Sport: STATE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Merlin Tzaros & James Chisholm won medals at yesterday’s School Sport Victoria State Track & Field Championships at Lakeside Stadium.
Year 10 Tzaros clinched Silver in the Open 3000m, running 9:10.64 to finish less than 2 seconds from Gold. It’s his 2nd State Silver Medal to go along with his 3000m Cross Country effort in 2022. He’s only been able to compete at State twice out of a possible 8 (due to Lockdowns, injury, illness) - and he’s 2 for 2.
Another thing - the very day before, he competed in a Triathlon. He is one hell of an athlete.
The Team Vic Triathlon State Team member, Athletics Victoria Cross Country State Team member, and Top 10-in-Australia Triathlete and Cross Country runner, is now 19th on our All Time Medal Tally - updated lists pictured here.
Year 9 James Chisholm got Bronze in his Discus with a throw of 43.20m. Not bad for a kid who has never done Little Athletics and relies on raw power and natural talent. Great to see he was accompanied by his older brother Vincent, who himself got a 4th place at State with our 18yo 4x100m RelayTeam of 2022. Along with brother Anthony, what a talented trio of brothers they are.
Chisholm's medal was the 125th State Medal won by a W.H.S student in history, and he became our 61st medalist ever.
In other results, Bella Boulton got 4th in her 400m, Leo Woodburne 6th in his Triple Jump, Merlin 6th in the 1500m, and Paige-Lee Dummett 16th in her 1500m. Proud of you all
Boulton incredibly ran over 2 seconds faster than in Albury achieving a Personal Best time, and was faster by .10 of a second than legendary 18-time State Medalist Bree Spasojevic at the same age and who won 400m Silverthat year (1992).
Boulton was a whisker away from a medal which would have made her family the only Triple Threat ever on our Medal Board. Her dad Jason won a Bronze in the 4x100m Relay as a Year 8, and her brother Jack 2x Gold (200m and 400m) in Year 12 in 2022. The only other family with 2 are the legendary Jenkin father-daughter combination- father Paul (Shot Put 1985 Silver) and his daughter Kate (2x Shot Put 2009-2010 Silver). There is a solid chance Bella will make it the Triple Threat some time in the next 5 years.
There is another great story of genetics here too. Paige-Lee Dummett's mum Nicky, ran in an Australian Relay team at the Pan Pacific Games as a 14 year old as one of the fastest 4 girls in Australia. One of the other girls in that Relay Team? Future Olympic 400m Gold Medalist and all-time Australian Sporting legend, Cathy Freeman.
Chisholm's addition to the Bronze Medal list puts him in elite company. Our last State Bronze medalist, was Alice Townsend in the 2017 High Jump as a Year 10. One of the greatest all round talents our school has ever seen, she is one of only 4 ever to win Athletics Carnival Age Group Champion all 6 years of her schooling. She also sang (with a guitar) at our Talent Quests (Ed Sheeran's "A Team" a highlight), and in Year 12, was Dux with an ATAR of 98.2. She now studies Medicine. Speaking of genetics, her dad Murray was Premiership ruckman for the Wangaratta Rovers Under 18 Premiership team of 1981, and her aunt, Robyn Townsend, in 1982 was Captain of the Victorian State Under 16 Netball team, and member of the Australian Netballteam. Her grandmother, Gladys Townsend (one of the famous Comensoli family) is still widely regarded as likely the greatest Netballer in the history of the Ovens & King League.
Have also just come across information that tells us Shawn Dennis, 400m State Gold Medalist in 1983, went on to play a long career in the NBL (National Basketball League) for the Newcastle Falcons. He then was NBL Coach Of The Year in 2016 when coaching the Townsville Crocodiles. Before his NBL career, he'd also spent time at the North Melbourne Under 19s in the AFL. You might recall he is one of only 3 to ever set 3 records in the 100-200-400 "Triple Crown" on the same day at our Athletics Carnival (Gayle Parrot and Bella Boulton are the only other 2). Dennis did it in 1985 as a Year 12, and for good measure also broke the Triple & High Jump records that carnival. More on him another time. When we start creating soon our W.H.S Sport Hall OF Fame, Dennis will be one of the 1st inducted.
Thank you to these 5 outstanding athletes and young people for competing, and their parents for taking them down on a huge day.
Can't wait for our 2025 Athletics Season, kicking off with our Whole School Athletics Carnival next August.
Jud Mullins
Sport Coordinator