PORT Stephens Athletics Centre has unearthed a real find in talented eight-year-old rookie Dre Elias.
The budding sprinter was one of two Port Stephens club juniors to smash records at the recent Port Hunter Zone Athletics Championships staged at Mallabula Sports Complex.
Competing at his first Zone championships, the dashing Elias claimed a gold trifecta when he won the 8yrs Boys 70m, 100m and 200m titles to cap a memorable meet.
Young gun Dre showed tremendous speed off the mark to grab first place in the 70m final – clocking a sharp time of 11.63 seconds to set a new Port Hunter Zone record.
He won the 100m final in a time of 16.66 secs and also picked up a silver medal in the long jump event.
Promising 16-year-old field exponent Naomi Reungkitchaya was the second Port Stephens club athlete to etch her name in the record books after claiming gold in the 16yrs Girls Discus.
Naomi also won gold in the Triple Jump and silver in the shot put to underline her potential.
With an abundance of talent throughout their junior nursery, the Port Stephens club brought home a bagful of medals on the field and track.
Emerging juniors Anna Taylor-Anderson, Max Hanrahan, Isla Trayling and Elara Barnes collected a swag of gold medals to show why they are regarded highly in the Hunter region.
Anna demonstrated her versatility by winning gold in the 15yrs Girls high jump, triple jump, javelin and long jump events, silver in the 90m hurdles and combined with newcomer Emily Watson, Brynne Dagwell and the electric Barnes to claim another gold in the Senior Girls 4 x 100m Relay.
Experienced Port Stephens club coach Bob Walkley told News Of The Area that the hard work put in during pre-season by the young athletes had “reaped an early dividend.”
“All the squad have worked hard on their techniques and fitness in sweltering conditions and the results are encouraging and an indication of our depth in all disciplines” Bob said.
The talented Trayling, 11, showed her versatility by capturing four gold medals after winning the 12yrs Girls 100m, 400m, 1500m and long jump finals and grabbing silver in the triple jump and bronze in the 80m hurdles.
Hanrahan won the Boys 13yrs 100m sprint, 90m hurdles and 200m hurdles finals and collected silver in the 200m and discus and bronze in the high jump.
There was no stopping the quicksilver Barnes who clinched the Girls 14yrs 100m and 200m sprint double.
Other Port Stephens gold medallists included Jax Trojkovic in the 9yrs Boys 800m; Iyla Green (9yrs Girls 400m); Sophia Appleby (9yrs Girls high jump); Maya White (9yrs Girls 60m hurdles); Landen Weine (10yrs Boys 60m hurdles and 70m sprint); Isla Gattenhof (10yrs Girls shot put); Evelyn Jurisic (Girls 10yrs 400m); Rhylin Green (Boys 11yrs 400m); Denver Trojkovic (Boys 11yrs 800m and 1500m); Noah Regan (Boys 12yrs shot put); Brayden Weine (Boys 12yrs javelin); Royal Turner-Bryans (13yrs Boys shot put); Brynne Dagwell (13yrs Girls shot put); Jamie-lee Taylor-Anderson (Girls 13yrs javelin) and Eva Hanrahan (Girls 15yrs shot put).
Several other Port Stephens athletes qualified for the Regional titles with minor medals, including: Lydia Lailai-Smith (silver Girls 8yrs 70m and 400m); Sierra White (bronze Girls 8yrs 70m); Luka Keatinge (bronze 9yrs Boys 400m); Ellie Levy (silver Girls 9yrs high jump); Elayna Chesters (silver 9yrs Girls 70m and 100m); Matilda Ferris-Lescoffit (silver 9yrs Girls long jump and shot put and bronze discus); Charlie Webb (silver 10yrs Boys 100m); Joy Schneider (silver Girls 10yrs 70m and 100m plus bronze 200m and long jump); Malia Foster (silver Girls 10yrs shot put and long jump and bronze 100m and high jump); Laylah Standing (silver Girls 11yrs 200m and 400m); Anthony Ford (silver 12yrs Boys javelin and bronze discus); Hudson White (silver 13yrs Boys high jump) and Emily Watson (silver 14yrs Girls shot put and bronze 200m).
The club’s Junior Girls 4 x 100m Relay team comprising Chesters, Standing, Schneider and Foster snared silver along with the Junior Boys Relay combination of Keatinge, Green, Regan and Landen Weine.
Two exciting young sprinters to watch are Indiana Weine who won the 7yrs Girls 100m and Lara Trayling who picked up silver in the 50m dash.
By Chris KARAS
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