Poor air quality from severe bushfires and a pandemic combined to bring down the curtain on the most unexpected of seasons for Raymond Terrace Athletics Club in 2019-20.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"It's not uncommon for summer codes to suspend or postpone weekend competitions due to high temperatures or heavy rain, but cancellations for poor air quality because of heavy smoke from bushfires followed by the onset of COVID-19 is unheard of," said publicity officer Deidre Hall.
"Unfortunately, we were just one of the many unable to complete their seasons which meant many athletes missed out on contesting state and national championships, for which they'd worked so hard to qualify."
Prior to the shutdown, Terrace athletes competed at a series of championship events, including the NSW country championships held in Dubbo, where 11 members from under 10 years to 40-49 years managed to bring home a total of 15 gold, 15 silver and nine bronze medals.
Medal winners were: Thomas McKenna silver in long jump; Zane Edwards gold 100m, 200m; Cooper McKenna gold 90m hurdles, long jump, silver 100m, 200m, bronze high jump; Dixie Conlon gold 80m hurdles, triple jump, long jump and silver 100m, long jump.
Max Haynes bronze 200m hurdles; Sienna Newton gold 80m hurdles, 200m hurdles, bronze long jump; Cody Hancock gold high jump, silver 100m, 100m hurdles, 200m hurdles, long jump, triple jump, bronze shot put; Ebony Newton gold 90m hurdles, 200m hurdles, silver 100m, 200m.
Benjamin Edstein gold 5000m; Liam Fairweather gold long jump, silver 100m; Morgan Clifford silver shot put, javelin, bronze discus; Matthew Newton bronze 100m; Morgan Clifford bronze hammer throw, shot put and javelin.
At the Little Athletics NSW combined championships held over two days in Tamworth, Sienna Newton (under 13) competing against 18 athletes and Cody Hancock (under 15) competing in a field of 16, each won gold against strong competition. This was Cody's second gold medal at the championships and Sienna's first.
Cody was then selected as one of only three U15 NSW boys to compete at the Australian championships in Canberra in April, which was subsequently cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Little Athletics regional championships held at Glendale were extended to five days due to extreme heat conditions and heavy rain periods, where 14 athletes managed to conquer the incredible conditions and qualify in 31 events for the state championships
The Athletics NSW junior titles went ahead at Sydney Olympic Park, with U/16 athlete Ebony Newton winning gold in the 200m hurdles; and Mitchell Lightfoot (U/20) and Liam Fairweather taking the silver in the 110m hurdles and long jump events.