IN THIS ISSUE:
- Round 2 results from AVSL, PB’s, ladders & our committed officials
- Ela Uzun breaks another Club Record!!
- Upcoming Essendon Gift on November 9
- Bianca Puglisi – Melbourne Marathon performance
- AV State Relays – November 23 & 24 at Doncaster
- Club member, Duncan Knox retires
- Helpers for Round 3 PLEASE!
AVSL ROUND 2 ROUND-UP, October 12th
Near perfect conditions greeted our athletes for the second round of the summer AVSL season which took place across four venues – Doncaster, Murrumbeena, Ballarat & Bendigo. AE finished fourth on the Premiership ladder with 32,446 points however there was a few other events running across the metro area over the weekend which could account for fewer athletes & perhaps less events entered. Remember that there is now a new award being recognised this year & that is for the age group premiership so each round that is entered & the points earned, go towards each athletes total at the end of the season & those with the most points across the ten AVSL rounds, become age group champions for the summer! Of course, these points also contribute to AE’s total & help us with our aggregate points on the Premier Division ladder. Let’s keep our place in the top division & maybe even give that Shield a nudge come February next year!!
Our M16 superstars finished on top of their age group ladder for the second week running, while our F16 girls still sat in the top 3 after last week’s win. The M40-49 legends have definitely put in the hard work over the winter & they too finished in second & the M18 lads were just pipped for third by less than 300 points with a fourth place finish. Keep up the amazing work everyone, superlative effort & results!
Congratulations to Armani Mauriohooho (F16) for another top 10 finish in the Most Valuable Athlete (MVA), finishing in 6th position on 1,257 points & Khushnoor Rangi (F18) securing a 16th place finish with 1.183 points from her three events. It is worth noting that AV have adjusted the point allocations/standards for this season, even though the result on paper is the same, so that earning over 450 points for a single event as opposed to last year’s 500, is now considered a stellar achievement. Amassing a total around or over the 1000 point mark is now a pretty amazing feat so keep smashing out those PB’s, entering the maximum scoring events of three & a relay if it’s on offer & CONTINUE TO DO & BE YOUR BEST!!
Speaking of smashing out PB’s, Gregor’s squad continue to impress, carrying on their winter XCR success to the summer track events with nine athletes achieving PB’s last weekend!
- Ella Uzun F14, 1500 walk, 6:20.8
- Havana Ali F14, 1500 walk, 7:33.1
- Sebastian Moore M16, 400m, 57.34
- Archer Bramble M16, 800m, 2:04.62
- Charlie Morton M16, 800m, 2:10.58
- Miles Thompson M16, 1500m, 4:18.3
- Aden Thompson, M16, 1500m, 4:21.1
- Alexander Carroll M16, 100mH, 18.47
- Lucas Harris M16, LJ, 5.00m
Please send in any other fantastic PB’s for us to share with the membership.
Finally, a massive shout-out to our AE Officials!! Did you know that at each AVSL round when they volunteer, they accrue 600 points EACH for our Club which goes towards our overall points aggregate! They provide expertise & knowledge & expend their time & energy to help our club meets run smoothly & for that we are very grateful! Special thanks to Deborah & Neil Lawson & Maria Strong for their ongoing commitment 🙂
PLEASE ALSO LOGIN TO YOUR HELPER APP VIA THE MEMBER PORTAL HERE TO VOLUNTEER FOR A DUTY!
It is expected that each member assist with AT LEAST 3 duty allocations during the season.
Please don’t leave it to the same volunteers week in, week out, it’s just not team spirit.
ELA UZUN BREAKS ANOTHER CLUB RECORD!
6:37.0 for a 1500m race walk? Pffttt, that’s nothing for our very own supersonic race walker, 13yo Ela Uzun! Ela broke all of AE’s 1500m race walk records for U13 through to Open Womens last season & now she’s done it all over again! At R2 last weekend in Doncaster, Ela shaved a MASSIVE 17 SECONDS OFF HER PREVIOUS PB & THE CLUB RECORDS with a 6:20.8!! What a supreme effort Ela & we cant’t wait to keep following your progress as we move deeper into the season. CONGRATULATIONS!!
ESSENDON GIFT, SATURDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2024
The entries are pouring in for AE’s annual Essendon Gift! They don’t close for another two weeks so if you are keen to race & perhaps put yourself in the running to pick up a flashy sash & some pretty prize money, head over to the Victorian Athletic League website & register now – val.org.au or just come along & watch all the action.
The event caters for all ages & promises to be exciting from start to finish with commentary, music, alcohol (must be over 18), canteen & BBQ facilities operating.
Any assistance on the day would be greatly appreciated – please contact domenicocondello@bigpond.com if you would like to lend a hand.
Entries close on October 24, 2024.
BIANCA PUGLISI – MELBOURNE HALF MARATHON
Is there no stopping this girl?? Bianca Puglisi (proudly coached by AE’s Frances Lipscombe) is coming off the back of an incredible 23/24 season to open up this season with a magnificent run in the half marathon (21.1km) in Melbourne last Sunday to show she means business again! Bianca ran a very quick PB OF 1:14.42 in a quality field which saw her place 6th overall in the female division & GAVE HER THE WIN IN THE FEMALE AGE GROUP 20-24YO!! We are all so proud Bianca & Frances & wish you the very best for the upcoming season!!
AV TRACK & FIELD RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS – NOVEMBER 23 & 24, DONCASTER
Entries haven’t opened as yet for this Championship, however your Team Managers (TM) are looking for athlete interest so that the Club can start formulating a number of teams to compete at this very fun & very competitive event. Last year saw AE win a swag of state medals with the largest number of teams competing that we had seen for several years & we would love to build on that. The camaraderie & friendships formed are awesome & it’s a great hit out in an encouraging & high-adrenaline environment so if you are interested, please reach out to your relevant TM. Good news is the Club pays the entry fees too! Please see the timetable below for all the events scheduled.
ANOTHER CLUB VETERAN RETIRES – FAREWELL DUNCAN KNOX
After 52 years, Club veteran, Duncan Knox has crossed the finish line for the last time! Duncan is a State Medallist race walker & this was his main event, but he was also competitive across a variety of other track events as well as several field events. Described by fellow Club legend, Arthur Whitchell, as a real club person & a fine example for all other athletes to follow, he will be missed around the track by many. Congratulations on a wonderful athletics career Duncan & we hope you enjoy your retirement!
ATTENTION
ALL ATHLETES & FAMILIES, IF YOU ARE AT KEILOR FOR ROUND 3 THIS WEEKEND, WE NEED SEVERAL MORE HELPERS TO SIGN UP FOR AN HOUR OF DUTY AT THE VENUE. PLEASE LOGIN TO YOUR MEMBER PORTAL/HELPERS APP & CHOOSE FROM ONE OF THE UNASSIGNED DUTIES. REMEMBER – IT IS A CLUB EXPECTATION THAT EACH ATHLETE FAMILY COMPLETE THREE DUTIES THIS 24/25 SEASON OVER THE 10 AVSL ROUNDS. DON’T LEAVE IT TO THE SAME VOLUNTEERS & DON’T LEAVE IT TO YOUR RESPECTIVE TEAM MANAGERS TO CONTACT YOU OR NOMINATE YOU FOR DUTY.
REACH OUT
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything we missed, by sending our secretary Rebecca an email at secretary@athleticsessendon.org.au.
