Running coach Rob Duynhoven says a mix of medals and personal best times at the second week of Athletics Victoria's All-Schools track and field championships is reward for effort for his stable's athletes.
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Warrnambool College's Layla Watson and Emmanuel College's Grace Kelly, who are part of Duynhoven and Wayne Perry's DPS stable, added another race to their schedule at next month's All School National Championships.
The pair won their respective 200-metre finals in Melbourne on Sunday, with Watson running a personal best 25.37 in the under-18 final and Kelly also clinching victory with a 25.13 in the under-17 final.
They will contest a combined five events at the All-schools national championships in Adelaide, with Watson having already qualified for the 100-metre and 400-metre events and Kelly advancing through to the 100-metre race during week one of the Victorian championships.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel College's Hannah McMeel walked away with a bronze medal on Sunday after running a personal best time of 26.54 in her under-14 200-metre final, with Warrnambool College's Aubery Watson and Paddy Meade also running personal bests in the 200-metre. Watson finished fifth in the under-16 final.
Dunyhoven said it was great to see the five athletes' hard work paying off.
"They all deserve it, the amount of work they put in," he said. "They all ran really well, Layla, Hannah, Paddy and Aubrey, all personal bests. Grace ran consistently again and is starting to run at her best.
"It's very rewarding, it's a credit to the athletes, when you see those performances and the hard work they've done, it's definitely paying off," he said.
Several DPS athletes will compete in Essendon on Saturday to start the Athletics Victoria League season. Duynhoven said his runners were all looking forward to racing in front of a home crowd at the Warrnambool and Terang Gifts on December 3 and 4.
Meanwhile, Mercy Regional College's Ruby Darcy finished fifth at All-schools in the under-16 long jump, while Emmanuel College's Jeff Collins ranked fifth in the under-17 javelin final and ninth in the long jump. Both train under the Inner Speed & Power stable.
The All-schools national championships are held in Adelaide from December 9-11.
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Meg Saultry
Sports journalist at the Warrnambool Standard, with a strong interest in Australian rules football, basketball and women in sport.
Sports journalist at the Warrnambool Standard, with a strong interest in Australian rules football, basketball and women in sport.
