Individual results are finally in from last Tuesday's first night meeting of the season at Aberfeldie. In cool, mild conditions perfect for running there were some excellent performances recorded. While official team results have not yet been released, Coburg Harriers should have done very well. If you are visiting the Athletics Victoria website for results, these are invariably wrong with athletes mis-graded, in the wrong finishing order and sometimes in the wrong age group! All these serve to throw out the online team results. I receive a separate set of information from North West Region with the official results and these are what the weekly reports are based on

 

Three athletes made their debut for the Coburg Harriers last Tuesday night. From the Benny Tancredi stable was Robert Tribuzio, a very talented sprinter, he made an immediate impact on the club's already strong Men's 40+ team. A great story with the debut of Robert Dominutti, father of middle distance athlete Amber. While perhaps goaded into competition by an athlete from a rival club, Dominutti turned in a very strong performance and his 800 m run in particular was a highlight - particularly that finishing kick! And Roxanne Watts joins us from Brian Delaney's middle distance squad but as a field athlete. With an encouraging start in the Javelin on Tuesday night, Watts will complement well the skills of Esther Traine and Yolanda Shaw and together this trio will pick up good points in the throwing events 

 

Continuing her stellar season which has seen numerous Coburg Little Athletics Centre records also broken, Leah Polycarpou broke the Coburg Harriers U13 girls record for 800 m and 3000 m. In the 90 m Hurdles, club records were set by Cassie Musumeci (U13) and Kira Davey (U14), Robert Tribuzio narrowly missed breaking the 100 metres record for M45-49 by just 0.31 seconds. Two athletes consolidated their own club records - Joe Brown in the 100 m (M60-64) and Ken Souyave in the 3000 m (M55-59). Ken Carter set the M55-59 record for 700 g Javelin, while in the 4 x 200 m Relay, the U16 girls and 40 + men broke their own club records. Well done to Matina Konstantinakos, Kira Davey, Leah Polycarpou and Natasha Grgurovic for their club U15 record, while congratulations to Warren Burke, Joe Brown, Robert Tribuzio and Benny Tancredi for the M40-44 club record

 

Performing strongly was Kira Davey (U16) who won the 90 m Hurdles and the High Jump, Craig Brown (Div 2), swept the 100 m and 400 m, Warren Burke (40+) and Josh Traine (U16) won the 400 m, Paul Keating (Div 2) won the High Jump while Philip van Dueren (40+) won the 3000 m. Runner up in the 100 m were Robert Tribuzio (40+) and Michael Dziadkiewicz (Div 2), Philip van Dueren was second in the 400 m with Glenn Carroll second in the 800 m (Div 2). Liam Magee came second in the 3000 m, while also runner up were Gary Blake (40+) in the High Jump and Ken Carter (40+) in the Hammer. Ben Webber (Div 2) and Ken Carter (40+) came third in the Javelin, in the 3000 m third place went to Ken Souyave (40+) and Leah Polycarpou (U16), Daryl Thomson was third in the Hammer while Cassie Musumeci was third in the 90 m Hurdles

 

Our next AV Shield meet is next Tuesday night, 9 December 2008 for Round 7 action at Aberfeldie (and not Coburg as indicated in the handbook). We will be sending out a preview of that round on the weekend. Before then, the Coburg venue Masters will be staging their annual Pudding Gift this Thursday night from 7:00 pm at the Coburg track. The event is handicapped and thank you to those of you who have already shown interest. Its not too late to get your entry to myself if you would like to race off for the chance of winning a pudding. For the middle distance athletes, a 1600 metre (mile) event is also staged, however this event is off scratch

 

As we don't have competition on Saturday, the middle distance squad will be continuing with their Princes Park training sessions. If you are not participating in the Zatopek minor grade 10,000 metre track races at Aberfeldie later that night, you are welcome to attend at Princes Park from 9:00 am. Meet at the small pavilion on Royal Parade up from the Princes Park stadium

 

DATES TO REMEMBER

 

Thursday, 4 December - Coburg Masters stage the Pudding Gift 120 m Handicap from 7:00 pm at Harold Stevens Athletics Field

Tuesday, 9 December - AV Shield Round 7 at Aberfeldie from 6:00 pm

Saturday, 13 December - AV Shield Round 8 at Williamstown from 1:00 pm with AV Squad Christmas break up locally at La Porchetta

 

Don't forget to visit http://www.coburgharriers.org.au for all the latest news and views

And finally, birthday wishes this week go out to Matina who turned 15 today, Jarrow turns 17 on Wednesday, while Craig shares his birthday on Thursday with Cassie who turns 14