THE GIRRAWEEN ATHLETE THE OFFICIAL MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE: -
INCORPORATED
GO GIRRA!
GIRRAWEEN ATHLETICS CLUB Inc. ENCOURAGING ATHLETES OF ALL AGES & ABILITIES SINCE 1978. th CELEBRATING OUR 30 SEASON! ADDRESS: - P.O. BOX 667, Toongabbie, NSW, 2146. PHONE: - 0405586961. E-MAIL: - [email protected] WEBSITE: - www.girraweenathleticsclub.com VOLUME No. 4, ISSUE No. 41 – OCTOBER, 2007. ABN: - 97 049 119 071
OUR SUMMER SEASON HAS ARRIVED!
Welcome to the October 2007 edition of the Girraween Athlete. We are now well into our 30th season and we hope you are all enjoying it. September was another big month with a very successful West Mets series ending and the start of our Girraween All-Comers meets at C.V. Kelly. A number of members took advantage of our pre-season registration days and we plan to conduct them on a larger scale next year. The Blackmore’s Running Festival was again popular with our club members and their performances were fantastic. A number of our members have also continued to travel around to various meets and have continued to do the club proud. We will have representatives at the upcoming Australasian Masters in Adelaide in early October and we wish them all the best. On the home front, competition continues to be closely fought at C.V. Kelly and we welcome all the new members who have signed up for the first time. However, we are a little down on numbers compared to last year so if you enjoy competing with us, why not bring your friends and family along to join the Girraween family. We are sure they will enjoy the experience. The ANSW representative season is also about to start and we wish all of our athletes who compete at this higher level all the very best. Until next month, stay fit, stay well and most of all, enjoy your athletics with Girraween! GARRY WOMSLEY ------RESULTS FROM WEST METS PRESENTATION! – Saturday, 1st September, 2007 at West Auburn.
A nice afternoon was had by all at the banks of Duck Creek. As was the case last year, a fun relay (Total of 6km) was put on and this again proved to be a lot of fun between the 9 teams. All present then partook in the delightful barbecue that was put on free of charge. Before the presentation got under way a number of our members were personally thanked by David Archbold for their contributions: - George Milosevic, Viv Manwaring and Vince Adams for helping out with the marshalling and Garry Womsley for helping to compile the results and get them in the newspaper.
We had 22 award winners at last Saturday's presentation day at Auburn. They were as follows: -
SHORT EVENT: -
Lauren Sinclair - U/20 - 1st Kylie Attwood - O/20 - 2nd Jill Woodruff - O/30 - 1st Jye Perrott - U/10 - 3rd Justin Smythe - O/30 - 1st Peter Matthews - O/40 - 1st Garry Womsley - O/40 - 2nd David Perry - O/40 - 3rd Roger Mar - O/50 - 3rd
MEDIUM EVENT: -
Andrew Blunden - U/16 - 1st Wayne Thurlow - O/40 - 1st Steve Blunden - O/40 - 3rd Keith Mayhew - O/60 - 1st Viv Manwaring - O/60 - 3rd
LONG EVENT: -
Linda Balinski - O/50 - 1st Brad Milosevic - U/20 - 2nd Tim Molesworth - O/20 - 1st Richard Frost - O/30 - 3rd Denis Andrew - O/50 - 2nd Clive Kidson - O/50 -3rd Joe Butler - O/60 - 2nd Lonnie Balinski - O/60 - 3rd
Congratulations to all of our award winners and for all those who competed throughout the season.
RESULTS FROM FATHER’S DAY 5! – Sunday, 2nd September, 2007 at Overflow Park, Homebush & Surrounds (5km).
Eight of our members contested this very popular race today. In its second year, the race travels through the tennis and athletics centres as well as a tunnel connecting it to Telstra Stadium. There are lots of loops and “turn-arounds” in between to keep it challenging and interesting. The weather was still and hot for this time of year.
Full results as follows: -
Athlete Time Overall Placing Age Category Placing 1) NICK HANNA 19:04 26th 5th (16-20) 2) GARRY WOMSLEY 19:30 32nd 3rd (41-50) 3) RICHARD FROST 19:43 34th 11th (31-40) 4) WAYNE JEFF 19:44 35th 4th (41-50) 5) MICHAEL FREE 20:17 44th 6th (41-50) 6) DAVID PERRY 21:15 60th 10th (41-50) 7) TERRY ROSE 21:56 78th 3rd (51-60) 8) ETHAN WOMSLEY 28:54 275th 11th (5-11)
RESULTS FROM AUSTRALIAN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS! - Saturday, 1st September, 2007 – Perth, WA (Under 20’s – 8km).
We had two representatives in the golden west of the country today. Brad Milosevic was pleased with his 21st in the 8km U/20 Men’s race (27:53) while Jamie Sherson placed 32nd in a time of 28:49. We are also pleased to report that Brad got a bronze medal as part of the ANSW U/20 team which was another great achievement. If that wasn’t enough, Brad also competed in a Half Marathon the next day and achieved a very good time of 87:47. Congratulations Brad and Jamie on your great efforts! Full results as follows: -
1) BRAD MILOSEVIC – 27:53 (21st overall) 2) JAMIE SHERSON – 28:49 (32nd overall)
MORE WEDDING BELLS!
On Saturday, 8th September Club Legend Keith Mayhew and Janice Quinnett were married at a seaside restaurant at Cronulla. Many Girraween members were on hand to witness the big event. They included Best Man Steve Williams, Groomsmen Garry Womsley and Terry Rose, Bridesmaid Cheri Womsley while Ethan Womsley, Skyler Quinnett and Bob Field were also present. The Balinski’s sent their apologies as they are away in America at present. After the ceremony, the guests were treated to a three course banquet with quite a bit of bubbly to celebrate.
Congratulations Keith and Janice, may you have many happy years together!
THE RECORDS TUMBLE AT SMC! Sydney Marathon Clinic Road Race Series – Race 1 – Sunday, 9th September, 2007 – Rossford Street Reserve & Surrounds.
13 of our members competed at SMC today and probably had more success than at any other time in the club’s history. Our members achieved 1 outright win (Tim Molesworth), 4 age category wins (Brad Milosevic, Terry Rose, Ethan Womsley & Katrina Hughes), 2 age category placings (Garry Womsley & Graham Sheargold) and 3 age records (Tim Molesworth, Brad Milosevic & Ethan Womsley) between them in a fantastic performance for the club. The weather was almost perfect for running: - Cool, cloudy, with no wind. Full results as follows: -
5km Walk 1) CHERI WOMSLEY – 46:40
21.1km 1) TIM MOLESWORTH – 1:19:57 (1st overall, course record) 2) GEOFF SHEARGOLD – 1:29:05 3) GRAHAM SHEARGOLD – 1:39:16 (2nd in age) 4) MICHAEL FREE – 1:44:19 5) KATRINA HUGHES – 1:56:06 (1st in age)
5km 1) GARRY WOMSLEY – 19:24 (3rd in age) 2) DAVID PERRY – 21:19 3) TERRY ROSE – 21:53 (1st in age) 4) ETHAN WOMSLEY – 27:04 (1st in age, age record) 5) MICHAEL CHRISTIE – 27:25
10km 1) BRAD MILOSEVIC – 38:53 (1st in age, age record) 2) ROGER MAR – 53:44
MORE AWARDS AT GLADESVILLE! Bridge to Bridge Fun Run (5km) – Sunday, 9th September, 2007 – Putney Park & Surrounds.
We also had two representatives at Gladesville today and they also did well in their respective categories. On this very hilly course, Jamie Sherson placed 2nd overall in a time of 16:10, while Nick Hanna won his age category in a time of 19:26. Full results as follows: -
1) JAMIE SHERSON – 16:10 (2nd overall) 2) NICK HANNA – 19:26 (1st in age)
ANDREW DOES ANOTHER PB & JAMIE GETS GOLD! NSW State CHS Championships – 10th & 11th September, 2007 at Homebush.
