. It was a strong and determined finish from Cameron. Harrison participated in U17 event, coming in 5th in 2.26.89.
Cameron also competed in the U14 400m, finishing 5th in 1.07.00.
The enthusiasm and sportsmanship displayed by these three makes them all winners!
Matt spears gold
Without any local Track and Field events to practice throwing, Matt was feeling a little rusty going into his javelin event. He needn’t have worried though, because he managed a throw of 41.05m to take the gold medal. This throw was well ahead of 2nd place getter Robert Browne from Wallsend who threw 32.02m. Matt also contested the 30-39 years sprints, where he put in strong runs, to take bronze in both the 100m and 200m. In both events the podium placegetters were the same with Lachlan Parry from Illawarra Blue Stars crossing the line first followed by Tim Eschebach from Newcastle Runners and then Matt.
Silver for our youngest athlete, Isabella
Isabella Mitchell as Nowra’s youngest competitor, competed in the U9 long jump and shot put, earning silver medals in both events. In the long jump, Isabella tried hard and got all three jumps on the board, but it was her first jump at 2.56m that was her biggest jump and sealed the silver medal for her.
In shot put Isabella commenced her competition with a throw of 2.80m, then dug deep in round 2 to achieve 2.98m which gave her the silver medal. It was great to see Isabella proudly wearing her well-deserved medals.
Evie impresses
Evie Smart may not have won any medals but she definitely won points for effort and enthusiasm, and that makes her a winner. Evie competed in the U13 1500m and ran strongly for 4th place in a time of 6.07.91. In the 800m, Evie again performed well for another 4th place, crossing the line in 3.04.44. On the track, Evie’s growth and maturity since her last Country Champs was obvious, as she demonstrated a new toughness and completed controlled runs. Off the track, she was equally impressive, with her kindness and support, offering a hand to mum Erin as soon as she finished her runs, cooling her down with water and providing a shoulder to lean on.