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Wednesday, 16 May 2018

One of the most successful and prestigious Western Australian athletics clubs, UWA Athletics Club, recently celebrated their 90th year with an anniversary gala.

The gala was also an opportunity to recognise the best athletes of the 2017/18 season.

Male track athlete of the year was awarded to long-term member and club captain Luke Major .

Luke moved to longer distances due to injuries, which saw him coming fifth in the 400m hurdles at his first open nationals.

Female track athlete of the year went to Commonwealth Games star and long jumper Ella Pardy .

After claiming bronze at the Australian Athletics Championships, Ella produced a season’s best performance at the Commonwealth Games for fourth place, just missing the podium by a few hundredths of a second.

The Tim Lyons male field athlete of the year was awarded to pole vaulter Declan Carruthers .

Declan also found himself selected in the Commonwealth Games squad, after placing second in the trials, but was forced to withdraw due to injury during the Games.

Fellow pole vaulter Nina Kennedy was awarded female field athlete of the year, after her excellent bronze medal display on the Gold Coast.

At just 21, Nina has enjoyed an excellent 2017/18, taking the national title and fourth place at the World Indoor Championships.

Isaac Birir was awarded the Gary Aitken male distance athlete of the year in his first season with the UWA Athletics Club.

Two of Isaac’s biggest achievements of the past season include winning the Perth City to Surf half marathon, as well as Australia’s most prestigious marathon, the Melbourne Marathon.

Rising star Siena McQuillan was named female distance athlete of the year, with highlights of her season including two medals at the WA State Championships – silver in the U18 3000m and gold in the U20 5000m.

Youth Olympics team contender Sophie White was given the title of Lyn Foreman U18 female athlete of the year with outstanding form across the season.

Taking the award for a second year in a row, the 16-year-old broke the state U20, U18 and U16 record in the 200m with a time of 23.91 breaking Joyce Bennett’s 55-year-old U20 record.

Timothy Throssell is also in the running for the Youth Olympics, and was awarded U18 male athlete of the year.

The best of Timothy’s results during the season include a new U18 record in the 400m hurdles earlier this year.

Club Captains Luke Major and Alanah Yukich presented the captain’s awards to Katherine Sparrow and Jackson Hamilton .

Katherine has had an outstanding season, hitting personal bests in all track events up to 400m.

Meanwhile, Jackson moved from the UWA Little Athletics Club, and has continued to represent the future of para-athletics in Australia.

The 14-year-old has Australian para records 23 times in Under 16s, and 5 times in Under 18s to date.

Congratulations to all awards recipients, and to the club on celebrating 90 years of success.

Media references

Louis Humberstone

Graduate Officer, UWA Sport Marketing, Communication and Events

[email protected]

6488 3768

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