Dubbo Athletics Club may not have won a medal at the 2023 Kumon State Combined Carnival but it was still a weekend to remember for president Steve Gamble.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
For the third time this year, Barden Park welcomed visitors from all over the state to come to show their skills in a range of different track and field events.
In a points-based event, athletes were given points on where they finished during each event with the most consistent performers overall taking out the respective medals.
But for Gamble, he couldn't have been prouder of how Dubbo's athletes fared.
"We had some really good results, the club didn't come away with any medal but there were some really positive signs," he said.
"In the under 13s boys Nullah Baker went really well and finished fifth.
"Pheobe Ryan was 10th in the under 17s girls and there are a couple of others who have top 15 results. There were lots and lots of PBs (personal bests)."
Baker was brilliant throughout the weekend but his best result came in the 100m, running 13.31 seconds to finish just shy of third place.
READ ALSO:
In the other categories, all eyes were on Wollongong's Harlow Pate after she smashed a 40-year-old state record but ran a lightning-quick 100m sprint time.
Gamble admitted the record didn't stand a chance after Pate's explosive run.
"Not the club but a young girl from Wollongong ran a 14.07 in the 100m," he said.
"That's very fast for a nine-year-old, it was good to see one of the oldest state records get broken out here at Dubbo.
"It was a really good weekend, we were pleased with how everything went."
Also over the weekend, one of Dubbo's best athletes fine-tuned her preparation for the upcoming Little Athletics NSW State Championships with a meeting in Sydney.
Ella Penman has become arguably the club's biggest star and Gamble believes she is in for a massive few months beginning in just under two weeks.
"Ella Penman finished fifth in the open women's 800m," he said.
"She's doing really well, it was a bit of a slower final which made things more tactical so PBs were out of the question.
"For Ella to continue her growth is really good and there are some good signs for her ahead of the NSW Champs and then the Australian Championships."
Dubbo will be well represented at the Little Athletics State Championships with several athletes set to go.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News