Andrew Blunden contested the 3000m at the NSW State CHS Championships held at Homebush and placed 3rd in the U/16 race in a great time of 9:36. This was a personal best by 20 seconds! He then backed up in the 1500m and again placed 3rd in a good time of 4:23. Well done Andrew on your great effort. Jamie Sherson contested the U/19 2000m Steeplechase and placed 1st in a time of 6:08. It was a matter of “daylight second” as he totally dominated the race and won by 35 seconds. Well done Jamie on your fantastic effort!
RESULTS FROM C.V. KELLY – WEEK 2 – Girraween All-Comers, Saturday, 15th September, 2007 – C.V. Kelly Park.
200m - Men - Top 10
1) ADAM SINCLAIR - 27.72sec 2) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 27.82sec 3) ROB GIESLER - 28.24sec 4) STEVE O'DONNELL - 29.21sec 5) VINCE ADAMS - 29.39sec 6) GARRY WOMSLEY - 29.87sec 7) STEVE PARKINS - 29.97sec 8) STEVE BLUNDEN - 30.12sec 9) PETER MATTHEWS - 31.45sec 10) GRAHAM SHEARGOLD - 32.81sec
200m - Women
1) LYNETTE SMITH - 29.23sec 2) AMANDA GIESLER - 31.88sec 3) JEAN DAVIS - 35.80sec 4) ANDREA HENDLEY - 38.69sec 5) STEPHANIE RUSSELL - 38.90sec 6) KATRINA RUSSELL - 40.85sec 7) LAUREN SINCLAIR - 48.93sec
Long Jump - Men
1) PETER MATTHEWS - 3.82m 2) JYE PERROTT - 3.42m 3) ETHAN WOMSLEY - 1.88m
Long Jump - Women
1) JEAN DAVIS - 3.11m 2) CHERI WOMSLEY - 1.92m
Triple Jump - Men
1) PETER MATTHEWS - 8.92m 2) JYE PERROTT - 7.52m
Triple Jump - Women
1) JEAN DAVIS - 7.45m
800m - Men - Top 10
1) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 2:18.64 2) ADAM SINCLAIR - 2:29.73 3) PETER MATTHEWS - 2:35.99 4) JYE PERROTT - 2:44.21 5) GRAHAM SHEARGOLD - 2:45.07 6) STEVE O'DONNELL - 2:48.36 7) MICHAEL FREE - 2:48.61 8) STEVE PARKINS - 2:52.50 9) STEVE BLUNDEN - 2:55.00 10) GREG SARGEANT - 2:56.01
800m - Women
1) LYNETTE SMITH - 2:43.05 2) JEAN DAVIS - 3:08.55 3) KATRINA RUSSELL - 3:36.97 4) AMANDA GIESLER - 3:54.74 5) STEPHANIE RUSSELL - 4:04.09 6) ANDREA HENDLEY - 4:15.30
High Jump - Male - Top 3
1) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 1.45m 1) STEVE PARKINS - 1.45m 3) BRAEDEN PERROTT - 1.40m
High Jump - Female - Top 3
1) LYNETTE SMITH - 1.50m 2) JEAN DAVIS - 1.30m 3) STEPHANIE RUSSELL - 1.05m
Shot Put - Female - Top 3
1) LYNETTE SMITH - 10.22m 2) ANDREA HENDLEY - 7.77m 3) JEAN DAVIS - 6.53m
Discus - Male - Top 3
1) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 34.31m 2) LAJOS JONI - 29.94m 3) STEVE PARKINS - 23.10m
3000m - Male - Top 10
1) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 10:40.24 2) NICK HANNA - 11:16.48 3) PETER MATTHEWS - 11:20.97 4) MATT MODINI - 11:23.36 5) GARRY WOMSLEY - 11:24.41 6) RICHARD FROST - 11:52.70 7) GRAHAM SHEARGOLD - 12:03.04 8) MICHAEL FREE - 12:10.47 9) DENIS ANDREW - 12:18.08 10) DAVID PERRY - 12:30.23
3000m - Female
1) LYNETTE SMITH - 13:09.02 2) KATRINA RUSSELL - 16:08.02 3) JEAN DAVIS - 16:22.08 4) AMANDA GIESLER - 18:30.24 5) ANDREA HENDLEY - 19:09.40 6) STEPHANIE RUSSELL - 20:13.57
OUR ATHLETES GET AROUND! Sunday, 16th September, 2007.
Wanda Spring Beach Classic (8km – Wanda to Boat Harbour & return & 2km Soft Sand Sprint)
This popular event is now in its third year. Organised by the Wanda Surf Club, the event appears to be attracting more and more athletes each year. This is the first year that it was held on a different day to the Blackmore’s Running Festival. The first and last 2km of the longer event was run on soft sand for the first time which added to the challenge. Cronulla really turned on the glorious spring weather for this year’s well run event. The free sausage sizzle was also well received.
8km We had 3 representatives in the 8km race. Keith Mayhew outlasted a fast finishing Roger Mar while Janice Mayhew found her first run on the sand very tough.
Full results as follows: -
1) KEITH MAYHEW – 48:22 2) ROGER MAR – 50:11 3) JANICE MAYHEW – 63:45
2km This is the first time that this race has been conducted and we had two representatives. Garry Womsley placed 9th overall in a time of 10:02. He won the over 40’s category. Ethan Womsley placed 20th overall in a time of 16:40. He won the youngest competitor award.
Full results as follows: -
1) GARRY WOMSLEY – 10:02 (9th overall – 1st in O/40 category) 2) ETHAN WOMSLEY – 16:40 (20th overall – youngest competitor award winner)
Hills Orange Blossom Festival Fun Run (2km, 4km or 8km – Castle Hill Showground) Terry Rose contested the 8km race and finished in a time of 38:22.
NICK DOES WELL IN STATE TRANSIT RACE! Tuesday, 18th September, 2007
The much improved Nick Hanna, a State Transit employee contested their monthly road handicap race today. Being the 3rd last runner to start, he had a huge task to catch the front runners but he focussed on the task at hand and overhauled 19 runners to finish 30th out of a field of 52. His time of 38:52 in the 9.7km race was an outstanding effort. Well done Nick!
TIM EXCELLS AT THE AUSTRALIAN DUATHLON TITLES!- Sunday, 23rd September, 2007 Information provided by Wayne Jeff
Tim Molesworth finished second in his age group at the Australian Duathlon Titles in Canberra yesterday. (Duathlon being 10km run > 40km ride > 5km run).
It is a very hard course, with a really hilly XC run and a rolling hilly ride.
I’m sure you all agree that this was a great effort. Well done Tim!
RESULTS FROM C.V. KELLY – WEEK 3! Girraween All-Comers, Saturday, 22nd September, 2007.
