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At the 93rd Australian Track and Field Championships the Sydney University Athletic Club reigned supreme winning 4 national titles, more than any other club in the country. SUAC athletes brought home 10 medals (4 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze) had three athletes automatically qualify for the World Championships in Beijing and a further 14 athletes qualify for the World Uni Games in July. In addition 5 club records were also beaten on the weekend.

Nick Hough won the 110 metre hurdles in the second fastest time ever by an Australian at 13.42, which is just 13/100th’s shy of Kyle Vander Kuyp’s Australian record. The time was a World Championship qualifying performance for Hough which will see him on the plane to Beijing later in the year. It was his second consecutive national title and a SUAC club record.

In the women’s 200 metre Ella Nelson produced her trademark blistering finish to swamp the national record holder at 100m Melissa Breen and take home her second consecutive national title. The run was a personal best, club record and World Championships qualifier for Nelson. Nelson narrowly missed breaking the 23 second barrier recording a time of 23.04 but would be very pleased with the fact that many experienced trackside judges deemed the race to be the best quality 200 metre at a National Championship in the last decade.

Josh Clarke won the national 100 metre title, recording a time of 10.19, which was a personal best and club record and just 3/100ths outside the World Championship qualifier. Clarke has not yet turned 20 but showed plenty of maturity having run a scintillating semi-final where he eased considerably and still ran 10.29. SUAC’s Jin Su Jung was 4th Australian home in the final running a personal best 10.34.

Annie Rubie won the 400 metre on the second night of competition, running a tactically astute race, hitting the front with just under 50 metres to go recording a time of 52.77. It was Rubie’s first national title, beating home long-time rivals Caitlin Seargent and Morgan Mitchell. Rubie later went on to finish 6th in the 200 metre to top off a stellar weekend.

Sydney University EAP scholarship holder Angus Armstrong jumped 5.35 in the men’s Pole Vault to win the national title and achieve the World University Games qualifying standard in the process.

In the women’s 100 metre hurdles Shelly Jenneke continued her breakout season finishing 2nd to Sally Pearson in a NSW record of 12.82. The time was a World Championships qualifier for Jenneke and took her to number two on the Australian all-time list. Amazingly Jenneke has taken .40 of her personal best this season. Sunday afternoon’s final was a cracker as Jenneke pushed the Olympic Champion Pearson for 8 hurdles with her more experienced rival prevailing in the final two flights. No doubt big things are to come for the young engineering student! Liz Clay also competed in the same race and ran 7th in the final recording a huge personal best in the semi- final despite being swooped by a magpie.

Other silver medals went to Angie Ballard who was 2nd on percentages in the 800 metre wheelchair and Natalie Archer was 2nd in the women’s 3000 metre.

Bronze medals went to Nicola McDermott in the high jump and Josh Ralph in the 800 metre. Ralph of course has only recently returned from injury so was justifiably very pleased with his performance.

James Nipperess also won the bronze in the 10000 metre which was held during the Zatopek meet.

Nick Van Gelder was 6th in the men’s long jump recording a huge leap of 7.68m. The jump broke the oldest of the SUAC club records for men. The former record was held by Lawrie Walkely who jumped 7.66 way back in 1966. The distance equaled the World Uni games qualifier.

Alix Kennedy was 6th in the women’s discus with a throw of 53.37 which was a season’s best throw and a World Uni Games qualifier.

Other top 25 performances from SUAC athletes came from-

Ben Liddy ( 6th 3000, 17th 1500), Jenny Blundell ( 8th 1500), Amy Pejkovic  (8th high jump), Chrissie Grun (9th Javelin),Lizzie Jenkins ( 9th-200, 14th-400), Mason Cohen (9th 800), Alex Pettigrew ( 10th- 800), James Grimm ( 10th – 200, 21st 100), Gen Cowie (11th 400h),Becky Clarke (11th High Jump), Larissa Pasternatsky ( 12th 100, 15th 200m),  Shakti Rathore (13th TJ), Kasandra Vegas (13th Hammer), Christian Lozada (14th 400h), Em Ryan ( 15th 1500, 17th 800), Jess Stafford (15th 400), Georgia Wassall ( 16th 800), Jo Dawson (19th 400h), Josh Tassell (18th 200),  Jordan Barnes ( 20th 200)  Rosie Weber (22nd 800, 23rd 1500), Lewis Horenko (23rd 400) Davina Smith (24th 1500), Sam Colless (25th 800).

SUAC athletes who have qualified for the World Uni Games to be held in Korea in July include the following:

Nick Hough, Josh Clarke, Shelly Jenneke, Ella Nelson, Annie Rubie, Josh Ralph, Alix Kennedy, Nicola McDermott, James Nipperess, Kate Spencer, Nicole Fagan, Nick Van Gelder, Angus Armstrong and Alix Kennedy.

The 2014/15 athletics season will go down as on the very best ever for SUAC with the club winning every senior title and confirming its status as the number one senior athletic club in the country.

To view photos from the event please click through to the SUAC Facebook page here. 

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