orths news June 1999

Official newsletter of North Canberra Athletic Club Inc No. 99/3 P.O. Box 1221, Belconnen, ACT 2616

Inside this issue Under 18 Male: Connell O’Neill Award winners • Competed at 1998 All Schools • Qualified for Nationals with a throw The winners of awards for the 1998-99 th Award winners season are listed below, together with a that would have placed him 5 , but unable to go. - most outstanding brief outline of their achievements. 1 Also included in this issue is a number of photos from the presentation night. Under 16 Male: Nicholas Kouparitsas Leading pointscorers • Bettered nationals qualifying distance - summer season 1. Most Outstanding Awards of 13.50m for the Shot Put - on two 2 occasions achieving 14.17m. Most Outstanding Athlete:Shaun • Close to qualifying in the discus. Leading pointscorers Creighton • Competed at 1998 All Schools - winter season • 1998 World Cup 5,000 m - 2nd th 2 • 1998 C’wealth Games 5000m - 4 Under 16 female: Marnie Ponton • 1998 World Cross Country • Competed at All Schools in Other winter awards Championships - 22nd December, finishing 12th in the th • 1999 Houston - 4 3000m. 2 • • Selected to represent in the Only 10 days previously she smashed marathon at the 1999 World Champs the qualifying standard by 17 seconds. 2 Most improved athlete 2 Recent results

Athlete profile – Jeffrey 2 Boreham 2 New committee

World Cup campaign Shaun receiving his award from Ainslie Football Club’s Kevin Grace 3 Senior Male: Adam Leane Athlete with a disability: Damien Dunrossil get-together • A great run in 3km at the CocaCola Burroughs Distance Classic in November • Threw a world record in the discus at 3 • Zatopek - 12th (8th Australian) – the World Champs in Birmingham, ranking 11th in Australia this season. only to loose it to the eventual winner Coming events • ACT 5k champs time ranked him - won the silver medal 3 29th in Australia • A new PB of 41.52m and a gold • Gold Coast time medal at the National Championships ranked 10th in Australia • Silver medal in the Shot Put at Life membership to Ian Nationals 4 Mackenzie Under 20 Male: Rohan Walker • Won the Under 20 Decathlon title in Winter Athlete: Erwin McRae NC web site Hobart in February Won the ACT Cross Country 12km title • Won the Decathlon at the Australian in 37.01, just beating Adam Leane to 4 University Games the line by 1 sec.

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2. Leading Pointscorers In 1998, he was 12th (8th Australian) in 29:29.51. Athlete profile: Summer season Jeffrey Boreham Senior men: Andrew Lees: 403 pts Recent results Under 20 men: Jason Scoullar: 290 pts Under 18 men: Scott Crowe: 407 pts North Canberra athletes have been Under 16 men: Jeffrey Boreham: 605 pts – posting some great results in the first most points for North Canberra weeks of the winter season. • A good turn-out for the traditional Under 18 women: Erin Cooper: 603 pts, season starter, the Anzac Relays. 2nd in NC NC’s team of Susan Hobson, Jo Bailey, Kathy Southgate and Amy Winter season - Distance Runner Martyn posted an easy win in the of the Year awards women’s event, with Susan recording

