DONCASTER ATHLETIC CLUB
NEWSLETTER – ROUND 7 – 16/12/2023
In this issue:
AVSL Round 7 – Round-Up
Diary dates January 2024 – AVSL Round 8, Victorian Multi-Event Championships
Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships Success!
DAC Christmas Party – 12th December
Collingwood Classic – Congratulations!
Zatopek Congratulations
Christmas Eve – “Stations” training session
AVSL Round 7 – Round-Up
Saturday December 16 saw DAC athletes travel to either Meadowglen (Epping), or Frankston to compete in AVSL Round 7. Numbers were down for all clubs as members start their Christmas breaks, or finish preparations! The program was a mix of interesting and different track distances (e.g. 150m, 1000m), and so opportunities to test yourself and achieve a PB! A number of DAC members stepped in to assist with volunteer duties – thank you to Sue & Darryl Kilmartin, Kath Gawthorn, Kim & Emma Peak, Andrew Parrott, Kaiden Levy, and Lydia Rinaudo.
This round saw some excellent performances – a number of athletes scored over 400 points in individual events, Jessica Nolan (U16) topped the list with 517 points and a massive javelin throw of 40.96m! Jessica had a busy day competing in 4 events and was among the top MVAs (“Most Valuable Athletes”) in the state – 1194 points from 3 events. Lydia Rinaudo and Kamil Hegazi were outstanding in the 1000m and 3000m (over 400 points in each), whilst Laura McLennan and Darryl Kilmartin scored highly in their shot put (402 and 409 points, respectively). A number of the male sprinters and middle-distance athletes carved up the track – Kaedin Levy and Kevin Rassool were close to 500 points in the 150m, and Luca Scholes-Robertson was among the quickest males over 1000m (456 points). Joel Denny was inspirational; tripping and tumbling in the 1000m with 400m to go, promptly getting to his feet and finishing in 2:48 and 440 points! Campbell McLennan had son Hamish chasing him down – this pushed him to 3.01 and 430 points in the 1000m, whilst David Vaughan slipped under the radar by running at Frankston. He ran a quality 3000m (10:40.1 and 443 points). Eliza Chivers (U18) was busy with 4 events and 4 solid performances. Of DAC club results, 4 McLennans were all in the top 10 MVAs; in attendance – Campbell, Laura, Hamish and Lewis! Campbell led the way with 1244 points, and was our top athlete for Round 7! Other athletes to score over 1000 points were Jessica Nolan, Darryl Kilmartin, and Lydia Rinaudo. The combination of numbers and many excellent performances had DAC in 8th position on the Premier Division ladder for Round 7.
Full results are provided below. Refer to Resultshub for more details. Congratulations to All on their efforts!
| Discipline | Distance | Name | Performance | Wind | Points | Notes |
| Run | 150 | Christal Xie | 28.03 | -0.9 | (146) | |
| Shot Put | Christal Xie | 4.86m | (125) | 4kg | ||
| Discus | Emma Peak | 18.45m | (243) | 1kg | ||
| Javelin | Emma Peak | 16.75m | (235) | 600g | ||
| Shot Put | Emma Peak | 6.20m | (196) | 4kg | ||
| Run | 150 | Samaya Uecker | 22.07 | -1.3 | (267) | |
| Run | 150 | Eliza Chivers | 22.43 | -2 | (247) | |
| Hurdles | 400 | Eliza Chivers | 76.34 | (0) | 0.762m; Score Limit | |
| Hammer | Jasmine Smith | 30.14m | (340) | 3kg | ||
| High Jump | Eliza Chivers | 1.49m | (371) | |||
| Javelin | Jasmine Smith | 20.68m | (298) | 500g | ||
| Shot Put | Samaya Uecker | 4.49m | (113) | 3kg | ||
| Triple Jump | Eliza Chivers | 8.87m | (258) | |||
