PORT Stephens pocket rocket Denver Trojkovic is a young athlete in a big hurry.
The promising 11-year-old distance runner showed his capabilities on the track with two top ten rankings and personal bests at the recent NSW Little Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre.
Dashing Denver clocked a personal best time of 2:26.33 sec to finish a creditable eighth in the 11yrs Boys 800m final, 24 hours after placing tenth in the 11yrs Boys 1500m title decider with another personal best time of 4:59.69 sec.
It was a tremendous feat by the talented Port Stephens Athletics Centre junior who last month captured double gold after winning both the 800m and 1500m titles at the Region 2 Athletics Championships at Maitland Regional Athletics Centre.
Outstanding Penrith Valley athlete Jacob Kurniadi was crowned 11yrs Boys State champion after clinching gold in both the 800m and 1500m finals in sizzling times of 2:18.19 sec and 4:40.60 sec respectively.
Young Denver tuned up for his athletics championships campaign by smashing the Port Stephens club’s 11yrs Boys 800m record with a time of 2:44.45 sec before Christmas.
He shaved an incredible 18 seconds off his club record at the State Little Athletics major meet to stamp himself a track star of the future.
There were more honours for top Port Stephens junior athletes at the NSW Junior State Athletics Championships in Sydney.
Sprint queen Elara Barnes snared a silver medal in the Girls 14yrs 100m final to prove herself the second fastest in NSW with a personal best time of 12.33 sec.
Eastern Suburbs sprint sensation Marnie Laurence won gold and also broke the State record with a cracking time of 11.99 sec.
There was more joy for electrifying Elara when she claimed a bronze medal in the Girls 200m final.
Talented all rounder Anna Taylor-Anderson finished fifth in the Girls 15yrs 90m hurdles final and 16th in both the long and triple jump events while Naomi Reungkitchaya placed sixth in the Girls 16yrs discus and 13th in shot put.
Royal Turner-Bryans placed ninth in the Boys 13yrs discus; Jaimee Taylor-Anderson 17th in the Girls 13yrs javelin and Emily Watson 19th in the Girls 14yrs long jump.
By Chris KARAS
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