Regional athletes impress at national titles


GOLDEN DUO:  Ipswich club national title winners Rochelle Vidler and Rhys Carr enjoy their latest success.

 

THREE rising throwers from the Ipswich and District Athletic Club were among the star performers representing Queensland at recent national titles.

Rochelle Vidler, Rhys Carr and Tori Langton shared in an outstanding medal haul from eight regional competitors.

The district contingent won four gold, one silver and two bronze medals at recent Australian Track and Field Championships in Tasmania and the Australian Secondary School Track and Field Championships in Adelaide.

Vidler battled through recent injury issues to win a gold medal in the under-14 hammer throw with a national meet record of 47.99m.  She also claimed silver in the girls under-14 discus (39.58m).

Carr, not to be outdone by his training partner, won his first national gold medal in the under-14 hammer (48.61m).

Langton threw a massive personal best of 42.05m in the final round of the under-18 discus to claim a bronze medal.

Experienced Ipswich club coach Mike Moore works with the trio.

“They did exceptionally well,” Moore said.

“It was (due to) hard work.  They are dedicated.  They put in the time and the effort and it paid off.”

Other athletes to excel were Casey Bell, Miriam Peni, Joel Walk, Haley Wright and Cameron Kelland.

Bell won gold in the 12 years long jump with a personal best leap of 5.26m.

Peni ran the first leg for Queensland in the under-16 4x100m relay team that won bronze.  She teamed with Ruby Pandolfi, Riley Day and Katie Colebourne.

Peni also ran the first leg (100m) of the under-16 Swedish Relay team which won gold in a meet record time of 2.13.58.

Walk was unlucky to miss bronze on a countback in the under-14 high jump (1.69m).

Wright came ninth in the under-14 80m hurdles final (13.57).

Kelland finished eighth in the under-14 triple jump, with a personal best leap of 11.50m.

“To finish with better than a top 10 is awesome and I believe we have some of the best athletes of the future in track and field,” club president Vic Pascoe said.