A WEEK after claiming the state cross-country title, Natasha Favotto was yesterday showcasing her talents on the track.
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The Armidale High student was one of over 400 athletes from across the region who braved intermittent rain to compete in the North West secondary athletics carnival.
They were chasing berths on the zone team to compete at the state carnival in Sydney in early September.
The first two placegetters in each event automatically qualified, with the third joining them if they reached the qualification standard.
Favotto booked her place by winning the 17yrs girls’ 1500m.
She had the 3000m later on and would have been expecting to go well after winning the All Schools and CHS gold at the cross-country titles just last Friday.
“It’s pretty exciting. I wasn’t expecting it,” she said. “It was my first All Schools medal.”
Last year she was the first CHS runner home and sixth overall.
It was enough to win her a spot on the NSW team for the nationals.
This year they’ll be held at Moonee Valley, which Favotto is looking forward to.
“I’ve never been to Melbourne before,” she said.
She led for most of the 4km journey.
“I went out with a girl then she dropped off,” she said.
That was probably about half-way through the race.
Then it was a matter of holding on.
“I was expecting someone to come up behind me,” she said.
But they never did, with Favotto crossing the line about 20 seconds clear of her nearest rival.
She trains four times a week with the Armidale Athletics’ squad or “Viper” squad as they are referred to, and is hoping to at least go better than she did last year at the nationals.
“Hopefully I can get a better place,” she said.
Another to do well at the state championships was St Philomenas Moree’s Xanthe Cogan.
She finished second in the eight/nine years girls.
She is the first student from the school to win a medal at state and also won gold in the teams division with her Polding team.