STEPPING UP: Noah Whiteley (left), Jack Daintith, April Rich, Jess McLean, Tori Mansfield and Kelsey Gray have all qualified for the Little Athletics NSW State Championships. Photo: MICHELLE COOK 0225mclittleAs
JACK Daintith and Charlotte Jasprizza have shone in a strong Orange Little Athletics representation at the Region Three Championships at Barton Park, Dubbo.
Sending 65 competitors to Dubbo, the Orange club had 37 qualify for state at Homebush in March.
In the circumstances, the feat is a remarkable one.
Athletics Australia changed the rules regarding qualification for state events this season, altering the criteria for further rep selection from the first three finishers to the first two, then the next best eight performers from across the state.
Orange coach Astrid Lepelaar was rapt with the performance.
Especially that of her relay teams, with the senior girls and junior girls both qualifying for the Homebush Bay meet next month.
“Well, we thought the senior girls were going to do well. They made it to state the year before, but the junior girls, they’ve been a second behind Kurrajong in the lead up to the event,” Lepelaar explained after the February 20 regional carnival.
“They dug deep and pulled through.”
Other notables to dig deep in Dubbo were Daintith and the ever-impressive Jasprizza.
Daintith won the 400 metres, 800m, the 1500m and the 3000m to dominate the long distance running in the under 13s boys category in Dubbo and qualify for state in all four events.
Jasprizza did just as well in the sprints.
A star of track and field, Jasprizza finished first in the under 17s girls 100m sprint in a time of 12.87s, 21 hundredths of a second faster than her nearest opponent, Nyngan’s Ebony Blake.
Jasprizza also edged out Blake in the 200m, while also helping the senior girls relay team to gold.
Their rivalry will be ignited again at state in March.
Lepelaar said the whole female contingent at Dubbo did the club extremely proud.
“The 14 years girls did really well, they’re a strong age group, they did well in most events,” she said. “The nine years girls was also another strong age. They did well.”
The results have come at a good time with the Orange club hosting the State Multi-Event Championships this weekend.