Port Stephens athlete Shari Hurdman cleans up in medal stakes Port Stephens Sport Property/Sports/Opinion - popup ad Sport by News Of The Area - Modern Media - May 11, 2023 Shari Hurdman with her Australian Junior National medals in Brisbane in April 2023 LOCAL athlete Shari Hurdman has been cleaning up medals throughout the 2022-2023 athletic season. The St Philip’s Christian College Student took out two gold medal placings at the All School State Championships in September 2022 which was followed by the All Schools National Championships, where she took out a Bronze medal in the 400 under 16’s and a Silver in the under 16’s 4x400m mixed relay team. January saw the 2023 NSW Country Championships, where once again Hurdman scooped up medals with four gold medals in the under 17’s 100m, 200m, 400m and 400m hurdle events and two slivers in the U17’s long jump and 4 x 100m open relay. In February at the 2023 NSW Junior Championships she stormed home in 55.07 seconds to take gold in under 17s 400m event, before picking up another gold in the 400m hurdles. In March Hurdman went on to compete in the Sydney Track Classic Invitational where she came seventh in the 400m open female event with a time of 54.92 seconds. Again it was gold at the 2023 Junior National Championships in Brisbane in April where she again shaved her times with a Bronze in the under 18’s in the 400 m event, finishing in 54.54 seconds. This was a personal best and a Youth Commonwealth Games qualifying time. There were also two silvers and more personal bests in the under 17’s 200m where she was piped by 0.01 seconds for the gold and another personal best of 12.11 seconds in the under 17s 100m of just 12.11 seconds. Hurdman finished the event with another gold medal in the 4 by 400m under 18s relay race. Anja Hurdman told News Of The Area, “Shari trains three times a week in Macquarie Hunter Sports Centre with coach Vanessa Price and her close-knit squad. “During the off-season they are replacing a track session with beach sprints, plyometrics and stair climbing drills at Merewether.” Shari Hurdman is certainly one to watch as she is currently ranked seventh in the world for her age group in the 400m sprint. Shari, sixteen, attends school at St Philip’s Christian College Salamander Bay and is in year 11. “In mid-2025 when she’s eighteen, her plan is to head to college in the USA on a University Sports Scholarship,” Anja said. Shari’s dream is is to one day compete at the Commonwealth Games and Olympics. By Marian SAMPSON Racing in the 4x400m mixed relay at the All School Nationals in Adelaide. Shari Hurdman in full flight racing in Sydney.
