Valour State Relay Championships for 13’s to masters was held over 3 days from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th November 2024.
Nowra fielded 6 teams this year.
The U20 boys team of Harrison Baxter, Oli Baxter, Nic McGill and Hamish McLaren kicked the championships off on Friday night with a silver medal in the 4 x 1500m event with a combined time of 17.18.79. The team finished behind The Scots College who clocked 16.42.50 and just in front of Ryde Athletics Centre with 17.38.35.
The women’s sprint team of Erin Smart, Sam Keogh, Fiona Galloway and Loretta Norris contested the 160+ 4 x 100m and took the bronze medal in 56.95. This was Fiona’s first ever relay and in fact, her first time running in spikes on a tartan track, and she assures us it won’t be her last!
In the 800m, Nowra entered 2 teams. On Saturday, Peter Dooley, Matt Watson, John Smith and Geoff Crook ran in the 240+ category and finished 6th in 12.11.24. This was John’s first relay too, and he had a great run! Meanwhile on Sunday in the 200+ event, Peter Dooley backed up and joined Gavin Dyball, Steve Schott and Marcus Baxter to win the silver medal in 10.03.43.
Out in the field, the men’s 200+ javelin team of Scott McLaren, Geoff Crook, Steve Schott and Peter Dooley speared a bronze medal with a combined effort of 97.25m. Whilst the women’s 160+ team of Loretta Norris, Anne Boatswain, Sam Keogh and Lauren Naylor also took a bronze medal with their throw distance of 69.32m. This was a great effort after a last-minute team and category change, with the withdrawal of Kerrie Jones due to injury. Loretta stepped up to the throwing runway to ensure the team could still compete. Lauren was another newbie on Nowra’s team this year and as the current javelin record holder at our home ground, proved to be an invaluable member of the team.
In addition to Nowra’s own teams, Nowra athletes Erin Smart, Sam Keogh and Loretta Norris were joined by Rebekah Power from Athletics Wollongong in the 4 x 200m 160+ event and together as a South Coast Regional team they earned a silver medal in a time of 1.50.66. The same team also contested the 4 x 400m where they successfully took gold in 4.14.85 and in doing so, they just missed the 19-year-old meet record held by NSW Masters at 4:14.05.
Evie Smart also joined Illawarra Blue Stars for a 4 x 100m team where the team finished 8th.
Congratulations to everyone on a fantastic relay championships!