NSW All Schools Day 3 Review: Delta delivers gold number three

6 December 2020

NSW All Schools Day 3 Review: Delta delivers gold number three

On an overcast day, tailwinds for the sprinters ensured records and personal bests were battered on day three of the APCE NSW All School Championships being held at Homebush.

For the third consecutive day of the championships, Delta Amidzovski finished at the top of the podium in an event. Today’s win was in the 14-years high jump as she sailed a big PB of 1.78m. She then raised the bar to a meet record of 1.81m; making some good attempts.

“Last Sunday I jumped 1.81m at training so I was just trying to equal it,” said Amidzovski who will start favourite on day four in the 90m hurdles.

Tipped to be one of the races of the meet, the 15 years girls 100m lived up to expectations with just 0.08 seconds separating the medallists. Westfields Aleksandra Stoilova got the decision in a quick meet record time of 11.81 aided by a slightly illegal wind of 2.2m/s, ahead of 200m champion Emma Lee (11.85) and Olivia Rose Inkster (11.89).

“Coming into the race I knew that Olivia and Emma have been very strong and when I saw the results from yesterday I knew it was going to be a close race,” said Stoilova who had recently run a wind-legal 100m PB of 11.90.

Why has she hit this purple patch?

“My coach Suchy and training partner have been a great help and very supportive and there has been some really good training sessions.”

The boys 15-years was just as competitive with three athletes under 11 seconds legally. Favourite Sebastian Ghisso (Trinity) nailed the victory in a time of 10.84 ahead of newcomer Pengfei Zhao (Canley Vale) in 10.89 and hurdler Rashid Kabba (Westfields) with 10.98.

“I was trying to be more relaxed today as I get too nervous and it has been a tough season and I’ve had a few injuries,” said Ghisso. “So I have been between trying to run safely but giving it my all. After the heat times I thought it was going to be a really close final. It has been really good competition and the tiniest mistake and it was over,” said Ghisso who has been racing Kabba regularly over the last two months. “I wouldn’t be able to run as fast without Rashid pushing me the whole way.”

Ghisso’s time represented a massive improvement. Prior to these championships his best was 11.13 (& windy 10.89), then it was lowered to 11.00 in the heats, then 10.84 in the final.

Ghisso trains with one of the best sprint squads in the country including Rohan Browning and Chris Ius

“Training with those boys is a gift. They encourage me and give me advice and it really motivates me as they are 10.2 runners.

A comfortable winner was in the 13-years 100m was Temora High’s Grace Krause ran away victory in 12.45.

“It felt good as I haven’t come this close to winning in a big competition, I have always been second or third,” said Krause who has been training with a terrific coach Greg Wiencke for two years. She started in Little Athletics when she was eight.

Another surprise winner was Tomaree High’s Summah Harrison who overhauled a quality field to win the 14 years 100m in 12.05.

Rarely does Rio Paralympian Tamsin Colley dip under 16 second in the 100m, but yesterday she clocked a personal best of 15.57 to win the 19-years Para 100m. She just held off Mackellar Girls’ Mali Lovell who ran 15.67. For both athletes in the T36 classification they provide terrific competition as they push each other towards Tokyo Paralympic selection.

The quickest girl of the day was Shola Adenira (Westfields) with 11.80 in the 16-years 100m, while in the boys the John Patchett coached Sean Oikawa was the fastest of the day with 10.83 in the 17 years 100m. Oikawa revised his two-week old PB of 11.12. The year 11 student hopes to become a commercial pitot after school.

Although only one meet record went down in the throws there was still some very impressive performances.

Moriah College’s Tali Baltineshter nailed a record on her first attempt in the 14-years javelin with a throw of 42.77m, It broke Taylah Sengul’s 2009 record of 42.53m. All of Baltineshter’s three valid throws were over 42 metres, although short of her 45 metre PB.

“I’m happy with my consistency at 42 metres,” said the year 8 student, coached by the master javelin coach in the Sutherland Shire Ray Russell.

Ashlyn Blackstock (Belmont High) added the discus title to her shot put gold, winning the 16-years with a throw of 47.77m. She was still on a high from the terrific performance in the shot the day prior.

“I didn’t get any sleep last night, which sucks, but I got one out there which was nice to say ‘hi I’m back, I’m still throwing.”

Getting back into athletics, and competing been important for Blackstock who admitted the year has been tough for her.

“It has been really hard as I started really well, but I hit a few bumps and Little Athletics State and Junior nationals were cancelled and it put a dint in my mental health and during lockdown, my physical health went down.

“But the last couple of months I’ve been back with my coach and training partner and have knuckle down. So, it has been good to get into a good head space and really excited to be back in competition. Yesterday I walked in and felt ‘home”.

In the boy’s 16-years discus, Trinity’s Jack Greaves just missed the meet record with last throw of 57.31m, as he won by nine metres. His school mate Ben Stevens claimed his second title adding the shot to his earlier discus win. He put 18.04m in the shot. Going into the event Stevens was pretty relaxed.

“I knew going into it, if I could do what I’m capable of, I could win,” he said.

“It was not the distance I wanted by still happy with the win.”

The 16-years high jump was a very close battled with the lead protagonist making every jump count. Darcy Holmes (St Andrews) with a PB of 2.08m, seemed to have the upper hand but Will Moir (Trinity) couldn’t be discounted as he had cleared a PB 2.05m recently in the rain.

Knowing a countback miss could decide the title, they both complied clean sheets all the way to 2.05m. Then at 2.08m, Holmes was over at his first attempt, while Moir made some gallant attempts, he missed 2.08m. Holmes raised the bar to a meet record 2.11, but just missed his three attempts.

“I’m very happy with the win, but a little miffed I didn’t get the record, I was quite close to that, but I’m consistently up at that level,” said Holmes who is coached by his dad Michael Holmes and Alex Stewart.

Despite a little soccer at school level, athletics has been his sport since he was in U8s at Little Athletics.

As there has been some build up to this clash, Moir maybe a little disappointed, but he can take solace in the fact he compiled an outstanding jumps treble of 14.48w(14.39)/6.99/2.05m all PBs.

Day four continues on Sunday.

Live results http://www.nswathletics.info/liveresults/

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Delta Amidzovski (courtesy of David Tarbotton)