Senior male: Graham Burke: 118 pts, the fastest individual time. NC’s team School: Campbell High competed in all pointscore races of Martin Bye, Greg Webster, Chris Cook and Peter Haynes came second Favourite subject: PE in the men’s race. Greg backed up Most hated subjects: English, science again to run for NC’s B team, only and maths. running 40 secs slower the second When and where did you start time around! athletics? Corroboree LA’s at age of 6 • A double victory in the marathon eve years 10km event on 10 April, with Shaun Creighton winning the men’s event Favourite events: Javelin (breaking the record by 17 secs) and Best moment in athletics: When I heard Susan Hobson the women’s. I had broken the ACTLA championship record for Javelin as an U13 – a PB of 5 • Also on 10 April, but in New nd metres. Graham Burke and Susan Hobson Zealand, Paul Crake was 2 in the race up ’s Sky Tower, with Worst moment in athletics: Having to Senior female: Nicki Taws: 60 pts fellow NC athlete Dave Osmond in do long runs Junior male: Martin Bye: 60 pts 4th. Other sports: soccer, tennis • Graham Burke may have dropped Junior female: Jennifer Beer: 60 pts Sporting heroes: No-one! one place in this year’s Canberra Career goals, sporting or otherwise: To Veteran male: Graham Burke: 160 pts Marathon, coming in 29th, but he become famous as a sportsman. improved his time by a massive 4min Favourite - 3. Other Winter Awards 18 secs. NC pundits believe this to be his best for some considerable time, if Pastimes: Playing soccer, training at Marathon Champion - male not a PB. athletics Graham Burke: 28th overall • Paul Crake and Chris Cook have TV show: action movies Cross Country Champion - male been selected in the ACT mountain Food: Chocolate. Erwin McRae: winner of ACT champs running team. David Osmond won Jeffrey was the top pointscorer for NC the ACT Champs, but will miss the in the 1998/99 season. Cross Country Champion - female Australian titles after taking up a Nicki Taws: winner of ACT Champs scholarship to study in the USA for a few months. New committee Mountain Running Champion - male rd Paul Crake: winner of the Australian • Greg Webster came 3 in the The incoming committee for 1999/2000 and ACT mountain running champs Canberra Half Marathon, 6 places better and nearly 3 mins faster than elected at the AGM is: Mountain Running Champion - female last year. Carol Harding: 3rd in ACT champs • The Sugden 4km race on 22 May saw President: Dudley Scoullar (6253 5223) the return of Louis Young to the Vice Presidents: Linda Butler (6254 2201) 4. Most Improved Athlete winner’s list, while Adam Leane came 2nd in the Clohessy 8km race. Owen Heness (6254 6332) Adam Leane • NC athletes came third in both the Secretary: Ian Mackenzie (6251 4263) It is not often that an athlete already men’s and women’s events of the Registrar and Treasurer: competing in senior ranks at an elite half marathon. Shaun Barbara Wagstaff (6251 6698) level manages to win this award. The Creighton came in behind two Committee: selection committee was particularly Kenyan runners, while in the women’s Adam Leane (6251 5639) impressed by the improvement in event it was a race of the mums – Liz Andrew Fiddian (6258 6320) Adam’s 10km time. In the 1997 Miller winning from Krisna Stanton Shaun Creighton (6247 0471) Zatopek, Adam was 21st in 30:15.18. and Susan Hobson. David Osmond (6251 2303) Martin Bye (6242 7034) 2

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essentially had 8 weeks of altitude World cup campaign training and was arguably in my best Coming Events by Shaun Creighton ever 5000m form, as evidenced by a very comfortable 13.34 to win the In early 1998 I'd set myself the goal of Commonwealth Games / World Cup Saturday, 12 June winning a medal in both theWorld Cup trial a few weeks beforehand. Apart Lake Tuggeranong 1/3/6k – junior and the Commonwealth Games 5000m from glory and pride, there was pointscore race events. The World Cup has only 8 in significant prizemoney on offer at the Anketell St Greenway the race, with one athlete from each WorldCup this year (as with all IAAF region, and thus only one African World events these days). Prize money athlete, but each of the other seven are went $US50,000, $US20,000, Saturday, 12 June fine competitors. In the Commonwealth $US10,000 for 1st, 2nd,, and 3rd, with Australian Mountain Running Champ. Games, conversely, the depth isn't so a 'thanks for coming' for 4th place. I Brisbane great, but there are 3 Kenyan athletes. knew a top three placing was possible

