QUIRINDI Public’s Lacie Quigley capped another golden year yesterday by being crowned the North West Schools Sports Association Sportsperson of the Year at Tamworth’s Wests’ Diggers Club.
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The 11-year old excelled in both cross-country and athletics and was also named the Most Outstanding Primary Athlete after medalling at national level in both endeavours.
She also picked up Bars to Blue awards in both.
Most recently, Quigley won silver in the 11yrs girls’ 800m at the national championships in Canberra.
She returned with the full spectrum of medals after helping her medley relay team, which Quigley ran one of the two 200m legs for, to gold and the Australian record, and winning bronze with the 8x100m relay team.
Earlier in the year she made it back to back national cross-country titles when she won the 11yrs event at the School Sport Australia Championships in Melbourne.
After running second at the state titles, Quigley bettered her time from that by almost three minutes to take the gold by two seconds.
She enjoyed a good rivalry with the girl who finished second, the South Australian edging her out for the gold in Canberra.
“It was good. I took off the way I normally take off,” Quigley said.
“I led the whole race until the last 200m.”
Like the cross-country, she had finished second at the state championships after cutting nine seconds off her qualifying time.
She’d had to submit qualifying times, with the North West carnival the same time as the cross-country nationals.
Quigley bettered that again at Canberra, running 2mins 21.74secs.
That was about what she had wanted to go, she said.
This weekend she’ll be chasing more success at the New England Zone Little Athletics Championships.
“I’m in the triple jump, 800m, 400m and 200m,” she said.
She only started doing the triple jump this year.
“I like the triple jump,” she said.
It’s a bit of fun, although she does take it seriously.
After that, she’ll have a well-earned break until the next year.
“I’ll do some sprint training in about January,” Quigley said.
“I’ve been doing sprint training as well as long distance.”
Next year will be a bit tougher.
She’ll be running up in the U14s, and against girls older than her.
“My goals next year are to try to make nationals in the older age group,” she said.
Quigley was presented her award by 2002 Sportsperson of the Year Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, who was the special guest for the presentation.
Oxley High’s Jessica Aldridge was named the Most Outstanding Secondary Athlete for the second successive year and third time in four years.
Tenterfield High’s Sophie Cooper received the Service Award while Farrer’s Ned Hoath was awarded the Kris Stewart Memorial Award.