100m - Men (Top 10)
1) MATT MODINI - 12.13sec 2) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 12.47sec 3) ROB GIESLER - 12.85sec 4) VINCE ADAMS - 12.94sec 5) STEVE O'DONNELL - 13.03sec 6) STEVE PARKINS - 13.04sec 7) CHAD SLOCOMBE - 13.05sec 8) STEVE BLUNDEN - 13.61sec 9) WAYNE THURLOW - 14.35sec 10) PETER MATTHEWS - 14.68sec
100m - Women
1) AMANDA GIESLER - 14.00sec 2) ERIKA HENDLEY - 14.53sec 3) JEAN DAVIS - 15.25sec 4) ANDREA HENDLEY - 16.42sec 5) KATRINA RUSSELL - 17.14sec 6) BRENDA MICALLEF - 17.16sec 7) STEPHANIE RUSSELL - 17.50sec 8) KELLY MICALLEF - 20.68sec 9) DEBRA PARRY - 22.91sec 10) ERICA KNAUF - 23.25sec
400m - Men (Top 10)
1) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 57.16sec 2) MATT MODINI - 61.79sec 3) STEVE O'DONNELL - 65.02sec 4) GARRY WOMSLEY - 66.06sec 5) PETER MATTHEWS - 66.57sec 6) ROB GIESLER - 67.25sec 7) STEVE PARKINS - 68.94sec 8) VINCE ADAMS - 69.72sec 9) WAYNE THURLOW - 70.51sec 10) DAVID PERRY - 74.06sec
400m - Women
1) JEAN DAVIS - 79.22sec 2) ERIKA HENDLEY - 83.17sec 3) AMANDA GIESLER - 89.71sec 4) KATRINA RUSSELL - 91.69sec 5) ANDREA HENDLEY - 97.39sec 6) STEPHANIE RUSSELL - 98.82sec
High Jump (Top 3)
1) ERIKA HENDLEY - 1.31m 2) STEPHANIE RUSSELL - 1.16m 3) KELLY MICALLEF - 0.96m
Long Jump - Male (Top 3)
1) MATT MODINI - 4.73m 2) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 4.58m 3) STEVE O'DONNELL
Long Jump - Female
1) JEAN DAVIS - 3.68m
Triple Jump - Male (Top 3)
1) MATT MODINI - 9.42m 2) STEVE BLUNDEN - 9.06m 3) STEVE O'DONNELL - 9.02m
Triple Jump - Female
1) JEAN DAVIS - 7.99m
1500m - Male (Top 10)
1) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 5:02.02 2) BRAD MILOSEVIC - 5:16.03 3) MATT MODINI - 5:21.44 4) PETER MATTHEWS - 5:23.81 5) GARRY WOMSLEY - 5:25.29 6) NICK HANNA - 5:27.05 7) MICHAEL FREE - 5:29.61 8) DAVID PERRY - 5:55.93 9) STEVE PARKINS - 5:57.78 10) WAYNE THURLOW - 6:01.89
1500m - Female
1) JEAN DAVIS - 6:29.86 2) ERIKA HENDLEY - 7:12.32 3) KATRINA RUSSELL - 7:17.61 4) ANDREA HENDLEY - 8:53.87 5) STEPHANIE RUSSELL - 9:21.06
Discus - Female - Top 3
1) KELLY MICALLEF - 24.52m 2) ANDREA HENDLEY - 23.96m 3) ERIKA HENDLEY - 20.15m
Shot Put - Male - Top 3
1) LAJOS JONI - 10.71m 2) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 9.76m 3) MATT MODINI - 9.40m
Javelin - Male - Top 3
1) STEVE O'DONNELL - 29.03m 2) ANDREW BLUNDEN - 27.45m 3) LAJOS JONI - 23.66m
Javelin - Female - Top 3
1) ANDREW HENDLEY - 16.6m 2) KATRINA RUSSELL - 16.1m 3) ERIKA HENDLEY - 14.4m
RESULTS FROM THE SYDNEY RUNNING FESTIVAL – Sunday, 23rd September, 2007 (Milson’s Point start & Opera House Finish – 9km, Half & Marathon)
Warm but comfortable weather greeted our athletes who competed in the various events today. It is always a buzz running over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and this Festival is becoming more and more each year. A massive 6 of our members contested the Marathon and they all beat the four hour mark. In fact, there was only 20 minutes between all of them. We also had 1 representative in the Half Marathon and 3 in the 9km race. Young Andrea Lamas won her age category in the 9km race which was a great effort in such a big field. The events all ran smoothly with the only complaint being that it still takes quite a while to get belongings back at the finish. They should perhaps look at how they do it at the City2Surf! Congratulations to all our athletes who did so well on the day. Full results as follows: -
MARATHON 1) DAVID WALLIS - 3:21:00 (181st overall) 2) GEOFF SHEARGOLD - 3:23:34 (206th overall) 3) RICHARD FROST - 3:24:56 (223rd overall) 4) GRAHAM SHEARGOLD - 3:31:53 (305th overall) 5) DENIS ANDREW - 3:37:44 (390th overall) 6) CLIVE KIDSON - 3:41:45 (443rd overall)
HALF MARATHON 1) MONICA JUHART - 1:41:01 (796th overall)
9KM 1) GARRY WOMSLEY - 35:44 (98th overall) 2) TERRY ROSE - 41:59 (442nd overall) 3) ANDREA LAMAS – 43:25 (615th overall, 1st in age) ------
Happy Birthday!
We would like to wish all of our members who are celebrating a birthday this month, a very happy birthday: -
2nd: - Kelly Micallef 12th: - Michael Evans 20th: - Kacee Cubis 25th: - Katrina Russell 26th: - Wayne Thurlow ------Upcoming Events! Club Events Sat 6 Oct Week A with distance event 1500m (C.V. Kelly) Sat 13 Oct Week B with distance event 5000m (C.V. Kelly) Sat 20 Oct Week A with distance event 1500m (C.V. Kelly) Sat 27 Oct Week B with distance event 3000m (C.V. Kelly) ANSW Events Sat - 6 Oct - Introduction to Club Athletics & All-Comers (Blacktown) Sat-Sun - 13-14 Oct - NSW All-Schools - Senior (15-19yrs) (Homebush) Sat-Sun - 20-21 Oct - NSW All-Schools - Junior (12-14yrs) (Homebush) Wed - 24 Oct - NSW Schools State Knockout Final (Homebush) Sat - 27 Oct - ANSW Club Premiership Round 1 (Campbelltown & Bankstown) Fun Runs & Other Events of Interest Sat – 6 Oct – Sydney Striders 10km Series (Homebush) – 7.00am Sat – 13 Oct - Fitzroy Falls Fire Trail Marathon (Fitzroy Falls) – from 8.00am Sat – 14 Oct – Sri Chinmoy Spring Series – Race 2 – 4km or 8km (Iron Cove) – 8.00am Tues – 16 Oct – Bankstown – 1 Hour Track Race – The Crest – from 6.30pm Sun – 21 Oct – Sydney Marathon Clinic Road Race Series (Smithfield) – from 7.00am Sun – 21 Oct – Sydney Adventist Hospital “Run for Life” – 5km or 10km (Wahroonga) – 8.00am Sun – 28 Oct – St. Marys Fun Run – 8km – Start & Finish at St. Marys Public School Sun – 28 Oct – Nepean Classic Summer Running Competition – 2km, 5km & 7km races (River Rd, Emu Plains) – 8.00am ------SUMMER REPRESENTATIVE CALENDAR FOR 2007-2008