| Run | 150 | Giselle Uecker | 21.24 | -3 | (399) | |
| Run | 150 | Teiva Levy | 22.28 | -1.5 | (286) | |
| Hammer | Jessica Nolan | 22.39m | (0) | 3kg; Score Limit | ||
| High Jump | Jessica Nolan | 1.39m | (332) | |||
| High Jump | Teiva Levy | 1.29m | (246) | |||
| Javelin | Jessica Nolan | 40.96m | (517) | 500g | ||
| Shot Put | Giselle Uecker | 4.15m | (126) | 3kg | ||
| Triple Jump | Jessica Nolan | 9.37m | (345) | |||
| Run | 150 | Melinda Davey-Uecker | 23.91 | -2.1 | (226) | |
| Run | 150 | Wendy Smith | 23.96 | (278) | ||
| Run | 150 | Laura McLennan | 26.66 | -0.9 | (0) | Score Limit |
| Run | 1000 | Lydia Rinaudo | 03:21.9 | (401) | ||
| Run | 1000 | Kathryn Gawthorn | 04:17.7 | (197) | ||
| Run | 1000 | Laura McLennan | 04:22.4 | (193) | ||
| Run | 1000 | Allison Parrott | 04:48.6 | (182) | ||
| Run | 3000 | Lydia Rinaudo | 11:21.0 | (418) | ||
| Run | 3000 | Kathryn Gawthorn | 14:10.8 | (204) | ||
| Discus | Kathryn Gawthorn | 13.47m | (0) | 1kg; Score Limit | ||
| Discus | Laura McLennan | 16.61m | (273) | 1kg | ||
| Discus | Kim Peak | 15.31m | (311) | 1kg | ||
| Discus | Sue Kilmartin | 9.13m | (134) | 1kg | ||
| Hammer | Kim Peak | NM | (0) | 3kg | ||
| Javelin | Kim Peak | 12.81m | (252) | 500g | ||
| Shot Put | Kathryn Gawthorn | 5.15m | (202) | 4kg | ||
| Shot Put | Laura McLennan | 7.41m | (402) | 4kg | ||
| Shot Put | Kim Peak | 6.09m | (375) | 3kg | ||
| Shot Put | Lydia Rinaudo | 5.50m | (188) | 4kg | ||
| Shot Put | Sue Kilmartin | 4.89m | (202) | 3kg | ||
| Shot Put | Melinda Davey-Uecker | 6.79m | (357) | 4kg | ||
| Run | 150 | Kevin Rassool | 16.65 | -1.5 | (492) | |
| Run | 1000 | William Sullivan | 03:30.4 | (180) | ||
| Run | 1000 | Luca Scholes-Robertson | 02:36.6 | (456) | ||
| Run | 150 | Kaedin Levy | 17.6 | -0.9 | (468) | |
| Run | 1000 | Kamil Hegazi | 02:40.4 | (456) | ||
| Run | 3000 | Kamil Hegazi | 09:08.6 | (477) | ||
| Run | 1000 | Joel Denny | 02:48.1 | (440) | ||
| Run | 1000 | Hamish McLennan | 03:03.6 | (304) | ||
| Discus | Hamish McLennan | 20.17m | (0) | 1kg; Score Limit | ||
| High Jump | Hamish McLennan | 1.29m | (0) | Score Limit | ||
| Shot Put | Hamish McLennan | 8.10m | (230) | 4kg | ||
| Triple Jump | Hamish McLennan | 10.19m | (331) | |||
| Run | 1000 | Lewis McLennan | 03:26.5 | (236) | ||
| Discus | Lewis McLennan | 20.56m | (293) | 1kg | ||
| Shot Put | Lewis McLennan | 7.31m | (304) | 3kg | ||
| Run | 150 | Darryl Kilmartin | 23.08 | 1.3 | (0) | Score Limit |
| Run | 150 | Andrew Parrott | 26.6 | -0.7 | (185) | |
| Run | 1000 | Campbell McLennan | 03:01.0 | (430) | ||
| Run | 3000 | David Vaughan | 10:40.0 | (443) | ||
| Run | 5000 | John Curry | 21:22.0h | (249) | ||
| Discus | Campbell McLennan | 24.53m | (0) | 1.5kg; Score Limit | ||
| Discus | Andrew Parrott | 18.21m | (192) | 1kg | ||
| Discus | Darryl Kilmartin | 15.79m | (0) | 1.5kg; Score Limit | ||
| High Jump | Campbell McLennan | 1.49m | (397) | |||
| High Jump | Darryl Kilmartin | 1.29m | (286) | |||
| Shot Put | Campbell McLennan | 9.17m | (417) | 6kg | ||
| Shot Put | Andrew Parrott | 6.87m | (304) | 5kg | ||
| Shot Put | Darryl Kilmartin | 8.21m | (409) | 6kg | ||
| Triple Jump | Darryl Kilmartin | 8.72m | (311) |
Diary dates January 2024 – AVSL Round 8, Victorian Multi-Event Championships
The first weekend in January (Sat/Sun 6&7) is the Victorian Multi-Event Championships held at Lakeside Stadium. Best of luck to our DAC members competing in this event, including all age groups; Junior, Open and Masters!
