GOROKE high jumper Lily Cameron has qualified for the Australian junior athletics championships in Perth on March 9.
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The Ballarat-based student competed in the Athletics Victoria under-17s section this month, where she finished third to earn her spot at the nationals.
Cameron competed at Albert Park in Melbourne to qualify for Perth. Her coach Ricky Price said she had come a long way since the start of the 2015 athletics season.
“She has improved quite a bit during the past two months particularly and it has paid off,” he said.
“Technique-wise she is a lot better now.
“It is the first time she has qualified for nationals, she is pretty new to it.”
Cameron is one of a number of Wimmera athletes who have stood out at recent regional and state competitions.
Eight juniors competed at the Little Athletics Victoria Country Regional championships in Ballarat on Saturday.
Edie Mason was a standout at the meet in several events.
She won gold in the under-nine triple jump to qualify for the state championships. She also placed second in the 60 and 80-metre hurdles.
Acacia Blake also competed in the under-nine section, finishing first in 200 and 400-metre events.
She also finished second in the 100 and 70-metre events.
Finishing first has sent both young stars into the state championships for their respective events.
Edie’s mum Courtney said he daughter was ecstatic to have done so well at the regional championships.
“She is very excited because they start at under-six, but with the state track and field, the first age group is under-nine,” she said.
“She has put in a lot of work and does a lot of training with Ricky twice a week plus her little athletics.”
The athletes are now waiting to find out if the times they recorded in other races were enough to qualify for those events in the championships. Other Wimmera athletes who qualified include under-14 discus thrower Victoria Taylor, who also finished second in the high jump on a countback.
Jordie McAuliffe was also strong, finishing first in the under-15 girls shot put and second in the javelin.
Her other events included the 400 and 800-metre races.
Horsham’s Anna Bush also qualified for the national championships.