Sat - 3 Nov - ANSW Club Premiership Round 2 (Illawong & Mingara) Sat - 10 Nov - ANSW Club Premiership Round 3 (Homebush) Sat - 10 Nov - ANSW State 3000m Track Championships (Homebush) Sun - 11 Nov - All-Comers (Walks) - venue TBA Sat-Sun - 17-18 Nov - ANSW State Relay Championships (Homebush) Sun - 18 Nov - Telstra Australian Men's 50km Road Walking Championship (Albert Park, Melbourne) Sat - 24 Nov - ANSW Club Premiership Round 4 (Bankstown & ES Marks) Sat - 1 Dec - ANSW Club Premiership Round 5 (Homebush) Thur-Sun - 6-9 Dec - Telstra Australian All-Schools & Youth Athletics Championships (Homebush) Mon - 10 Dec - Schools Knockout National Final (Homebush) Thur - 13 Dec - Telstra Zatopek Classic & Australian Championships for Open & U/23 10,000m (Olympic Park, Melbourne) Sat-Sun - Telstra Australian U/18 & U/16 Combined Events Championships (Canberra) Sat - 15 Dec - ANSW Club Premiership - Final (Homebush) Sun - 16 Dec - All-Comers (Walks) - venue TBA Sat - 22 Dec - Skins Meet (Bankstown) Sat-Sun - 5-6 Jan - NSW Combined Event Championships (Campbelltown) Sat - 5 Jan - ANSW All-Comers (inc. Champions League Rd1) (Campbelltown) Sat - 5 Jan - ANSW 10,000m Track Walks & Underage Steeplechase Championships (Campbelltown) Sun - 6 Jan - Masters Pentathlon (Campbelltown) Sat - 12 Jan - ANSW All-Comers (inc. Champions League Rd2) (Homebush) Sat - 12 Jan - Sydney Track Classic (Homebush) Sat - 19 Jan - ANSW All-Comers (Homebush) Sat - 19 Jan - Australian Club Championships (Hobart) Sun - 20 Jan - Australian Relay Championships (Hobart) Thur - 24 Jan - ANSW All-Comers (inc. Champions League Rd3) (Homebush) Sat-Sun - 26-27 Jan - NSW Country Championships (Glendale, Newcastle) Sat - 26 Jan - Canberra "A" Series (Canberra) Thur - 31Jan - ANSW State 5000m Track Championships & All-Comers (Homebush) Sat - 2 Feb - ANSW All-Comers (inc. Champions League Rd4) (Homebush) Fri-Sun - 8-10 - ANSW Open & U/18 State Championships inc. NSW 10,000m Track Championships (Homebush) Sat - 16 Feb - Sydney "A" Series (Homebush) Sun - 17 Feb - ANSW All-Comers (Bankstown) Fri - 22 Feb - Melbourne "A" Series (Olympic Park, Melbourne) Sat - 23 Feb - Australian 20km Road Walking Championships (Albert Park, Melbourne) Sat-Sun 23-24 Feb - ANSW State U/16, U/20 & U/23 Championships (Homebush) Fri-Sun 29 Feb - 2 Mar - National Athletics Championships (QSAC, Brisbane) Sat 1 Mar - ANSW All-Comers (Campbelltown) Sat-Sun 8-9 Mar - ANSW State Masters Championships (Homebush) Sat 8 Mar - ANSW State Club Championships (Homebush) Fri-Sun 14-16 Mar - Australian U/20 All-Schools, U/20 & U/23 Athletics Championships (Melbourne or Adelaide) Sat 15 Mar - ANSW All-Comers (Blacktown) Fri-Mon 21-24 - National Masters Championships inc. NSW State Weight Pentathlon (Blacktown) ------
------Our Club Committee For 2007-
2008!
We welcome our new committee who will serve you throughout 2007/2008. For the first time in the club’s history, we have no vacancies.
Steve Williams President 0425227669 Garry Womsley Secretary, Coaching Co-ordinator & Publicity Officer 9636-6017 Viv Manwaring Registrar & Public Officer 9631-8887 Vince Adams Treasurer 9863-2731 Robert Eager Winter Competition 9675-2167 Steve Blunden Summer Competition 9636-7357 Lynette Smith ANSW Delegate, Assistant Registrar & Records Officer 0419420393 Wayne Thurlow Park Trust Delegate 0417216911 George Milosevic Canteen Manager & Park Trust Delegate 9626-8586 Judy Milosevic Canteen Manager 9626-8586 Cheri Womsley Fundraising Officer 9636-6017 Brad Milosevic Junior Committee 9626-8586 Nick Hanna Junior Committee 9621-7895
Next Meeting: - Thursday, 4th October, 2007 at Toongabbie Sports & Bowling Club
Girraween Club Training Days & Times
Do you want to get, fit, faster and do personal bests? Why not come down and train with us? We offer an extensive training programme as follows: -
Mondays & Wednesdays – With the summer season about to commence, our integrated coaching at C.V. Kelly resumes. Athletes can choose which event or events they would like to focus on each night. We meet at 5.15pm for a 5.30pm start. Please call Garry Womsley on 0405586961 for further details.
Tuesdays – (6.30-8.00pm) – Middle Distance & Steeplechase training at Homebush. Can’t make it on a Tuesday and would like to learn the art of Steeplechase? I am willing to coach this event at C.V. Kelly on most Thursday nights. If you are interested, please give Garry Womsley a call on 0405586961.
Training Form!
Wednesday, 29th August, 2007 – Premier Street (8 x 150m up hill & 8 x 150m recovery)
Peter Matthews – 25sec, 24sec, 23sec, 22sec, 23sec, 24sec, 24sec, 25sec Adam Sinclair – 24sec, 21sec, 22sec, 22sec, 23sec, 22sec, 22sec, 19sec Garry Womsley – 27sec, 29sec, 22sec, 22sec, 27sec, 26sec, 27sec, 23sec Steve Blunden – 23sec, 23sec, 22sec, 22sec, 22sec, untimed (2 x 150m), 21sec Chris Mackey – 23sec, 22sec, 20sec, 26sec, 27sec, 31sec, 24sec, 28sec Roger Mar – 28sec, 30sec, 30sec, 29sec, 30sec, 31sec, 30sec, 31sec Graham Sheargold – untimed (All)
Monday, 3rd September, 2007 – C.V. Kelly (3 x 600m)
Graham Sheargold – 2:18, 2:15, 2:14 Peter Matthews – 2:01, 2:05, 2:07 Lynette Smith – 2:09, 2:13, 2:15 Steve Blunden – 2:14, 2:10, 2:24 Andrew Blunden – 1:43, 1:50, 1:49 Adam Sinclair – 2:10, 2:03, 2:15 Garry Womsley – 2:14, 2:18, 2:12
Tuesday, 4th September, 2007 – Homebush (Middle Distance – Track)
Ethan Womsley – 5:13 (1000m), 3:13 (600m) Garry Womsley – 2:05, 2:02 (2 x 600m) Nick Hanna – 2:00, 2:04 (2 x 600m)
Monday, 10th September, 2007 – C.V. Kelly (3 x 400m & 2 x 200m)
Suresh Raju – 1:31, 1:32, 1:30 (400m), 0:40, 0:40 (200m) Monica Juhart – untimed (All) Garry Womsley – 1:22, 1:20, 1:20 (400m), 3:33, 0:34 (200m) Steve Blunden – 1:22, 1:20, 1:21 (400m), untimed (1 x 200m) Matt Modini – 1:08, untimed, 1:35 (400m), 0:27, untimed (200m) Adam Sinclair – 1:12, 1:13, 1:35 (400m), 0:27, 0:30 (200m) Nick Hanna – 1:19, 1:13, 1:21 (400m), 0:30, 0:31 (200m) Lauren Sinclair – untimed (All) Graham Sheargold – untimed (2 x 400m & 2 x 200m)
Tuesday, 11th September, 2007 – Homebush (Middle Distance – Track)
Ethan Womsley – 5:04, 5:40 (1000m) Garry Womsley – 3:46, 3:43 (1000m), 0:31, 0:31 (200m) Nick Hanna – 3:35, 3:30 (1000m), 0:31, 0:30 (200m)
Wednesday, 12th September, 2007 – C.V. Kelly (3 x 600m & 1 x 500m) (Session led by Wayne Thurlow)
Garry Womsley – 2:06, 2:09, 2:11 (600m), 1:48 (500m) Nick Hanna – 2:10, 2:05, 2:10 (600m), 1:42 (500m), 0:31 (200m) Roger Mar – 2:47, 2:41, 2:47 (600m), 2:15 (500m) Suresh Raju – 2:28, 2:26, 2:17 (600m), 1:59 (500m) Alyssa Perrott – untimed (2 x 600m & 1 x 500m) Steve Blunden – 2:16, 2:10, 2:18 (600m), 1:40 (500m) Andrew Blunden – 2:00, 1:51, 1:58 (600m), 1:22, 1:33 (500m) Brad Milosevic – 2:07, 2:02, 1:58 (600m), 1:37 (500m), 0:31 (200m) Monica Juhart – untimed (All) Doug Perrott – untimed (All) Jye Perrott – 2:08 (600m) Peter Matthews – 2:03, 2:09 (600m), 1:43 (500m)
Monday, 17th September, 2007 – C.V. Kelly (2 x 600m & 2 x 500m)
