RAYMOND Terrace athletes were hurdling, running, jumping and throwing at their best during the last couple of weeks.

The recent NSW All Schools Championships held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre in Homebush, saw the biggest ever number of competitors with over 2050 athletes competing during its four days.

Competition was intense with some events having over 50 athletes registered.

Six Raymond Terrace Athletics Centre athletes competed at this highly competitive event which is for students from both Government and Independent high schools.

They finished with numerous personal bests (pb’s) and four medals, one Gold, two Silver and one Bronze, such a commendable effort after the long COVID impact on sport.

Ebony Newton, seventeen years old, won Silver in the 100m hurdles (pb), Conor Matthews, sixteen years old, won Bronze in triple jump, and Dixie Conlon, fourteen years old, finished with Gold in long jump and Silver in triple jump.

Dixie’s triple jump was a huge pb of 11.15m after setting her previous pb of 10.80m just one month ago.

Ebony’s and Dixie’s results have qualified them for the NSW team to contest the All School Nationals in Adelaide in December.

Dixie, Ebony and Conor have all qualified for the Australian Track and Field Championships in April 2023, venue to be determined.

Hot on the heels of the All Schools, Masters Terrace athlete, Morgan Clifford, has just returned from Brisbane where he competed in the Australian Masters Athletics Winter Throws Championships in Brisbane.

Competitors battled strong winds and rain for the 2 days, making the throws circle slippery and affecting performances.

It was an incredibly exhausting events program with the Throws Pentathlon held on Saturday, then each of the individual events on Sunday.

Morgan finished with a 1st place, three 2nd places and eight 3rd places.

His 1st place win was in the Weight for Distance throw which is a 25lb (11.3kg) weight attached to a 46cm chain and thrown with one hand.

Morgan finished 2nd in javelin, the 56lb (25kg) weight throw and the 100lb (45.4kg) weight throw, such an incredible test of strength and stamina.

His 3rd placings came from the Throws Pentathlon, the Weight Throw, Heavyweight Pentathlon, Super Weight Throw, discus, hammer and shot put.

Morgan’s next challenge will be the Pan Pacific Games on the Gold Coast in early November.

Raymond Terrace Athletics Centre is currently hiring the Maitland Regional Athletics Centre on Saturday mornings for their weekly club competition, as their own field has been seriously impacted by this year’s flooding and continued heavy rains.

The Committee made the difficult and costly decision to relocate, at their own expense, until such time as their field can again be used.

Their athletes were only able to use their field for seven weeks last season and the Committee wants to be able to provide them with the opportunity to compete this season as uninterrupted as possible on the synthetic surface.

By Deidre HALL