TOMAREE High School’s leading crop of athletes are set to make an impact at this week’s Hunter CHS Regional Athletics Championships at the Hunter Sports Centre at Glendale.
Heading a talented field is rising 14-year-old sprint hurdler Anna Taylor-Anderson – one of several outstanding prospects from the Port Stephens Athletics Club.
The versatile State representative from Salamander Bay is tipped to bring home a haul of medals when she competes in six track and field events – the 100 metre dash, triple jump, long jump, high jump, javelin and the 4 x 100m relay.
Respected Port Stephens athletics coach Bob Walkley told News Of The Area that his star pupil Anna was a “natural athlete destined to go a long way in track and field.”
“She is a fierce competitor that trains hard in all her disciplines and sets a high benchmark,” said Bob, a top class mentor with more than 30 years of athletics experience.
The gifted Taylor-Anderson will be joined by her kid sister Jamie, 13, and fellow Tomaree High and Port Stephens club mates Mia McDonald, 12-year-old twins Pipi and Fern Cullimore, Maebel Colley, and promising sprinter Tom Collier.
Fourteen-year-old Mia is another up and coming all-rounder who will contest the 100m and 200m sprint, long jump, high jump, javelin and 4 x 100m relay at this week’s Regional meet.
Mia underlined her potential at the recent Hunter Regional CHS Cross Country titles where she finished a creditable sixth in the 14 years Girls division to qualify for the State CHS Championships.
Sixteen-year-old Tomaree High student Cameron Andrews (16 Years Boys) and Dom Yabsley-Turner (13 Years Boys) have also qualified for State after collecting silver medals in their respective cross country events.
Pipi Cullimore will compete in the 100m, 200m and 800m sprints plus the 4 x 100m relay while twin sister Fern is set to line up in the 400m and 800m sprint events.
Jamie gets an opportunity to qualify for bigger things in the 13 years Girls discus, javelin and long jump, while 15-year-old Collier is one to watch in the Boys 15 years 100m, 200m and 400m sprint.
The champion Girls 14 years 4 x 100m relay squad comprising McDonald, Colley, Pipi Cullimore and the exciting Taylor-Anderson should prove hard to beat.
By Chris KARAS
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