Andrew Blunden – untimed, 1:51 (600m), 1:27 (500m) Matt Modini – untimed, 2:08 (600m), untimed (2 x 500m) Garry Womsley – 2:20, 2:16 (600m), 1:57, 1:50 (500m) Steve Parkins – 2:20, 2:18 (600m), 1:58, 2:06 (500m) Steve Blunden – 2:13, 2:09 (600m), 1:50, 1:45 (500m) Suresh Raju – 2:21, 2:22 (600m), 2:02, 2:01 (500m) Nick Hanna – untimed (2 x 600m)
Tuesday, 18th September, 2007 – Homebush (Middle Distance)
Ethan Womsley – 5:00, 5:07 (1000m) Garry Womsley – 4:04, 4:10 (1000m), 2:00, 2:07 (600m) Andrew Blunden – 1:50 (600m)
Wednesday, 19th September, 2007 – C.V. Kelly (2 x 400m & 3 x 200m) (Session led by Wayne Thurlow)
Garry Womsley – 1:30, 1:24 (400m), 0:36, 0:35, 0:30 (200m) Roger Mar – 1:48, 1:49 (400m), 0:44, 0:45, 0:45 (200m) Peter Matthews – 1:25, 1:20 (400m), 0:37, 0:35, 0:33 (200m) Steve Blunden – 1:22, 1:19 (400m), 0:34, 0:32, 0:30 (200m) Wayne Thurlow – 1:29, 1:21 (400m), 0:35, 0:34, 0:30 (200m) Andrew Blunden – untimed (1 x 400m) Monica Juhart – untimed (2 x 400m & 2 x 200m), 0:35 (200m)
Monday, 24th September, 2007 – C.V. Kelly (3 x 400m & 1 x 200m)
Alyssa Perrott – untimed (All) John (Trialling) – untimed (All) Steve Parkins – 1:22, 1:24, 1:21 (400m), 0:30 (200m) Matt Modini – untimed (All) Adam Sinclair – 1:30, 1:13 (400m), untimed (2 x 200m) Nick Hanna – untimed (All) Lauren Sinclair – untimed (All) Steve Blunden – untimed, 1:19, 1:14 (400m), 0:31 (200m) Garry Womsley – 1:29, 1:26, 1:20 (400m), 0:30 (200m) Andrew Blunden – untimed (All) Eliza (Little A’s) – untimed (All) Nathaniel (Little A’s) – untimed (All) Manuel (Little A’s) – untimed (All) Mason (Little A’s) – untimed (All)
Tuesday, 25th September, 2007 – Homebush (Middle Distance)
Ethan Womsley – 5:00, 4:44 (1000m), 2:46 (600m) Garry Womsley – 3:33, 3:31 (1000m), 1:59 (600m) Jamie Sherson – 3:32, 3:29 (1000m), 1:58 (600m)
Wednesday, 26th September, 2007 – C.V. Kelly (1 x 600m & 3 x 500m)
Andrew Blunden – untimed (600m), 1:33, 1:41, untimed (500m) Nathaniel (Little A’s) – untimed (All) Jordan (Little A’s) – untimed (All) Steve Blunden – 2:11 (600m), 1:41, 1:43 (500m), untimed (180m) Graham Sheargold – untimed (600m) Nick Hanna – 2:07 (600m), 1:46, 2:02, untimed (500m) Roger Mar – 3:16 (600m), 2:23, 2:26, 2:20 (500m) Garry Womsley – 2:20 (600m), 1:58, 2:03, 1:57 (500m)
Sunday Morning Training Group!
Sunday, 7th October (7.00am for 7.15am start) – C.V. Kelly Start at C.V. Kelly & run to the top of Mississippi Road at Seven Hills & return the same way (Easy run, pick up the pace up the hill)
Sunday, 14th October (7.00am for 7.15am start) – C.V. Kelly Start at C.V. Kelly & run to Pemulwhuy via Greystanes Road. Run to the top of the hill & return the same way.
Sunday, 21st October (7.00am for 7.15am start) – C.V. Kelly Start at C.V. Kelly and run along the Great Western Highway until the Cumberland Highway is reached. Head along the Cumberland Highway then turn left at Dunmore Street. Return to C.V. Kelly via Pendle Hill.
Sunday, 28th October (7.00am for 7.15am start) – C.V. Kelly Start at C.V. Kelly and via Targo Road and continue along railway line. Turn right at the underpass and continue along Station Road then run across overhead bridge and run along cycle path to Best Road Reserve. Continue along Best Road. Turn around and return the same way after 30 minutes.
Mid- Week Training Programme For October!
WEEK ONE
MONDAY, 1st October, 2007 – (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start)
1) 2km Road Run 2) Drills on grass 3) 3 x 600m, 1 x 200m 4) Warm down - track
TUESDAY, 2nd October, 2007 - (HOMEBUSH) – 6.30pm
1) Warm up – road 2) Drills on grass 3) Middle Distance & Steeplechase Training – track 4) Warm down – 2 laps – track
WEDNESDAY, 3rd October, 2007 – (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start)
WITH WAYNE THURLOW 1) 2km Road Run 2) Drills on grass 3) 2 x 400m, 1 x 300m, 1 x 200m 4) Warm down – track
WITH GARRY WOMSLEY Hurdle Technique, Drills & Training
WEEK TWO
MONDAY, 8th October, 2007 (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start)
1) 2km Road Run 2) Drills on grass 3) 3 x 400m & 1 x 300m, 1 x 200m 4) Warm Down – track
TUESDAY, 9th October, 2007 – (HOMEBUSH) – 6.30pm
5) Warm up – road 6) Drills on grass 7) Middle Distance & Steeplechase Training – track 8) Warm down – 2 laps – track
WEDNESDAY, 10th October, 2007 (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start)
WITH WAYNE THURLOW 1) 2km Road Run 2) Drills on grass 3) 1 x 700m, 2 x 600m & 1 x 500m 4) Warm down – track
WITH GARRY WOMSLEY Hurdle Technique, Drills & Training
WEEK THREE
MONDAY, 15th October, 2007 (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start)
1) 2km Road Run 2) Drills on grass 3) 3 x 600m & 1 x 500m 4) Warm down - track
TUESDAY, 16th October, 2007 (HOMEBUSH) – 6.30pm
1) Warm up – road 2) Drills on grass 3) Middle Distance & Steeplechase Training – track 4) Warm down – 2 laps – track
WEDNESDAY, 17th October, 2007 (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start)
WITH WAYNE THURLOW 1) 2km Road Run 2) Drills on grass 3) 2 x 400m, 1 x 300m & 2 x 200m 4) Warm down – track
WITH GARRY WOMSLEY Hurdle Technique, Drills & Training
WEEK FOUR
MONDAY, 22nd October, 2007 (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start)
1) 2km Road Run 2) Drills on grass 3) 3 x 400m & 1 x 300m 4) Warm down - track
TUESDAY, 23rd October, 2007 (HOMEBUSH) – 6.30pm
1) Warm up – road 2) Drills on grass 3) Middle Distance & Steeplechase Training – track 4) Warm down – track
WEDNESDAY, 24th October, 2007 (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start) WITH WAYNE THURLOW 1) 2km – road 2) Drills on grass 3) 2 x 600m & 2 x 500m 4) Warm down – track
WITH GARRY WOMSLEY Hurdle Technique, Drills & Training
WEEK FIVE
MONDAY, 29th October, 2007 (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start)
1) 2km – road 2) Drills on grass 3) 1 x 800m, 1 x 600m & 1 x 500m 4) Warm down – track
TUESDAY, 30th October, 2007 (HOMEBUSH) – 6.30pm
1) Warm up – road 2) Drills on grass 3) Middle Distance & Steeplechase Training – track 4) Warm down – track
WEDNESDAY, 31st October, 2007 (C.V. KELLY) – (6.15pm for 6.30pm start) WITH WAYNE THURLOW
1) 2km Road Run 2) Drills on grass 3) 1 x 500m, 2 x 400m & 1 x 300m 4) Warm down - track
Health Warning: - Don’t Drink Out Of The Bubbler At C.V. Kelly!