but would require a very good run. The World Cup was held in After a mile, the African representative, Saturday, 19 June Johannesburg, with an altitude of 1997 World 5000m Champion Daniel Red Hill 1/4/8k 1700m. The "thinner air" favoured the Komen surged. The 1992 Olympic sprinters, but made it very difficult for Gowrie Dr Red Hill 5000m Champion Dieter Baumann distance running. It is still not clear immediately responded and covered whether training at high altitude Komen's move. Pueblo, the South Saturday, 19 June benefits performances at sea level, but American champion from Mexico, then Australian Cross-Country Champ. there is no doubting that to compete at followed and I followed Pueblo. One high altitude, you need to prepare at Brisbane lap later I looked up on the big screen high altitude. As such, my final 8 and realised the race was now down to weeks of preparation for the World Cup the four of us. Komen surged one lap Sunday, 20 June consisted of 3 weeks at Boulder later but we soon regrouped. One lap Terry Fox Fun Run Colorado, the city where 'Deek' trained further on Komen produced a surge for many years, then one week in the Forster Cres Yarralumla which finally split us into single file. altitude chamber at the AIS, and finally Baumann attempted to stay with 4 weeks at altitude in South Africa. Komen and I passed Pueblo and tried to Saturday, 26 June Training at Boulder was a terrific regain contact with Komen and Oakey Hill 1/3/6k – junior and senior experience and something I had wanted Baumann, but remained 50m adrift by pointscore race to do for some time. On several myself. With 4 laps to go, Baumann Esk Pl Lyons occasions a group of us drove further started to tire and dropped off Komen. into the mountains to do our long run at With 3 laps to go I realised I was Saturday, 3July an elevation of 10,000 feet around a catching Baumann and the adrenalin lake with snow capped mountains in the from this realisation brought me closer Longstaff/Pennington 1/8/16k – senior background. Even though gasping for still. With 750m to go, I caught pointscore race air, the runs were always pleasurable Baumann, but was very fatigued. Weston Park Yarralumla and were followed with an "icing" of Baumann has a devastating last lap, so I our legs in the freezing stream running decided to go as fast as I possibly could Sunday, 11 July off the lake. past him so he wouldn't attempt to stay with me. I'd decided to make myself Gungahlin 5k/10miles The South African altitude training pretend there was only 300m to go Diddams Cl Belconnen experience was entirely different to rather than 700m, and let the last lap Boulder. Australian women's 5000m & take care of itself. The tactic worked as 10,000m champion Natalie Harvey and Saturday, 17 July I got to the bell 50m clear of Baumann I trained with local athletes in Pretoria. and held that break to the line to collect Dunrossil Drive 1k/4.2k – junior and Unfortunately the nicest places to run the silver medal, which is arguably my senior pointscore race were all deemed to be too dangerous, so best performance in 10 years of Dunrossil Drive Yarralumla most of the running was through the international competition. streets. At one stage we had a local African guy run with us for a few Saturday, 24 July miles, complete in his long pants and Dunrossil get-together Mt Majura 1k/4.5k/9k leather shoes. Eventually I decided to On 17 July Owen Heness is organising Phillip Ave Hackett see just how serious he was and picked a get-together for North Canberra the pace up. He looked over at me, athletes over a hot cup of soup at the Saturday, 31 July smiled and said "I think I will complete end of the Dunrossil Drive cross- my journey now" ! country races. This is a pointscore race ACT CC Championships I entered the 5000m event at World for both seniors and juniors so we’re venue TBA Cup with terrific confidence as I'd hoping for a strong NC showing. 3