The second weekend (Sat 13th) is AVSL round 8, held at both Doncaster and Glenhuntly venues. Entries will open on Wednesday 3rd January – be sure to put that in your diary!
Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships Success!
A number of our top junior athletes travelled to Perth for the Australian All Schools T&F Championships December 10-12. Sisters, Shakira and Jamison Harding were outstanding; Shakira (U17) was unbeatable in the 100m and 400m hurdles, whilst Jamieson (U15) took Gold in the Pole Vault and Silver 90m hurdles. Jordan Swansborough (U20, Para) achieved Gold in the 100m/200m sprint double, perhaps with his eyes on selection for the Paris Paralympics in 2024? Allegria Basile and Zander Botha (both U14) were successful in their respective jumps; Allegria Silver in Pole Vault, and Zander Bronze in his Long Jump! Lewis McLennan took on the U14 3000m walk, made it look easy in what is actually a gruelling event, and finished 5th. What an amazing experience for these young athletes! #proudclubbehindyou
Full results are provided below. Congratulations to All on their efforts!
| Allegria Basile (U14) Pole Vault (Final) | 2.90 | Silver |
| Jamison Harding U15 90m Hurdles (Final) | 12.88 | Silver |
| Jamison Harding U15 Pole Vault (Final) | 3.75 | Gold |
| Jordan Swansborough U20 Para 100m (Final) | 11.70 | Gold |
| Jordan Swansborough U20 Para 200m (Final) | 25.11 | Gold |
| Lewis McLennan U14 3000m Race Walk (Final) | 17.27.22 | 5th |
| Shakira Harding U17 100m Hurdles (Final) | 14.04 | Silver |
| Shakira Harding U17 400m Hurdles (Final) | 63.34 | Gold |
| Toby Smith (DLAC) U14 Javelin (Final) | 37.14 | 7th |
| Zander Botha U14 Long Jump U14 (Final) | 5.69 | Bronze |
DAC Christmas Party – 12th December
The annual Christmas party was a mix of serious competition – the 100m and 800m handicaps, a wonderful BBQ, and novelty events (‘serious’ for some!) The ‘young’ and not-so-young tested themselves with the 3-legged race, raw egg toss, and musical chairs! Getting ‘bums on seats’ has never been done with so much energy! The 3-legged race competitors found out that matching legs of similar length was an advantage! Alessia Wynne and Alannah Mierisch got this almost centimetre perfect and were first over the line! All enjoyed the thrills and spills!
The handicap events commenced with the Peter Ruff 100m; 2 heats, and final. A number of younger participants (DAC members’ children, or younger siblings) were welcomed, including Grace Baldock, Sophy Brooks, and Judah & Sebastian Botha. They were tricky for the handicappers in Nathan Down and Campbell McLennan! 10 athletes progressed to the final and the crowd held their breath as Paul Mierisch won narrowly from Alessia Wynne and Josh Ascar; Josh stepping down from 5000m to 100m! The 800m handicaps were held in honour of the late Tom Kelly (women) and Ivan Harding (men), and therefore are prestigious events! Strong fields assembled for both. Hamish McLennan was a very worthy winner of the Men’s event – he found his wings and achieved a 4 second PB! The women’s event saw a very close finish between Sophy Brooks and Deb Garden; Sophy finishing just in front. However, as a non-member, Sophy wasn’t eligible to take the prize and perpetual trophy. Congratulations to Deb on a race very well run, as part of her summer season in excellent form! The Adam Robertson javelin handicap was very popular, with around 25 athletes participating! Results were graded according to age and gender; Robin Firth a clear winner with a big throw of 29.92m!