It would be advisable for all athletes who compete and train at C.V. Kelly to refrain from drinking out of the bubbler near the equipment shed. It appears that it is being used by local dog owners as a drink stop for their dogs. A number of dog owners were observed recently lifting up their dogs to the spout of the bubbler for a drink which they subsequently licked. Drink from this bubbler at your own risk! GARRY WOMSLEY
From The Athlete’s Kitchen! Nutty Prawns
Ingredients: - 2 tsp peanut oil ¼ tsp chilli flakes ½ cup green beans 1/3 cup thinly sliced carrots ¼ cup whole, unsalted, roasted cashews 2 tsp reduced-salt soy sauce 2 tsp orange juice ¼ tsp orange zest 1 ½ cup of cooked medium prawns, with tails removed
Method: - Combine the oil and chilli in a medium-hot, non-stick pan or wok. Add everything but the prawns and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Finally, toss in the prawns and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Serve over brown rice.
Girraween Athletic Club Athlete Profile!
Unfortunately, we don’t have an Athlete Profile to bring you this month. We are in desperate need of more profiles. If you would like to feature in this column, please contact me. GARRY WOMSLEY ------Great Athletes of the Past! By Michael Christie
Lynn Jennings – United States (1960- )
Lynn Jennings was born on 1 July1960 in Princeton, New Jersey. Jennings showed potential as a runner at high school and at the age of seventeen ran the Boston Marathon unofficially in a time of 2:46 which would have placed her third on the day. After she completed school she attended college at Princeton where she excelled at both the 3000m and 5000m. She obtained creditable results whilst at college winning many titles. However, by the time she completed her education, she was not satisfied with her results feeling she could do better. Her biggest disappointment came in 1984, when she failed to qualify for the US Olympic team coming last in the trials. This result led her to evaluate her career and the results were almost immediate.
In 1985, Jennings made her first major breakthrough on home soil, winning her first US Cross Country Championship; it was the first of nine US Cross Country titles in her career. On the international cross country circuit, she also started to obtain some consistent results in the ensuing years, coming second, fourth, sixth and sixth in the World Cross Country Championships from 1986 through to 1989. During this period, she also finished sixth in the 1987 World Championship 10,000m and made her first US Olympic team at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, where she finished sixth in the inaugural women’s 10,000m at an Olympic Games. She was proving to be a remarkably competitive and consistent athlete. Her road, cross country and track work was starting to pay dividends.
It was 1990, that saw her major breakthrough internationally, when she won the first of three consecutive World Cross Country Championships in France. The early 1990’s were undoubtedly her greatest years. 1991 saw her defend her title in Belgium, winning a second time. She was also fifth in the 10,000m at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo. It was all preparation for her finest year, 1992.
There was little doubt that 1992 was a highlight of her career. The World Cross Country Championships that year were held at Boston, USA. She was on home turf in front of her own fans. In a tough struggle, she outlasted her opponents in the straight, going on to win her third title. It was one of her greatest moments. In the 10,000m at the Barcelona Olympics she finished third in a time of 31:19.18 picking up the bronze medal behind Tulu of Ethiopia and Meyer of South Africa, in one of the famous 10,000m in Olympic history due to the symbolism of the two great African runners fighting the closing stages out. Jennings time was also an American record. It was a breakthrough for US women’s distance running.
In the ensuing years, Jennings remained competitive, finishing third in the 1993 World Cross Country Championships and also fifth at the 10,000m at the World Championships at Stuttgart that year. She continued to run although her powers were slightly diminishing, finishing twelfth in the 1995 World Championship 10,000m at Gothenburg. However, she was still good enough to make her third US Olympic team at Atlanta in 1996, finishing a creditable ninth in the 5000m final in a time of 15:17.50. She also won her ninth US Cross Country Championship that year. It should also be noted that during the 1990’s she was competitive as a indoor runner as well, picking up bronze in the 1993 World Indoor 2000m and silver in the 1995 World Indoor 3000m. She was amazingly versatile and by the time her career was drawing to a close she had set scores of US records over all distances. In the Boston Marathon of 1999 at the age of 38 she ran a time of 2:38.57 to finish twelfth. It had been a wonderful career.
Why was she so consistent and versatile for so long? The answer lies in her personal philosophy about running.
‘Running has given me so many gifts: courage, responsibility, motivation … attributes that readily transfer to other areas of my life. The joy of being physically fit-physically clean if you will_ _ even on days when a run starts out with a little struggle, you come home so refreshed.’ Bloom (2001, p153)
In 2006 she was inducted into the US National Distance Running Hall of Fame. There is little doubt that she remains one of if not the greatest US female distance runner to date and her achievements remain almost unparalleled in US women’s distance running circles. She remains a great role model for those that will follow.
Sources and further reading
Bloom, M 2001 Run With the Champions:Training Programs and Secrets of America’s 50 Greatest Runners, Rodale, np. http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2000, accessed 23 September 2007 http://www.ivy50.com/story, accessed 23 September, 2007 http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/oldBios/2000/jennings.html, accessed 24 September 2007
Watman, M 2004 Olympic Track and Field History, Athletics International Ltd, London
------AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVE CULBERT! Conducted by Michael Christie
Interview with Dave Culbert – Director - Jump Media, Australian representative in the Long Jump at Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, 2 times Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist in the Long Jump.
Today I was privileged to speak to Dave Culbert, one of Australia’s leading commentators on Athletics and a good bloke too. Thanks for your time Dave.
1) How did you get into athletics ? What do you think about Little A’s today?
I started in Little A’s. They came over to my local primary school and I started when I was six. I continued doing athletics right through. I went to National championships at Under 12 in Little A’s where I won the national long jump title and was the only athlete from my age group to stick with the sport. There is too much pressure at an early age. To have state and national championships for individual events at a young age is ridiculous. Have relays by all means. Which is more important, a national under 12 champion at shot put or an Olympic champion? Most little A’s clubs and parents do a great job, but unfortunately there are some fanatical parents out there that spoil it for people.
2) What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
The two Commonwealth Games silver medals are at the bottom of the list as I wanted to win. The greatest competition was at the 1991 World Championships at Tokyo where I finished sixth in the final behind Mike Powell and Carl Lewis. One of the greatest competitions of all time.
3) You’ve commentated at Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Do you have any favorite moments?
That’s a hard one as there have been so many, but here a few that stand out.
-Jai Taurima’s long jump at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. I know Jai really well and I have competed against him. He’s a really good bloke. He had the competition of his life, only to be beaten by the Cuban Pedroso on his last jump. - Kerryn McCann’s marathon win at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. I was lucky enough to be doing commentary when she finished at the MCG. It was very very special. - Sergey Bubka’s 6th World Championship win in the pole vault at the 1997 World Championships at Athens was right up there. - Nathan Deakes 50km walk win in Osaka. If you were not moved by his effort and particularly the emotion of it all as he was in the final straight you don’t have a heart.
4) Osaka 2007 World Championships. Why did the Australians struggle? What’s your view on their efforts?
We should never give up on our athletes. Some athletes need to face reality and they have not done this. This was evident at Osaka. Drug testing is working now. Within the top thirty athletes there is a very small margin for error. As a result the sport has never been more competitive than at the present. We are not the only country where our elite athletes are struggling. Mottram, Hooker, Thompson, Jamieson for whatever reasons should have at least been closer to the medals. You have to look at each athlete on an individual basis and go from there.
