Wollongong’s team of 71 juniors was among the top performers with 39 athletes qualifying for the 2015 State Little Athletics Championships on March 20-22.

At the regional titles, the Wollongong team competed in 252 events, winning  38 individual gold medals, 26 silver and 23 bronze, plus gold in the senior girls’ relay.

Talented under 9s middle-distance runner Jack McClatchie had a great tussle with Albion Park’s Kalani Vella in the 200m, 400m and 800m.

McClatchie edged to victory in the 800m in 2min 37.9sec to equal the regional record set in 1992.

McClatchie’s under 9s clubmate Manuela Piljevic jumped 1.20 metres to win the under 9s girls’ high jump.

The fastest 16-year-old hurdler in Australia, Jarrod Twigg, set a record in the under 17s 110m hurdles in a slick  time of 14.3s.

Leroy Veerhuis (under 12s), Matilda-Jane MacDonald (under 15s), Zoe McClatchie (under 8s), Manuela Piljevic (under 9s) and Charlotte Bett in girls’ under 13s, all won three gold medals.

Rosie Tozer (under 13s), Jett Link (under 11s), Chris Sink (under 11s), Hannah Crinnion (under 12s), Jarrod Twigg (under 17s) and Teghan Barklay (under 17s) also starred with two gold medals each. 

Wollongong did particularly well in the boys’ sprint hurdles events, winning the under 11s, under 12s, under 13s and under 17s, plus the girls’ middle distance races, with Zoe McClatchie taking out the under 8s 700m and Manuela Piljevic, Jessica Quilter-Jones and Charlotte Bett winning the 800m event in under 9s, under 10s and under 13s respectively.

Wollongong will now have 12 children make their first appearance at the state championships, while Sherryn Micallef, Lara Fitton, Natalie Lower and Liam Ryan finish their Little As careers in under 17s.