Armidale Athletics is one of the most successful clubs in regional NSW and have proved it once again, bringing home 90 medals at the Country Championships.
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A team of 44 travelled to Wollongong to face off against athletics clubs from the country in track and field events.
“Considering we had nine less athletes than last year I think it was very successful,” Armidale Athletics president and coach Jay Stone said.
“Andre Cooper won the 100 and 200 metre-double in his under 14s boys and in both events he achieved national qualifying standard and ran personal bests.
“Lawson Fittler, who has been in plenty of stories winning 800m and 400m runs, at the Country Champs he won the 200m as well.
“He won the 200, won the 400 and it was probably a foregone conclusion that he would win the 800m so instead of running in the under 18s he ran in the open men and he won that.
“Nathan Smith picked up four gold medals, he had a very big program.”
Stone and Fittler were triple gold medal winners while Mikielee Snow, Gracie Martin and Kelsie Youman impressed in the women’s events.
Just 0.01 second separated Snow and Martin in the under 18 200m sprint with the pair earning gold and silver respectively.
Martin also ran a qualifying time for nationals in the 400m while the duo faced off again in the 100m with Snow claiming gold and Martin bronze.
In her last competition in the Armidale club’s colours, Youman took double gold in the under 20 400m and 800m runs.
“There's only been a handful of girls from the club who have broken the one minute and Kelsie is on that list,” Stone said.
“Kels actually ran her 800m in a combined race with the opens and she beat them all.”