Sport
Heidelberg Shines at Northern Metro Regional Athletics Championships
On Wednesday 14 October, 11 Heidelberg Primary School students proudly represented HPS at the Northern Metro Regional Athletics Championships at Meadowglen Athletics Track. After outstanding performances at Division, every student and relay team entered the competition ranked in the top five, setting the stage for an exciting day of athletics. With some competitors having no recorded times or measurements from Division, there was also the possibility of a few surprises!
Patrick HB was first up, competing in both shot put and high jump. With a clash between his events, Patrick had to complete all three of his shot put throws before heading straight to high jump. His best throw of 10.73m was enough to secure second place and qualify for the State Championships, with his Division rival taking the win with 11.56m.
High jump proved to be a tougher challenge, particularly with Patrick managing a sore back over the previous five weeks. Despite the discomfort, he showed incredible determination, clearing 1.53m before attempting 1.59m. After narrowly clipping the bar on his second attempt, Patrick made the smart decision to withdraw, securing another second-place finish and saving his back for the relay later in the day. A fantastic effort and another State qualification!
Meanwhile, Tom M was competing in long jump after arriving home from a European holiday early that morning! Tom completed three successful jumps, with his best reaching 3.81m. There was some confusion after the event when Tom was initially told he hadn't placed. However, following a results-room check, the mistake was corrected, and Tom received the fantastic news that he had finished second and qualified for State!
Henry F had a busy day, beginning with triple jump. After jumping 9m at Division, Henry produced a personal best of 9.39m with his very first jump. This proved to be his best effort of the day, earning him fourth place and leaving him just 4cm short of a podium finish.
Henry then moved on to high jump, where he had qualified for State last year and entered this year's competition ranked number one. Unfortunately, the competition was exceptionally strong, with the eventual winner setting a new regional record of 1.52m. Although Henry narrowly missed out on another State qualification, he should be incredibly proud of his performance. On two occasions, after recording two failed attempts at a height, Henry showed great composure to clear the bar on his third attempt. A terrific display of resilience under pressure!
Miles HB took on the challenging hurdles event, where speed is only one part of the equation. Up against competitors with significant Little Athletics experience, including last year's State silver medallist, Miles faced a tough field. He battled all the way to the finish line to claim a commendable eighth place out of 12 competitors. Reaching the regional championships in hurdles is a fantastic achievement in itself!
After the break, Olivia W lined up for the 200m. Ranked fifth fastest heading into the event, Olivia was firmly in the mix for a podium finish, with less than a second separating several of the competitors. The race was incredibly tight, particularly among the runners battling for third through seventh place. Olivia finished seventh in a highly competitive field.
Hanna MS rounded out our individual events in the 9/10 girls' shot put. Competing as one of the younger athletes in the age group, Hanna produced two successful throws, with her best reaching 6.88m. She finished fifth overall, an excellent result against a field of older competitors, with all four athletes ahead of her being 10 years old. Well done, Hanna!
The final events of the day were the 4 x 100m relays, with both our 12 girls and 12 boys earning places in the fast heats. A strong headwind along the back straight made conditions challenging, particularly for the second-leg runners.
Our girls' team of Maya E, Elle W, Olivia W and Ava W returned for another regional campaign after competing together last year. Ranked fourth heading into the race, the girls knew that sharp baton changes and a strong team performance would be crucial. They delivered a fantastic run to finish fifth, improving by three places on last year's result. It was a wonderful way for the quartet to represent Heidelberg in their final relay together in HPS colours. Congratulations, girls!
The final race of the day was the 12 boys' relay, featuring Patrick HB, Otis B, Miles HB and Charlie M. Running together as a team for the first time, the boys entered the competition ranked third after finishing second at Division by just 0.09 seconds. With the top five teams separated by less than half a second in their Division rankings, a thrilling race was expected.
The boys delivered an outstanding performance, crossing the finish line second in their heat with a new personal best. They then faced an anxious wait as the times from the first heat were compared. Unfortunately, a State qualification wasn't to be, with the winning team producing a new regional record. Nevertheless, the boys secured an excellent third place overall and should be extremely proud of their performance.
Congratulations to all 11 students who represented Heidelberg Primary School at the Northern Metro Regional Athletics Championships. Finishing on the regional podium, achieving personal bests and competing against the best athletes from across the region are all tremendous accomplishments.
A special congratulations to Patrick HB and Tom M, who will now progress to the State Athletics Championships. We wish them both the very best as they take on Victoria's best primary school athletes!
We are incredibly proud of the effort, sportsmanship and determination shown by every student who wore the HPS colours throughout the athletics season. Well done, Heidelberg!
