AVSL Round 9 - Glenhuntly
On Saturday we played our Powerplay and were hoping for a good result to keep us clear of relegation. We had previously tried to play it in Round 6 when the program suited us beautifully. However when it was cancelled due to rain, the best option looked to be round 9, but unfortunately there was no 3k/5k run on offer, only a steeple. And none of us wanted to do the steeple. If we lost ground to Ringwood and Wyndham, relegation would be a threat.
It was a hot day, and WAM was in hot form. We pulled out our biggest turnout for the season (27 athletes), and our most events (72) across 3 venues. We scored 19,432 points, our best for the season by nearly 3,000 points, and amazingly we won Div 3, even with 3 other clubs using their Powerplay. This gives us the maximum possible 20 points and moves us up to 6th place and well clear of relegation. A result I could not have dreamed of. Congratulations to everyone on an amazing round. Waverley-Malvern is a team that can lift when it counts.
Some highlights:
- 5 athletes signed up for the first time this season. Good on you Nick Spiteri, David Nowlan, Chris Scully, Tracey Austin and Matilda Wolton. Tracey and Tilly scored over 500 points each. Collectively they scored 1700 points without which we wouldn’t have won.
- 14 athletes scored their best points for the season. What a round to do it in!
- 18 season PB’s
- 18 athletes did 3 or more events
- 4 athletes competed at both Doncaster and Glenhuntly. Well done Clyde, Simone, Shane and Greg
- 6 athletes scored over 1,000 points
- 3 of us at the Geelong venue, running on their new blue track. It’s a beautiful venue and the best track in Vic now.
- Well done by Arun, Ryan, George and Arosh to run a 4×400m relay straight after their 800m at Glenhuntly
- Our best points was 1,263 by Craig Sanford, a new record for the season. Craig ran season PB’s of 56 in the 400, and 4:39 in the 1500 to score 450 odd points in each.
- Kate Fawkner scored a huge 1,150 points from 3 throws, including 470 points in the shot put. Kate has been our biggest point scorer in 4 rounds this season.
- Amy Hessell pulled out a massive 1,127 points with a season PB 3K 10:47 down at Geelong worth 419 points
- Linda Buttigieg 1,098 points including a season PB 100m 16.41. Linda leads the most WAM points this season, narrowly ahead of Christine and Kate.
- Christine Bridle 1,074 points with a season PB discus 17.51. Christine has scored over 1,000 points in every round this year.
- Niamh O’Reilly a big 1,039 points with a great season PB 5:34 1500m. Also scored 300 points in the high jump, which I didn’t even know she could do. Maybe with some tips from daughter Aislinn who competes in the nationals at high jump.
- Big Shane Carstairs scoring 978 points across 2 venues
- I scored 900 points on a dodgy calf
- Ryan Bentley 847 points (plus a relay) including a season PB 800m 2:06
– Clyde Riddoch 846 points in 7 events across 2 venues. Season pb’s in the high jump 1.05 and triple jump 6.12
- Greg Carstairs 831 points across 2 venues, with season pb’s in the discus 28.56 and javelin 37.95
- Neill Leith 819 points , plus wife Nicole 396 points. Both ran season pb 1500ms, and stepped out of their comfort zones doing a 100m, and long jump.
- Simone Albiston 756 points (just keeps improving) with a season pb shot put
- Arun Ashok 736 points (plus a relay – thanks for organising it)
- Tilly Walton 649 points debuting for the season in Geelong after a long layoff after a stress fracture. Awesome results.
- Tracey Austin debuting for the season with 563 points
- Daniel Spiteri 538 points, plus brother Nick 144 points, and Ernie Lim 537 points with a season pb 1500m
- Arosh 320 points, George and Callum Wilson 238 and 245 points
- Chris Scully and David Nowlan debuting for the season with valuable points
