RAYMOND Terrace has produced a new national athletics champion in boom race walker Audrey Russell.
Fifteen-year-old Audrey was crowned the best 3000m race walker for her age group after clinching the coveted gold medal at the recent Australian Athletics Junior Championships in Brisbane.
A product of the Raymond Terrace Athletics Centre, the endurance star beat a top field for the Under 15s Girls national title in one of her finest ever performances on the track.
The talented all round sportswoman – who plays Women’s Youth Premier League football for Newcastle Olympic Under 15s and also excels at cross country and steeplechase – edged out her Queensland rival Isabelle Welch in a thrilling final at the Queensland Sport & Athletics Centre.
Audrey flashed home to win gold in a spectacular finish and personal best time of 14:21.42 sec after chasing down Welch on the line without breaking her technique and risking disqualification.
In doing so, she smashed her previous best time of 15:44.22 sec.
Welch, an outstanding prospect from the Starfish Tri-Athletic Club, grabbed the silver medal with a personal best time of 14:21.66 sec – just 0.24 sec behind.
Cherrybrook Senior and Little Athletics race walker Ashleigh Mansell claimed bronze with a PB time of 15:12.62 sec.
An excited Audrey told News Of The Area that she was “delighted to win gold in a tough race”.
“I knew the field was strong but always hopeful of picking up a medal,” she revealed after her epic triumph.
“Some of the other girls had registered impressive times in previous races but I was confident of collecting a minor medal if I produced my best.
“I knew that Isabella would go out fast but wasn’t confident that I could keep up with her but in the end I was surprised that I was able to beat her in a sprint at the finish.”
In this highly technical event, there were three disqualifications from the field of twelve walkers.
The nine remaining walkers all recorded personal best times.
Audrey is now taking a short break after a very demanding race walking season and recently competed at the NSW All Schools Triathlon titles where she finished fourth in the B Final in the Junior Girls.
This break will include some training to maintain her fitness and work on becoming faster as well as training for the Cross Country school athletics season which commences soon.
There seems to be no limit to Audrey’s sporting talent and motivation with her more recent interest in Steeple Chase.
Her goals for next season are to find more opportunities to compete in Steeple Chase and try a couple of 5km race walking events.
Audrey has her sights set firmly on these next opportunities for representation when she is older.
Promising Raymond Terrace athlete Ashlyn Wall also competed at the National Junior Championships where she ran a strong 800m in the Under 20 Women’s category to finish fifth in her heat with a season best time of 2:13.74 sec and 14th overall in a field of 30 athletes.
After her run, Ashlyn reflected on her experience against such quality competition.
She had been pushed to the outer edge of lane two in the early stages but was able to stay focused on her race plan and managed to tuck in the middle and move well to the finish with all the energy she had left.
Ashlyn was pleased to have had the opportunity to compete at this level and is looking forward to what’s ahead.
After a successful campaign at Zone, Region and State level prior to her National qualification, she is already focusing on her goal next season of qualifying for the Open Championships which she is so close to achieving.
By Chris KARAS
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