Adam Robertson Javelin handicap – mixed
Robin Firth 50+ 29.92m
Lewis McLennan U14 21.80m
Jim Finch 60+ 19.93m
Jasmine Smith U18 21.22m
Riley Neecowen U18 27.21m
Ivan Harding 800m – men gun time mark net time
Hamish McLennan 3:25 1:06 2:19
Ryan O’Neil-Parker 3:29.5 1:00 2:29.5
Callum White 3:30.6 1:20 2:10.6
Eamon Wright 3:31.25 1:30 2:01
Jim Finch 3:36 0 3:36
Darryl Kilmartin 3:38.4 :30 3:08
Tom Kelly 800m – women gun time mark net time
- Sophy Brooks (non DAC member)3:24.65 :45 2:39.65
- Deb Garden 3:24.75 :50 2:34.75
- Alessia Wynne 3:27.23 1:07 2:20.23
- Bella Davey 3:27.99 :25 3:03
- Eliza Chivers 3:30.49 :55 2:35.5
- Grace Baldock 3:32.69 :45 2:47.7
- Sarah RR 3:48 -:05 3:53
- Fariha Farooqui RR 4:52 -:05 4:57
Peter Ruff 100m – mixed final handicap
- Paul Mierisch 13.5
- Alessia Wynne 13.75
- Josh Ascar 15
- Zoe Garden 19
- Alana Mierisch 18
- Talise Botha 22
- Darryl Kilmartin 27
- Eliza Chivers 20.5
- Wendy Smith 25
- Sophy Brooks 28
Zatopek Congratulations
The Zatopek Track Challenge continued into its 2nd weekend on December 9th, and a number of athletes (all ages and grades) got the chance to test themselves over 10,000m. No mean feat at the best of times! Congratulations to John x 2 on their efforts!
MOP John Portwood 31:06.2
M55 John Curry 43:26.5
Collingwood Classic Congratulations!
The Collingwood Classic was held last Thursday evening (14th December), catering for the distance enthusiast! Several DAC members had a crack at the mile, 5000m and 10,000m. Matt Christie was exceptional – 2nd place and a PB in his Open ‘B’ 5000m event. A hard working bloke and a result very well deserved! Connor Gist was 2nd in the Women’s mile event, and this followed her success in the DAC mile just a couple of weeks ago. Youngster Kamil Hegazi (U18) mixed it with the ‘big guns’ of Male Open distance racing in his mile event. Youth then allowed him to back up for AVSL on Saturday 16th, again running extremely well. Erick Niyiragira and Anthony Paige took on the 10,000m – always a challenge and they both put in a solid performance. Congratulations All! (Results below)
| Name | Discipline | Performance | ||
| Fopen | Connor Gist | Mile | 05:01.3 | (2nd) |
| MOpenB | Matthew Christy | 5000 | 15:53.1 | (2nd)(PB) |
| MOpen | Erick Niyiragira | 10000 | 31:12.6 | (5th) |
| MOpen | Anthony Paige | 10000 | 35:09.2 | |
| MOpen | John Portwood | Mile | 04:26.9 | |
| MOpen | Kamil Hegazi | Mile | 04:30.6 |
Christmas Eve – “Stations” training session – 24th December
Tom Kelly, DAC coach and all-round legend had a Christmas Eve tradition that is maintained here at the Club! At 8am (for 8.30am start) Sunday we will meet at Schramm’s Reserve, JJ Tully Drive, Doncaster (the football ovals behind the Manningham City Council chambers on Doncaster Road) to complete one of his favourite sessions – “Stations”. This is suitable for all ages and standards, and is a ‘friendly’ pre-Christmas celebration of Tom and all things athletics. Come along with your DAC mates! Please direct enquiries to Campbell McLennan (registrar@doncasterac.org.au)
Wishing all at DAC, and their families, a very Happy Christmas, and a safe and healthy 2024!