Nowra Athletics Club had five members compete at the NSW 5000m Championships on 14th February 2026, producing an outstanding set of results highlighted by multiple personal bests.
William Dyball contested the A race of the Open 800m and clocked a superb PB of 1:52.25 to finish 6th. Will noted this PB was “a long time coming”, his “first PB in over 2 years”.
Harrison Baxter delivered a massive 15-second PB of 14:48.43 in the 5000m B race, also finishing 6th.
Hamish McLaren continued the trend in the 5000m F race, producing a PB of 16:55.36 to claim 6th place.
In the field events, Ellie Cooper impressed with two PB performances, throwing 17.63m in the hammer and 23.24m in the discus.
Emily McLaren, entered under her Little Athletics club, achieved PBs in both the 400m hurdles (1:10.82) and the 5000m (21:14.03), placing 19th in the C race.
Meanwhile in Canberra, at the 2025 Capital Athletics U9-U18 Championships, Nowra athletes again featured strongly.
Isla Bailie competed in the Under 15 100m, qualifying in 13.20 before storming to victory in the final in 12.77, ahead of Emily Perry (13.10) and Hannah Imhoff (13.30). In the 200m, Isla qualified with 26.34 and went on to secure another gold medal in the final, running a national qualifying time of 26.05.
Flynn Kelly claimed gold in the Under 15 long jump with a leap of 5.83m. He also secured bronze in the 100m (12.25). In the 200m, Flynn qualified in 25.25 before improving to 24.47 in the final to take silver.
Braxton Naylor, competing for St Georges Basin Little Athletics Centre, smashed his discus PB not once but twice, throwing 32.62m and then 33.27m to claim bronze in the Under 11 age group. He also placed 4th in javelin (17.81m) and 4th in shot put (8.35m).
Kadance Naylor was busy in the field, claiming gold in the Under 18 javelin with a throw of 36.70m and silver in the hammer (19.99m). She also secured bronze in the discus (27.53m) and bronze in the shot put (10.65m).
A fantastic weekend of competition showcasing determination, depth and the continued development of athletes across both track and field.