Slick effort puts Albany in second

Albany Little Athletics Club has finished second overall at the WA Country Championships after an impressive three days of competition at Mike Biddulph Athletics Ground.

All 17 regional athletics centres in WA were represented at the annual championships, held in Albany from Friday-Sunday for the first time since 2012. In the overall points standings, large-scale club Bunbury were comfortable winners for a second straight year, amassing 3011.5 points.

Albany finished second with 1332.5 points ahead of Eastern Goldfields in third place on 1080.5.

Bunbury were also winners of the handicap shield with a score of 33.46, enough to prevail over Newman (32) and Margaret River (31.5).

In total, Albany won 123 medals and neighbouring centre Denmark had a successful outing, with their small contingent winning 18 medals.

Albany’s Eleanor Barnett set a new record in the under-16 girls’ 300m hurdles event and she was a multiple gold medal-winner along with Jade Dimer, Richardo Fahik, Will Berry and Duggan Wilkes.

In total, Albany won 29 gold medals, 48 silver and 46 bronze, and their best day came on Saturday as they collected 13 gold, 29 silver and 21 bronze in a busy program.

Berry finished the meet with gold in the under-8s boys’ high jump, 70m, 60m hurdles, 200m long jump and 100m.

Barnett won the under-16 girls’ 400m final to go with the gold she won in the 90m hurdles, 200m, triple jump, 300m hurdles and 100m.

In the under-15 girls’, Dimer was successful in shot put, long jump and high jump, while Fahik took home gold in the under-17 boys’ 1500m run and 800m.

Wilkes won gold in the 400m and 200m finals.

Denmark finished with six gold, seven silver and five bronze, and they were well led by Oliver Pluckhahn and Ginger Gleeson.

Pluckhahn won four gold, taking out the under-16 boys’ finals in discus, javelin and 100m and 200m, while Gleeson won the under-9 girls’ 400m and 800m.

Collie and Eastern Goldfields were joint winners of the march past title, with more than 300 events run across the three-day competition, supported by Little Athletics WA.