Taking a huge squad of 40 athletes to Homebush for the championship, run over three days from March 21, three of the team’s brightest stars shone.

In the first event of an impressive five during his maiden Little Athletics State Track and Field Championship campaign, Stirling Farr (under 9s) edged the best young runners in NSW to claim gold in the boys’ 60 metre hurdles.

Connor Whiteley was another Orange athlete to medal.

Competing in the under 15s boys’ 3000m, Whiteley shaved 40 seconds of his previous best mark to earn bronze with a time of nine minutes and 25 seconds.

Not to be outdone by the boys, Phoebe Litchfield won medals in two of the four events she competed in, running third in the 400m and second in the 1500m girls’ under 11s to claim bronze and silver respectively.

“Phoebe has really gone from strength to strength,” Orange Little Athletics president Michelle Whiteley said.

“I was quietly confident Phoebe and Stirling would medal.”

Whiteley said Connor had been training hard but with his attention turning to triathlon of late, swimming and cycling has taken precedence over running. 

It didn’t dent his chances though.

“We were pleasantly surprised,” Michelle Whiteley added.

“He hasn’t been focused on his running and we weren’t sure how he’d go against some of the better runners in the state.”

As a whole, she was rapt with the squad’s performance.

“We normally get a couple of medals. This year with four might be a little more than usual, but we’ve had Charlotte Jasprizza get a couple each year for while,” she said.

“Everyone performed really well.”