Personal Bests on the Track

May, 2009

The Beaconhills College Athletics Captains, Justin Smaluch and Elley Butcher, both returned from the recent GIS Athletics Carnival in the La Trobe Valley after very successful competitions, with Elley being named Open Girls champion and Justin being pipped for the Open Boys title by one point.

The eight Gippsland Independent Schools gathered at the athletics track in Newborough for the annual competition in May and, though Beaconhills finished just behind Gippsland Grammar and St. Pauls Warragul in the overall points, they did have three age champions.

Elley Butcher was the Open Girls champion with a succession of placings in all her events, including a win in the triple jump and seconds in the high jump and long jump.

New champions for the future were unearthed in Matthew Debruin and Mikaela Davis who both convincingly won the U13 Boys and Girls titles. Matthew had four firsts in the 100m, high jump, long jump and triple jump and Mikaela had three firsts in the 100m, 200m and 400m and two thirds in the discus and long jump.

Justin Smaluch won three events – 100m, high jump and 4x100m relay- as well a second in the long jump – but this was not sufficient this year to clain the Open Boys title. His victory in the high jump, however,  was his fourth in succession in this competition – in addition, he had  set a  new record in this event at U15, U16 and U17 and just narrowly failed to set another this year (see photo).

The school’s ongoing success in the field events, and especially the high jump, is reflected in the fact that 9 of the 12 GIS high jump records are still held by Beaconhills’ students, stretching back to 1993.

Elley and Justin

Justin wins the high jump for the fourth year in a row.