THIRTY-SIX of Mount Isa’s strongest athletics stars head to Townsville this weekend in search of state glory.
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More than 500 athletes will descend on Townsville to compete in the North Queensland Athletics titles, where 240 individual events will be staged.
Leading the team will be teenage heptathletes Jade Scott, Teaghan Goodger and Courtney Boshoff, and masters decathletes Ken Dickson and David Scott.
Mount Isa is gaining a reputation as a multi-event club, Dickson, the coach, said.
“In past competitions, the club has had solid results in the multi-events, which is a credit to the commitments by the athletes,” he said.
“One of masters athletes, David Scott, is carrying in a rotator cuff injury but that won’t stop him competing.
“Apparently he intends to nurse his arm in the running events and do all the throwing left-handed.”
The synthetic track at the Townsville Sports Reserve should benefit Mount Isa’s sprints stars.
Kale ‘‘BlackFlash’’ Johnson, Denzil ‘‘Lightning’’ Perkins, Tarell Rea, Michelle Bracs, Conor Bowden, Lachlan McCoy and Julia Creek newcomer Ben Smith are all strong medal hopes.
CJ Brice-Houseman will look to improve his handy 1.72-metre-high jump achieved recently.
Brice-Houseman will be joined in jumping events by Patrick Baker, Danial Butler, Ken Dickson, Lachlan McCoy and David Scott.
Breanna ‘‘Cannon’’ Waerea, 12, will be competing in the under-14 hammer throw, in an attempt to gain qualification for next year’s Athletics Australia National Championships.
Michelle Bracs, Barb Baker, Kath Hujanen and Sharon Dickson will also contest throwing events.
Melanie Butler, Patrick Baker, Ryan Hujanen and Barb Baker will all try their hands at the 1500m walk for the first time.
Junior athletes Trinity Perkins, Illy Chapman, Tyler TeWani, Sienna TeWani, Rico Waerea, Kadea O’Donnell, Anni-Rose and Serena Gowland and older athletes Danielle Aplin, Conor Baker, Andrew Butler, Dan Grant, Terri-Anne Knight and Josh Scott round out the side.
“The entire team is a powerhouse of talent and I am expecting Mount Isa to clean up on placings throughout the weekend,” Dickson said.
“It is going to be a very busy weekend but we will endeavour to keep the people at home as up-to-date as possible with regular posts on the Mount Isa Athletics Club Facebook page between events.”