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watching Ian finishing the Port season and with the presentations Life membership to Moresby marathon and collapsing with day at the end; exhaustion at the end drenched in • Representing the club at ACT Ian Mackenzie perspiration. My third, and most vivid Athletics meetings; By John Harding memory, is of a PNG national cross • Being the telephone contact for country championship about 35kms enquiries about the club; It is a great pleasure to propose life inland from Port Moresby on the Sogeri • Writing, producing and distributing membership of North Canberra Athletic plateau. The first half of the course was the club newsletter for many years; Club for Ian Mackenzie. I have known through a rubber plantation; the second • Helping out at drink stations for Ian now for 20 years and I believe that downhill through a village and then up annual events such as the North his involvement in athletics goes back a long, steep hill. At this stage of the Canberra Three Peaks race; more than 30 years. race, Ian was running third • Helping organise the weekly fun run and I was fourth, trying to at the track; catch him. One of Ian’s • Encouraging newcomers at various running traits is that he hates events and chasing up coaching and hills, especially steep ones. I other needs. couldn’t believe my luck when These were in addition to his bread and Ian reached this steep hill and butter duties as secretary of the club. In started to walk. I closed the fact, when you list down all the things gap and then tried to put as Ian has been doing for so long, you much distance as I could realise that Ian has been the back bone between us before the final of the club for a considerable time. You 800 m downhill run where I also appreciate that the club has been Ian Mackenzie and Rob Martyn thought I would have trouble overloading him. What any club needs matching Ian’s fearsome finishing is to have at least half a dozen people Soon after arriving in Papua New speed. I managed to hold on for the like Ian who really chip in and do their Guinea in 1979 I went down to the Sir bronze medal and Ian finished 4th or bit to spread and lighten the load. Hubert Murray stadium to have a run 5th. However, it is times like this when we step back and reflect on how fortunate and discovered that Ian was the track At the end of 1981 I returned to we have been to have had Ian as a and field meet organiser, and a very Canberra, and a few years later was member of the club, and to recognise efficient one at that. All events were President of North Canberra at the time his long years of outstanding service. It expeditiously conducted with a view to Ian and his family moved back to is indeed a pleasure to recommend him finishing the program in one hour Canberra. I recommended to Ian that he for life membership. because the Port Moresby Athletic join North Canberra. Before too long I Association only had enough money to asked Ian if he would stand for the pay for an hour’s hire of the stadium committee, and after a few years of this 1999-2000 fees due with lights. I soon discovered that Ian to become secretary. In 1991 I became was not only the President of the Port Secretary of the ACT Athletics Registrations for the coming year are Moresby Association and of the PNG Association. To facilitate this now due. Fees have been kept at last AAU but also a tremendous athlete in occurring, Ian took over the Presidency year’s levels, as follows: his own right. Later that year he of North Canberra and, despite Winter Season Only: represented PNG at the South Pacific preferring more of a support role, did a Senior & Under 20 athletes $45 Games in Fiji and won a bronze medal fine job until a replacement was found. Under 18, 16 & 14 athletes $30 in the 1500m in a time of 4:01. Families $70 Ian’s contribution to the club for more As well as organising the track and than a decade has been immense. First Summer Season Only: field competition, Ian also organised a and foremost, Ian has been the behind Senior & Under 20 athletes $50 program of cross country events during the scenes helper who has provided the Under 18, 16 & 14 athletes $40 the off season. This usually went for support to get a number of things done Families $90 several weeks and then stopped but I when they needed doing. Things like: persuaded Ian to keep it going for much Full Year • Organising club members to do Senior & Under 20 athletes $70 longer. Before we knew it the Saturday fund-raising activities; afternoon race had around 120 runners, Under 18, 16 & 14 athletes $50 • Organising relay teams at the track Families $120 double the number who had been and during the winter season; competing in ACT Cross Country Club • Doing the registrations when no-one Officials $10 races back in Canberra in 1978. else was available; I have three great memories of Ian from • Organising the schools cross NC web site these races. The first is of Ian giving his country competition when Carol Our website is currently under all in races and finishing exhausted. Ian and I had to be away; construction, thanks to the great work has a unique running style; my best • Helping out with registrations at the of David Osmond and Martin Bye. description of it is that he lurches to the start of the schools cross country Watch its progress at: finish line. My second recollection is of http://www.angelfire.com/nc/NCAC/ 4