Athlete of the Year - Winners Announced
13 Apr 2008
Athletics Tasmania hosted its annual Athlete of the Year awards on Saturday night.
Australian 3000m Steeplechase champion Donna MacFarlane and Australian 400m Hurdles champion Tristan Thomas were crowned Open Tasmanian Champions at a Function held at the Domain Athletics Centre in Hobart.
MacFarlane, who has been selected to represent Australia at the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing retained her crown she first won in 2006. While for Thomas, it was the first occasion he has won the open crown, both athletes running for the Sandy Bay Harrier Club.
The awards cover performances from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008 in both Track & Field and Out Of Stadium competition.
Underage winners were;
Under 20 Women - Libby Clarke (Newstead Harriers) – broke Tasmanian Under 20 2000m steeplechase record and represented Australia at the 2008 World university Cross Country Championships in France.
Under 20 Men - Daniel Coleman (OVA) – Australian Under 20, 10,000m Race Walk champion and selected to represent Australia at the World Race Walking Cup in Russia later this year, TIS Scholarship holder.
Under 18 Women - Freya Wilson (Tamar) – 7th at the 2007 Australian All Schools Track & Field Championships in the 2000m Steeplechase, member of the 2008 AT/TIS Development Squad
Under 18 Men - Hamish Peacock (Eastern Suburbs) – Silver medalist in Javelin at the 2007 World Youth Championships in the Czech Republic, TIS Scholarship Holder, broke Tasmanian Open Javelin record.
Under 16 Women - Lauren Free (OVA) – Bronze medalist at the 2007 Australian All Schools Track & Field Championships in the Under 15 Triple Jump, member of the 2008 AT/TIS Development Squad.
Under 16 Men - Huw Peacock (Eastern Suburbs) – Gold medalist in the Under 16 Shot Put and Hammer at the 2007 Australian All Schools Track & Field Championships, member of the 2008 AT/TIS Development Squad.
The guest speaker for the evening was Australian 400m Hurdles Champion, Tristan Thomas.