Victorian Secondary Schools Sports Association
2009 Track & Field Championships
Olympic Park – Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Three of the Coburg Harriers brightest young track stars were chosen to represent their respective schools at the recent Victorian Secondary Schools Sports Association Track & Field Champs held at Olympic Park. Those selected were Leah Polycarpou, one of several athletes the club has studying at Strathmore High School, Stella Radford, whose school - Thornbury Secondary College – is also well represented among the club’s ranks, and Matthew Smith who hails from Broadford Secondary College

We start with the latter and Matthew Smith competed in the Boys 18 – 20 section of the 1500 m run, as one of the youngest in the field of eleven athletes. With the pace hot through the early laps, Smith found himself out on his own through the latter stages to finish with 4:31.95 and a creditable sixth place. This was a good result given Smith had come tenth in a two mile professional footrace just days before

Stella Radford competed in two events at these championships. In the 14 years section of the 1500 m run, Radford finished an encouraging eighth with 5:23.68 having worked in very well to finish in the middle of a pack of three girls in a race that saw the age group record for this event broken. However, Radford’s best result came in the longer Open girls 3,000 m event with 11:46.16 securing fifth place. Finding herself working together in a pack of three girls through the latter stages of the race, Radford was able to finish the strongest

Finally, to Leah Polycarpou who had a very full program. The youngest of our athletes at the championships, Polycarpou’s day started with the Girls Open 2,000 m Steeplechase. Having already competed in this event just days before at the Round 2 Athletics Victoria Shield meet at Williamstown, Polycarpou smashed her personal best over the distance by five seconds to finish in second place with 7:33.39 and secure the silver medal. Interestingly, eight of the ten girls in the field set Australian All School’s Champs qualifying times

The effort from the steeple may have told on Polycarpou in the 12-13 girls section of the 800 m with her 2:40.32 some way off her best time and a ninth placed finish there. Any doubts about Polycarpou’s form was more than quelled by her effort in the last event – the 12-13 girls section of the 1500 m. In a very tight race, Polycarpou and the race leader set a hot pace until they were the only two who could win it at the bell. Over the last lap, the leading girl opened a slight gap and was never headed, smashing the VSSSA record for this age group with Polycarpou’s 4:59.34 her second sub five minute time in four days and good enough for second place, almost ten seconds ahead of the third placegetter

Congratulations and well done to all Coburg Harrier athletes for their strong performances and well done for receiving representative honours from your respective schools