He by his own admission used to hate it, but Armidale City’s Oliver Freeman is leaping to great heights in the long jump pit.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Year 5 student was at Fridays North West Schools Sports Association annual presentation named the Most Outstanding Primary Athlete.
Also a talented sprinter, it was from the board that Freeman really excelled.
After winning his school carnival, and then finishing second at both the Armidale zone and North West carnivals, Freeman went on to bring home gold in the 11yrs long jump at the NSW PSSA Championships, qualifying in the process to represent NSW at the School Sport Australia Track and Field Championships in Sydney.
There he picked up silver in the long jump with a jump of 5.10m and bronze as part of the 800m sprint medley relay team, having finished sixth in the 100m at the state carnival.
First pulling on the spikes when he was five, Freeman is no stranger to the state and national podium. Back in 2014 he won the 9yrs boys 100m at the NSW PSSA Championships, having won bronze the previous year. Then last year, after claiming bronze at the state carnival, he won gold in the 10yrs boys long jump at the nationals.
“It was only when I was 10 I knew I liked long jump. I used to hate it because I always used to miss the board,” Freeman said.
Now he probably prefers it.
And his improvement has been rapid. After jumping 4.45m at the North West carnival, he broke the sand at 5.01m at state before pulling out a new personal best of 5.10m his third jump at the nationals to sail from 13th into the lead.
“I was hoping to do 5.20 but I did 5.10 so I was proud of that,” Freeman said.
Freeman trains with Jay Stone at the Armidale Athletic Club, and also received Bar to Blues for athletics, alongside Jessica Aldridge (Oxley, athletics), Marcus Nolan (Binnaway Central, athletics), Tayla Parker (Peel, cross country), River Pentacost (Macintyre, athletics), Lacie Quigley (Quirindi High, athletics/cross country), Catherina Sisa (Lightning Ridge Central, diving), Bella Stewart (Narrabri High, athletics) and Kelsie Youman (Guyra Central, athletics).
Blues were also presented to: Nick Alley (Glen Innes High, athletics), Liam Bruno (Moree Secondary College, squash), Tyler Connors (Inverell High, touch), Sage Cook (Inverell High, cricket), Kiani Duckett (Hillvue Public, touch), Mikayla Gross (Tamworth High, water polo), Lucy Hofman (Tamworth High, water polo), Chloe Johnson (Macintyre, athletics), Osea Kaloumaira (Coonabarabran High, athletics), Amelia Mazzei (Armidale High, swimming), Claire McGuirk (Gunnedah South, cricket), Isaac Moxon (Tamworth High, water polo), Kimberley O’Donnell (Bundarra Central, touch), Tayla Parker (Peel, athletics), Thomas Ramsay (Bonshaw Public, athletics), Haylee Ross (Glen Innes High, lawn bowls), Bradley Sadler (Farrer, athletics), Mikaela Short (Oxley High, swimming), Lachlan Turner (Inverell High, touch), Giaan White (Tamworth High, water polo), Sean White (Lightning Ridge Central, diving).
