Track & Field Bonanza in Penguin
13 Feb 2009
The Tasmanian Club Championships are on tomorrow in Penguin, in what will be the biggest track & field competition on the North West coast this season.
The event, which had to be re-scheduled following a severe weather warning back in December, will have close to 300 competitors, from throughout Tasmania present. Club bragging rights are up for grabs, as the annual competition is set up to pit clubs against one another to test their depth across all disciplines. Clubs field teams in open men, open women’s and a mixed underage team.
Events on the program include sprints, distance, hurdles, jumps, throws and relays, to determine which is the strongest track & field club in the state.
The competition kicks off with the Tasmanian Open 3000m championships, which will be a hot contest in itself. It will be the first time in Athletics Tasmania history that a state 3000m championship has been on offer and the field has responded with depth. Both leaders of the Tasmanian Distance Runner of the Year Series, Grant Page and Angela Grimmond, will contest the races, along with many athletes aiming to score a state crown. Josh Harris comes into the race in electric form, having run the fastest 5000m time by a Tasmanian since February 2007 on Tuesday night, clocking 15:01 in a solo display at interclub on Tuesday night. Winner of the miles at Devonport and Burnie carnivals this season Sam Ferguson will also test his form over 7 ½ laps, plus Point to Pinnacle third place getter Damon Court, along with the best two runners from each club entered in the competition. Grimmond will face tough competition from Mel Daniels, Sarah Browning, Natasha Fitzpatrick, Jillian Lyall and Lilly Stanesby, who are all state representatives.
The senior men’s club championships trophy currently sits in the cabinet of Eastern Suburbs, while North Launceston proudly hold the women’s and underage crowns.
For athletes not entered in the club championships, an invitational 100m, 200m and hammer events are also on offer. Entry in the Tasmanian 3000m championships is free for fully registered athletes.
Entries have been received from all over Tasmania and the starting entry lists for the club championships is;
Open Women – Old Virgilians, North West Athletics Club, North Launceston, Northern Suburbs, Tamar, Eastern Suburbs
Open Men – Old Virgilians, North West Athletics Club, North Launceston, Sandy Bay, Northern Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs
Mixed Underage – North West Athletics Club, Northern Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs,
Competition gets underway at 1:30pm and concludes with the Medley and Swedish Relays at 4:45pm.
Full timetable follows;
1:30pm Hammer Men/Women Invitational
1.30pm 3000 metres A/B Men Club Championships
1.30pm 3000 metres Men Open (Tas Champs)
1.43pm 3000 metres A/B Women Club Championships
1.43pm 3000 metres Women Open (Tas Champs)
2.00pm Triple Jump Women Club Championships
2.00pm Triple Jump Boys/Girls U16 Clubs Champs
2.00pm Javelin Men Club Championships
2.00pm High Jump Men Club Championships
2.00pm 4x100m Relay Men Club Championships
2.03pm 4x100m Relay Women Club Championships
2.06pm 4x100m Relay Boys/Girls U16 Club Champs
2.10pm 800 metres A Men Club Championships
2.14pm 800 metres B Men Club Championships
2.18pm 800 metres A Women Club Championships
2.20pm Shot Put Women Club Championships
2.22pm 800 metres B Women Club Championships
2.24pm 800 metres A Girls U16 Club Champs
2.28pm 800 metres B Boys U16 Club Champs
2.35pm 100 metres Men/Women Invitation
2.45pm Javelin Boys/Girls U16 Clubs Champs
2.45pm 100 metres A Men Club Championships
2.48pm 100 metres B Men Club Championships
2.51pm 100 metres B Boys U16 Club Champs
2.55pm 200 metres A Women Club Championships
2.58pm 200 metres B Women Club Championships
3.01pm 200 metres A Girls U16 Club Champs
3.00pm 200 metres Men/Women Invitation
3.20pm Long Jump Men Club Championships
3.20pm High Jump Women Club Championships
3.20pm High Jump Boys/Girls U16 Clubs Champs
3.30pm Discus Women Club Championships
3.35pm 400 metres A Boys U16 Club Champs
3.38pm 400 metres B Girls U16 Club Champs
3.41pm 400 metres A Men Club Championships
3.44pm 400 metres B Men Club Championships
3.45pm Shot Put Men Club Championships
3.45pm Shot Put Boys/Girls U16 Clubs Champs
3.47pm 400 metres A Women Club Championships
3.50pm 400 metres B Women Club Championships
3.55pm 1500 metres A Girls U16 Club Champs
3.55pm 1500 metres B Boys U16 Club Champs
4.10pm 200m Hurdles A Men Club Championships
4.13pm 200m Hurdles B Men Club Championships
4.16pm 200m Hurdles A Women Club Championships
4.19pm 200m Hurdles B Women Club Championships
4.23pm 200m Hurdles A Girls U16 Club Champs
4.26pm 200m Hurdles B Boys U16 Club Champs
4.30pm Medley Relay Men Club Championships
4.38pm Medley Relay Women Club Championships
4.45pm Swedish Relay Boys/Girls Club Championships