2009 All Schools Track & Field Championships
Olympic Park
6/11/2009 to 8/11/2009

Four athletes from the Coburg Harriers achieved the honour of being selected by their schools to represent them at this year’s All Schools Track & Field Championships. In oppressive conditions these four athletes performed at a very standard and should be proud of their efforts

We start with Jessica Farrugia, representing Assumption College, who ran in the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m for U17 women. In the 100 m, Farrugia run her fastest ever time while with the Coburg Harriers to cross the line in seventh place with 14.11 seconds into a 1.8 metre per second headwind

Conditions were somewhat better for the 200 m, with a 2.3 metre per second tail wind down the front straight of Olympic Park. In arguably one of Farrugia’s finest performances with the club, Jess finished fourth in her heat to record 28.45 seconds, the first time she has gone sub 29 seconds. With the top three from each heat going rhrough to the final and the next two fastest, Farrugia missed out on progressing to the final by less than half a second

The 400 m saw Farrugia line up in a straight final and again showed she is in some good form finishing fifth with 66.45 seconds in what was another personal best time. A bright summer ahead for yet another of Benny Tancredi’s talented group of sprinters

Ellie Thom lined up in the U18 women’s section of the 200 metres. Having been unable to train for three weeks due to a knee injury, Thom did not have the best of preparations heading into the event. As Thom cross the finish line only .05 of a second separated her from the runner up but a hard fought third place was fitting reward given the interrupted training schedule

The bronze medal will sit nicely with Thom’s new club age group record, which she broke last year and has now improved to 25.38 seconds. Like Polycarpou, Thom would surely now have her eye on the club’s open women’s record for this event which stands at 25.10 seconds set some ten years ago

Representing Strathmore Secondary College, the club’s youngest entrant at this year’s championships was selected to contest the U14 section of the 1500 m and 2000 m Steeplechase for U15 girls

The 1500 m was held on the Friday night in warm conditions with a strong tailwind down the front straight. From the gun Polycarpou found herself trailling the main pack and with three laps to go was second last some thirty metres off the leaders. In a very brave performance, Polycarpou reined in the frontrunners as each leap rolled by in a gallant last lap missed put on the bronze by just half a second, crossing the line in fourth place. What is remarkable is that Leah broke her own club record by seven seconds to record 4:50.09 and now must surely be setting her sights on breaking the club’s open women’s record of 4:45. Not bad for a girl barely into her teens!

The 2000 m Steeple event was run for U15 girls with two athletes competing above their U14 age bracket – including Polycarpou. With good consistent laps, Polycarpou broke out early and was placed second through the early stages. Holding onto this place until the end, Polycarpou crossed the line in 7:37.81 and secure the silver medal and smash her own club age group record by eleven seconds

As a result of her efforts, Polycarpou was selected to represent Victoria in the 1500 m (U14) and Steeplechase (U15) at the Australian All Schools and Youth Championships  to be held in Hobart next month

Sunday saw Simo Rasic in action, representing his school St Beranrds College in the 200 metres in the U17 men’s section – the day after Rasic’s 16th birthday! On an oppressively hot day, made more difficult by a head wind of 1.5, Rasic was drawn in the first heat. In what would be the fastest heat of the three, Rasic would finish second by 0.03 of a second to achieve automatic qualification for the final. The time of 22.80 seconds broke the club’s U17 age group record, beating one that has been held for almost forty years by Rick Boyle, the brother of Olympic gold medallist Raelene Boyle

The final was also contested in a headwind not much changed from the heats. In a fantastic finish Rasic was able to hold off the field to cross the line first in a gold medal winning time of 22.38 seconds, to take a massive chunk of his own club record he broke earlier that afternoon. Extraordinary for a record to be broken just once in forty years and then twice in a single afternoon!

Congratulations to all our athletes on their efforts. For Jessica Farrugia no medals but three excellent performances, each one better than the last. Although that 200 m effort for mine does rank as her best ever performance I think in her time at the club. For Polycarpou silver in the 2000 m Steeplechase to go with Victorian selection in that and the 1500 metres, And club records in both. To the remarkable performance of Ellie Thom having had three weeks off the training track, breaks her own club record and scores a bronze medal. And to Simo Rasic with gold in the 200 m and yet another club record broken

On behalf of all your friends and teammates from the Coburg Harriers a very well done and sets up the remainder of the season beautifully. Great job