TAMWORTH’S best little athletes will be on display this weekend at the Athletics Complex as 600 athletes pour into town from all over the north of the state for the Little A’s regional carnival.
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The carnival was held in Lismore last year, with similar numbers attending, although this year Tamworth vice-president Peter Henderson is hoping the 54-strong Tamworth contingent gets even better results on home turf.
Athletes are all vying for a spot in the regional team to compete at the State championships next month, with the first two in every event qualifying as well as next best eight across the state.
Henderson said a lot of work had already gone into getting the track ready for the huge event, with plenty more to be done over the weekend, with the running, jumping and throwing starting early this morning.
“There has been and will be a lot of volunteer work go in,” Henderson said.
“We have had to check all the equipment and get the right weights for the throwing events and things like that.”
Two of the club’s best athletes have just gone up a weight in the throwing events with some unlikely results.
Brother and sister throwing duo Ashley and Nick Price recently came away from the Country championships with new PB’s and medals to go with them.
Shot putter, javelin and discus thrower Ashley is following in her state champion brother’s footsteps and brought home a fourth and two sixths from the Newcastle carnival.
Picking up a heavier javelin for the first time at the carnival, Ashley added a whopping two metres to her previous best throw of 15 metres.
In a similar vein, Nick went from the four to five kilo hammer recently, and added 50cm to his best with the new weight, throwing 51.24 to take out the gold medal.
“I can throw 56 with a four kilo but wasn’t even expecting to throw 50m with the five (kg) last weekend,” Nick said.
“I am very happy with it.”
The big 16-year-old has been doing a lot of gym work and throwing over the Christmas holidays, setting the goal of finishing on the podium at the national championships later in the year.
This weekend both will have to leave the hammer at home, as Little A’s doesn’t include the discipline.
The two-day carnival kicks off at eight o’clock this morning and will finish with the senior relays tomorrow night.