5) At Osaka we had ten events without Australian men and nine without Australian women. What does this say about our athletes and selection policy?
The IAAF sets the qualifying standards. For instance, in field events they have set some ridiculously high standards in an attempt to reduce the size of the fields and lessen the eligibility of athletes to compete. There is an imbalance between some field and some track events which has to be addressed. We should not put everyone in an event that qualifies for it. They need to earn the right to be selected. It should not be an automatic selection just because they do an ‘A’ qualifying. Every event is different. You need to have the right mix.
6) Selection criteria was discussed in an interesting editorial by Daniel Green in the latest issue of R4YL (Oct/Nov 2007). What are your comments on this and on selection criteria in general for athletics in Australia?
Daniel is entitled to his opinion as he is the editor. But it’s a tricky one. While you need criteria, it can’t be black and white. You need to have flexibility. You need the selector’s discretion. I have been a selector. To suggest that the selections are based on favouritism or it depends on who you are coached by or where you live is rubbish. Each individual athlete is looked at on their own merits. If Daniel or anybody else thinks they can do the job they should apply. It is not an easy role.
7) What next for sponsorship of Athletics in Australia?
I’m not involved with the process to select a new sponsor to replace Telstra. But I’m biased. Athletics is the No. 1 Olympic sport. Everyone can do athletics from six to eighty. It’s a great opportunity for a new sponsor to climb on board to assist the sport properly. They can have a great leverage with this sport in a very competitive market place against high profile sports such as Aussie Rules, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Cricket, Soccer etc. It’s an exciting time to be involved, with the next Olympic Games less then twelve months away.
Dave thanks for your time today. I know our readers will be most interested in your views.
Michael Christie Girraween Athletics Club
------
The 11th World Championships - Osaka 2007 - A report by Michael Christie
The latest world championships concluded in Osaka last month and I thought I should share my views on some of the highlights of these championships from an International and Australian perspective.
There were naturally many fine performances from the international athletes. Tyson Gay’s (USA) 100/200m double was a highlight. His mental toughness, particularly in the final of the 100m was outstanding. He was too good for his opposition, particularly Asafa Powell. Talking of the sprints, the US relay team’s dominance was scary and any barring baton issues or injuries it’s hard to see them being stopped from repeating in Beijing. They are comfortably ahead of the rest of the world. Jeremy Wariner (USA) was another standout. How good can he be? Bernard Lagat’s (USA) double in the 1500/5000 was another historic achievement despite the runners in the 5000m handing it to him on a plate he was still too good for his opposition both physically and mentally. Carolina Kluft (Sweden) in the heptathlon and Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) in the pole vault defended their titles and again both showed that they are close to the greatest of all time in their respective events.
However, to some personal favourites - in no particular order: - Allyson Felix’s (USA) 200m win was amazing. She blew a high quality field away by an unbelievable margin and to boot she is a very graceful runner, with a wonderful style. You could watch her run all day. Blanka Vlasic’s (Croatia) performance in the high jump was another standout on the last evening of competition. She came through to win the gold medal, despite the enormous pressure from her countrymen. She not only showed some steel she also showed that she has the personality to go with it. Very entertaining! For high drama, nothing beat the men’s long jump final with Irving Saladino (Panama) coming through with a wonderful leap at the end of the competition to outpoint Andrew Howe (Italy) for the gold. It was a competition of the highest standard and well complimented by the performance of Andrew Howe’s mum in the stands, in the closing stages. Great stuff!
The Australians: - Well the highlights included Jana Rawlinson’s 400m hurdle gold medal. She again proved what a world class athlete she is by not only winning her second world championships gold medal, but doing so only eight months after the birth of her first child. The question still remains as to how good can she be and how much potential she has as she is still relatively young. Time will tell. Nathan Deakes in the 50km walk was a wonderful achievement and a great reward to someone who has worked a lifetime to reach the level he has. I was very moved watching the closing stages, particularly as he entered the final straight and his emotion was there for all to see. His performance, given what he has gone through is one of the great performances by any Australian in World Championship history.
The performances of the remainder of the team were very disappointing. Sally McLellan’s effort in making the semi-finals of both the 100m and 100m hurdles was very creditable. She will need to make decisions as to what event she concentrates on at this early stage of her career. However, her potential is high and she has the right attitude. Luke Adams’ 7th in the 20km walk was another fine effort. He continues to improve. We now know that Craig Mottram was carrying an injury when he competed. He had picked up this injury in training before these championships and could not shake it off. The question remains, should he have run? Questions still remain over John Steffensen’s ability to compete with the Americans at the top level. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think he can. The pole vaulters as a whole were very disappointing. The remainder of the performances by our athletes were less than creditable. One question needing to be asked of some of these athletes: is there still a place for them in the sport?
Where to now? We had high expectations going in, but the fact remains that on the whole, Australia did not deliver. When looking at the championship table, Australia came 23rd. This was the second worst result since these championships in 1983. Too many athletes did not aim up and we all know who they are, there’s no need for names. With the hunt on for a new sponsor and the lack of results across many events, it appears this was an opportunity lost to drive athletics forward in this country. When one also considers that there were no Australian men in ten events and no Australian women in nine; the sport at the elite level has reached a crossroads. There will be need to some serious rethinking not only by Athletics Australia, but also by many of our elite athletes leading into Beijing, if results are to improve. For those of us who compete, support and love athletics at any level, it is not a small thing to ask, and to be frank it’s what we deserve.
Michael Christie ------Athletics Trivia!
Australia won a total of two gold medals at the recent World Championships. This was the first time since 1968 that Australia has won more than one Athletics gold medal at a major international championship. Combined with Kurt Fearnley’s gold in the 1500m wheelchair event (which was classed as an “exhibition event”), you would have to go back to Melbourne in 1956 for a more successful gold medal haul. While there were some disappointments at the recent World Championships there were plenty of encouraging signs particularly from the younger members of the squad.
More interesting trivia next month!
