Once again our masters’ athletes have set the tone for a wonderful summer season for IBS Athletes. Blue Stars Masters recently were honoured by the NSW Masters Association, with Mary Thomas being awarded the Female Athlete of the Year, and also the award for Multi athlete. Club mate John Lamb took out the Male Athlete of the Year and June Lowe was rewarded with Best at Country. These awards were based on the season 2014/2015 but all athletes have re joined the club this season with both Lamb and Thomas taking out placings in the recent World Masters Championships.
Mary is now over in the Cook Islands, together with club mates, sprinter Gianna Mogentale and Colin Clarson at the Oceania Games, that continue this week.
Meanwhile over in Adelaide at the Australian Masters Games, newcomers to IBS Mick Daly and Lynda Douglas have brought home medals. Daly three bronze in the 60m, 100m and 200m whilst Douglas took the silver in her age bracket for the 60m but was then forced to the sideline with a hamstring injury. Annette Mead was placed 6th in her age bracket sprints but the Masters athletes of the club have certainly set a high standard for the summer season.
Not to be outdone our junior schoolboy/girl athletes will take to the track this weekend for one of the biggest athletic meets, the NSW All Schools, and from early season indications, the club’s juniors are sure to be amongst the finalists in their age brackets. New members to our club have shown over the last two weekends they are going to surprise a few athletes with some great performances locally in the open meet and first round of the clubs point score competition. IBS believes it may have one of the biggest squads competing at the All Schools for some time representing not only their school, but the club also. Watch this space for final results.
The athletes will be supported by the club’s technical officials who will spend the full four days at the meet, with John and Janet Munro, Ann Grimm, Jodie Sundstrom and Neville Fenn giving their time and effort to help deliver a very good school age championship.
Over the long weekend some of our middle distance athletes took to the Goulburn Fun Run with Geoff Hynoski and Ian Smith both performing well. Daughter Charlotte Smith took out her age bracket whilst younger brother Joshua also had a great run.
Blue Stars will conduct the second round of point score competition this Sunday at the Kerryn McCann Athletic Centre and all members are urged to be at the track by 2.00 pm. Registrations will also be taken as with orders for the new uniform. It’s never too late to register and Blue Stars offer competition to all ages from under 8 right through to masters men and women. Dual registration is also encouraged as with family participation, but it is the friendly manner in which the competition is conducted that will appeal to all athletes. During the season the club will be conducting some varying events and IBS will be appealing to all members to support these events.
Members and intending members are urged to fill their forms in for selection in the club’s relay teams to contest the NSW State relay titles. Age brackets will be U14, U16 U18, U20, Open men and women and also Masters in varying age brackets.
Members are also advised that the State relays will be held at the Blacktown Athletic Centre on 14 and 15 November whilst the NSW Country titles set for January 2016 will now be held at the Campbelltown Athletic Centre. These changes are due to the Homebush Track being resurfaced as with the warm up track, and it is anticipated that the new surface will really “face lift” the home of athletics in NSW.