IT may be the smallest education institution in the region but Bobs Farm Public School in Port Stephens is standing tall in the pantheon of representative school athletics.

Multi-talented twins Pippi and Fern Cullimore, and Ruby Mercer and Emilia Symon, have covered themselves in glory by sprinting their way into the record books with a state championship relay title.

The gifted quartet created history last week when they clinched a gold medal in the PP5 Mixed 4 x 100m Nigel Bagley Relay Trophy Final at the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association State Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park.

They are the first Bobs Farm Public School pupils to win a state athletics title.

The Port Stephens whiz kids clocked a personal best time of 56.46 secs to win their semi-final by a staggering 20 metres – shaving three seconds off their previous best.

In the final, they again rose to the occasion.

Flying Fern anchored a top class team performance by powering away from her rivals to comfortably claim victory by an impressive fifteen metres in a time of 57.36 secs.

Bedgerabong Public School finished runners-up (58.6 sec) with Willow Tree Public School (58.76 secs) snaring bronze.

The achievement is more meritorious when you consider that all four local students achieved the feat with no formal training or Little Athletics background.

Leading Port Stephens Athletics Club coach Bob Walkley prepared the team over the past five weeks and the results speak for themselves.

“On a strong recommendation, the girls trained with me leading up to the state titles and never missed a session,” a proud Walkley told the News Of The Area.

“It wasn’t a traditional athletics pathway for the team but they have so much natural ability and loads of raw speed.

“Emilia tweaked her hamstring the week before the state championships which was a bit of a concern but it came good with some physio treatment.”

Bobs Farm Public School principal Megan Elliott said the entire community had thrown its support behind the girls.

“We are the smallest school in the area with only 36 pupils and what Pippi, Fern, Ruby and Emilia have just achieved on the athletics track is phenomenal,” she said.

“To beat the best sprinters from public, elite and private schools across the state is an incredible feat from our girls who are fine ambassadors for our school and region.”

It is a second State Championship honour for Bobs Farm Public School, having previously won the NSW Primary Schools cricket title.

There was no rest for the talented Emilia, who remained in Sydney to compete at the NSW Junior State Gymnastics Championships.

By Chris KARAS