World News! 29th August WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES * Kym Howe placed 11th in the Pole Vault with a best of 4.50m * John Steffensen placed 4th in the 400m semi final in a time of 44.95sec. He narrowly missed out on the final. * Sean Wroe was 5th in the 400m semi final with a time of 45.25sec. It was a personal best. * Sarah Jamieson (4:10.02) placed 7th in the 1500m to qualify for the semi finals. Lisa Corrigan also qualified. 30th August WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES * Jana Rawlinson won the 400m hurdles final in a time of 53.31sec. * Craig Mottram placed 4th in his 5000m heat in a time of 13:36.18. * Paul Burgess is out of the Pole Vault after failing at 5.65m. Steven Hooker qualified with a leap of 5.70m. * Tyson Gay got the sprint double with his 200m win in a time of 19.76sec. 31st August WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES * Jane Saville was disqualified in the 20km Walk. * Sarah Jamieson – 7th in the 1500m Semi Final in a time of 4:16.20. Lisa Corrigan – 12th in a time of 4:08.79. * Australia placed 6th in the Men’s 4 x 100m Relay. The team of Shirvington, Miller, Williams and Rouge-Serret did not qualify for the final. 1st September WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES * Nathan Deakes won the 50km Walk in a time of 3:43:53. Duane Cousins was disqualified. * Australia placed 6th in the Men’s 4 x 400m Relay. The team of Wroe, Grant, Mulcahy and Ormrod did not qualify for the final. (3:02.59) * Steven Hooker placed 9th in the Pole Vault final. 5.76m was his best on the night. * Kurt Fearnley placed 1st in the 1500m wheelchair event in a time of 3:26.30. * Australia placed 8th in the Women’s 4 x 100m Relay. The team of McLellan, Kleeberg, Attenborough and Cullen did not qualify for the final (43.91sec). 2nd September WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES * Craig Mottram placed 13th in the 5000m final in a time of 13:56.24. 10th September Asafa Powell returned to form at a Golden League meet in Italy today. He ran a blistering 9.74sec in the 100m heat to again lower his own world record which was previously 9.76sec. 17th September Craig Mottram’s return to the track following his World Championships disaster hasn’t gone well. He again finished 13th this time in the 1500m at the Berlin Grand Prix today. His time of 3:40.93 was 6 seconds outside his PB. He is scheduled to race over 3000m at the World Athletic Final in Stuttgart on Saturday. 23rd September Results of the Australians who competed at the World Athletic Finals held in Stuttgart today: -
John Steffensen – 400m – 46.16sec – 5th Craig Mottram – 3000m – 7:49.89 – 4th Sarah Jamieson – 1500m – 4:05.43 – 3rd Sally McLellan – 100m Hurdles – DQ Donna Macfarlane – 3000m Steeplechase – 9:41.77 – 7th Jana Rawlinson – 400m Hurdles – 54.19sec – 2nd Steve Hooker – Pole Vault – 5.81m – 3rd
It was Kenya 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Blackmore’s Sydney Marathon: -
1) JULIUS MARITIM – 2:14:38 2) PHILIP MUIA – 2:21:54 3) NICHOLAS MERICA – 2:24:22
In the women’s race Japan’s Naoko Tsuchiya defended her 2006 title with Australians Eliza Mayger and Verity Tolhurst placing 2nd and 3rd: -
1) NAOKO TSUCHIYA – 2:43:10 2) ELIZA MAYGER – 2:46:34 3) VERITY TOLHURST – 2:52:13
Thomas De Canto won the Blackmore’s Half Marathon with Jenny Wickham being the first female. In the 9km race, Russell Dessaix-Chin was first over the line with Eliza Stewart crossing the line as first female. ------Lots Of Girraween Gear At Discounted Prices!
We have around 40 of the old cotton singlets left in various sizes. They would make great training singlets. These singlets are now at the bargain basement price of $10.00 each.
Also, we still have 54 pairs of our Girraween Athletics signature socks in stock at a great price of $6.50/pair.
If you are interested in purchasing any of these items, please contact Garry Womsley or Steve Williams.
AND SOMETHING NEW TO ADD TO YOUR GIRRAWEEN COLLECTION……….
I'm pleased to announce that we now have special Girraween T-Shirts for sale each Saturday.
They are $25.00 each.
I'm sure everyone will love to add this t-shirt to their Girraween clothing collection!
GARRY WOMSLEY
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE………….
Also, there has been some interest from our newer members about purchasing Girraween Tracksuit Tops.
As a result, we are willing to place an order with the manufacturer.
However, we would need at least 10 orders from our members to able to place this order.
Therefore, if you would like a Girraween Tracksuit Top, please let me know as soon as possible so we can get an idea of numbers.
Note: - We probably won't order any tracksuit bottoms this time as they were not popular last time.
GARRY WOMSLEY
AND THERE’S STILL MORE…………..
The reflective vests have now arrived and are on sale at $4.00 each.
Wayne Thurlow tried one out recently at training and found that they were comfortable and light weight.
I will bring a few to our race days and also to training on Mondays and Wednesdays for those who would like to purchase them.
Please note: - it is now a requirement that all members of our training squads wear these vests during the months when we train away from C.V. Kelly so that we are visible to motorists at all times.
GARRY WOMSLEY Media Watch 17th September On page 25 of the new ANSW publication called “Inside Athletics”, Brad Milosevic gets a mention as part of the bronze medal winning U/20 ANSW team that performed well at the recent Australian Cross Country Championships. Both Brad and Jamie Sherson also appear in the results section on page 35. ------For Those Over 30 – A Date For Your Diary!
We are pleased to advise that next year’s National Masters Championships will be held at Blacktown over Easter 2008. All athletes are eligible to compete who are over the age of 30. All track & field events are covered as well as cross-country. If you want to be part of this event, all you have to do is join the NSW Masters Club. The membership fee is only $35.00 per year. Club members Vince Adams and Roger Mar have already taken up the offer and will compete at the Nationals. If you would like further information or would like to join, please contact me by phone or e-mail. GARRY WOMSLEY – NSW Masters Club Registrar & Member of the 2008 Steering Committee.
------Do You Know Anybody Who Would Like To Receive Our Newsletter?
Do you have a friend or a family member who you think may be interested in receiving our newsletter? If so, please let me know their postal or e-mail address and I will make sure they receive a copy each month. Who knows? It may give them the incentive to take up athletics and join us! GARRY WOMSLEY
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Lost Property- Are You The Long Lost Owner?
George Milosevic collected the following that was left at Rydalmere on Saturday, 18th August: -
One large Grey Long Sleeve Jumper with a white & black stripe around the "V" neck.
One large Dark Blue Men's T-Shirt (Bonds brand).
If you are the owner of any of these items, please advise me as soon as possible and we will organise to get them back to you.
GARRY WOMSLEY
------Can Anybody Provide Work To One Of Our Members?
One of members, Roger Mar, lost his job recently due to lack of work at his company. Roger has had no luck over the last few years and has been made redundant on at least three occasions. He is a hard worker who is very experienced in all types of labouring work and would like to get another job as soon as possible. Can you help or do you know anyone who can? If so, please give me a call as soon as possible and I will pass your details on to Roger. GARRY WOMSLEY ------Can Anybody Help Us With Info. On The History Of Our Club?
Michael Christie and I have decided to write a book on the history of our club and we would like your help. We are currently at the information gathering stage and envisage that the project will take a couple of years to come together. Any information, photos or anecdotes on the club and C.V. Kelly Park (particularly how it got its name) would be much appreciated. You can contact myself by phone or see me on race days. We look forward to hearing from you. Interesting facts uncovered so far: - The suburb of Girraween was established in 1909/1910 and used to be part of the large Wentworth estate. Girraween is Aboriginal for “where the flowers grow”. (It fits in very nicely next to Toongabbie which means “where the waters meet”). C.V. Kelly Park seems to have been established around 1967/1968. GARRY WOMSLEY ------
ANSW Launch A New Magazine!
Welcome to Inside Athletics, the official e-zine of Athletics NSW.
The magazine, which will be released approximately every two months and will promote and showcase our vibrant sport, with a focus on local athletes and events.
Inside the first edition we cover all of the action from the recent World Championships, including a unique insight into the championships from Jane Saville. We get a similar perspective of the World Youth Championships from Ryan Gregson as well as pieces on the National Cross Country, plyometric training and more!
Viewing Intructions http://www.nswathletics.org.au/answ/inside_athletics/Inside_Athletics_Issue_01.pdf
Inside Athletics is available to open by left clicking the link above. To save the file onto your computer (~6 MB) right click and choose 'Save Target As'.
The magazine is designed to be viewed as a double page spread. To optimise your viewing, please make sure that within Adobe Reader you select: View >> Page Display >> Two-Up and View >> Page Display >> Show Cover Page during Two-up
We hope you enjoy the magazine!
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MORE SPACES FOR HIRE!
If you would like to advertise your business in our newsletter or know someone who could be interested, please let Garry Womsley or Steve Williams know.
Our newsletter is distributed electronically to over 100 people and is available for perusal on our website, so the exposure for a potential advertiser would be quite large at a fairly low cost!
OUR SPONSORS
Hip 2 Bear Square ABN: 15 751 358 981
Teddy Bear Quilt Patterns
Beary Easy To Sew ! Beary Addictive ! Beary Fun !
200 Patterns for all Occasions
We design Teddy Bears Mascots Too !
Contact Cheri Womsley on 02 96366017 0404722806 Mon-Fri 9am-3pm Saturday 9am-12pm
Until next month, it’s goodbye from Girra the Girraween bear. Happy Running!