At last week’s State PSSA Athletics Championships the St Nicholas school captain won gold in the 12yrs 100m and 200m 

Competing for Polding, Klasen also qualified for the long jump, which she finished just out of the medals in, and teamed-up with St Nic’s school-mates Laura Annis-Brown, Odette Joyce and Holly Bynge in the 4x100m relay.

They came 24th, but just making it was a huge achievement.

It’s been a long while since the school has had a relay team compete at the state carnival.

For Klasen being crowned state champion isn’t uncharted waters.

In 2011 she won the nine years 100m  at the same event.

This time she did the double.

Going in, she said, her goal was to make the final for both.

She by far exceeded those.

“I was quite surprised but more excited,” she said.

The 200m was first.

Klasen was the fastest qualifier through to the final and sliced almost a second off her personal best to win, clocking 26.38secs.

“In the 100m I was 2 milliseconds off (a personal best),” she said.

It was a very close race, she said, but after being the second quickest into the final she ran her way to the top of the podium.

Asked which she prefers, she said the 200m. “Last year my favourite was definitely the 100m but this year I’ve definitely been doing better at the 200m,” she said.

She backed up her golds with a fifth in the long jump. 

“I didn’t quite do a personal best but I still went pretty well,” she said.

Off to Calrossy next year, she said it was great way to finish her primary school days.

And it’s not over yet.

She’ll be continuing to put in the hard yards with coach Wally Warner, with her golden effort also seeing her qualify for the nationals.

They’ll be held in Tasmania next month.

St Nic’s had five students competing with Aalinyah Smith also competing in the 200m.