BY ALEX TIGANI
Singleton truly justified its honour as the Little Athletics NSW Regional Centre of the Year through another top performance at regional level.
Nine athletes returned home to Singleton from the Mingara Athletics Club with medals and each one had a remarkable back story.
“It was actually the first time in so long we were all together doing fun stuff and not just in town training,” Singleton Track and Field Club president and head coach Hilary Kennedy explained.
“Anyone who came top two on the weekend received auto qualification for the state titles and they (Little Athletics NSW) then take the next best eight results.”
2024 Paralympic hopeful Seren Hall collected five gold medals across her multi-class events (200m, 100m, Long Jump, Shot Putt and Discuss) while recording a handful of personal best results in the process.
Xavier Hicks backed up his successful NSW Country Championship campaign with two gold medals in the triple jump and 80m hurdles finals.
He set a new zone record in the latter with a time of 13.47.
Well known teenagers Saxon Lorenz (300m) and Jordie Brown (110m) both claimed gold medals across respective hurdles events to headline their four combined medals.
It was then Ethan Williams’ turn as the tall athlete captured a further two gold medals in his two hurdle events. Ella Northey continued her impressive form with a gold medal in the 400m hurdles. She then came close to adding to her crown when finishing fourth in the 200m final.
After months on the sideline due to injury, Elise Kerr took home the silver medal in the 15 Girls Triple Jump competition and a bronze in the High Jump.
Her younger sister Lara Kerr also added to Singleton’s medal tally with a bronze in the 90m hurdles.