THE dream of competing on the national stage will be realised for two local junior athletes this weekend, with Jack Barry and Kayla McInerney taking their first big steps towards becoming the next big stars of Australian Athletics.
Both Barry and McInerney will compete at the Australian Little Athletics Championships at the state of the art SA Athletics Stadium in Adelaide this Saturday and Sunday, with the pair representing Victoria after achieving national qualifying performances at the state track and field championships last month.
It will be a proud moment for not only the two budding athletics stars and their families, but also for the Swan Hill Little Athletics Centre, with the club “batting well above its average”, according to club president Steve Colombo.
“It’s fantastic for Jack (Barry) and Kayla (McInerney) to reach this level, but also for the club to produce two incredibly talented athletes,” Colombo told The Guardian this week.
“As young as they are, they’re both great leaders for our club as well, they lead the really young kids but they’re also clearly able to back up that leadership with being able to perform themselves and to get the opportunity to do that on such a big stage is a credit to them.
“For them to go away and compete at such a high standard, I think it’s a fitting way to end the season and it’s a lot of reward for all the hard work that they’ve put into becoming the best they can be.
“To compete in athletics at this stage, they (Barry and McInerney) are pretty much training every day, essentially five days a week, so they’re putting in the hard yards.
“If they both perform to their PB’s, they might bring home a couple medals as well, which would be fantastic.
“It would be really rewarding for them to be able to come home with something, but if not, just the fact that they are competing at the nationals is an achievement in itself.”
Barry will have four opportunities to medal, with the budding runner competing in the 200m, 400m, hurdles and relay, while McInerney will take part in her pet event – the long jump – where she finished second in the Victorian state track and field championships.
While both are considered leaders within the Swan Hill Little Athletics team, their success has also come as little surprise to Colombo, who is as impressed with the pair’s personal development as he is with their athletic improvement.
“Jack (Barry) is more of the quiet achiever, he just goes about his business, is incredibly methodical and he’s a great planner and he likes to set himself up for success as much as he can,” Colombo said.
“I guess that’s been his big journey, in the last 12 months, he’s taken huge steps forward in his results and his growth has been phenomenal.
“Kayla (McInerney) is just an absolute powerhouse, she does an incredible amount of training and has been one of our strongest athletes for a while now.
“It’s great that she’s been able to get the recognition that she deserves in getting to the national level.
“Within the club, they’re both great role models for the other kids, their behaviours, their attributes and how they train, how they compete.
“They’re really great role models and they bring that positive energy which reflects on our club with how we focus not just on the results, but also on having fun and enjoying yourself.”
The weekend will cap off a big 12 months for the Swan Hill Little Athletics Centre, with the club achieving some amazing results on the representative stage across the season.
Along with Barry and McInerney’s success, Hunter Wells won a bronze medal in the under-17 triple jump at the state titles, while Carly Shepherd also finished third in the under 16 800m.
Their success followed the selection of Sienna Colombo and Aiden Nolen for the Little Athletics Victoria’s development tour to New Zealand in January this year, with Nolen also representing Victoria in the 400m at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Perth earlier this month.
“By far, this will be the best season the club’s ever had in terms of our representation and success when we’ve travelled to regionals, states and now nationals,” Colombo said.
“For us as a club, it’s all about creating an environment where the kids are comfortable and having fun, which enables them to be the best version of themselves while cheering crazy for everyone around them.
“It’s all about doing your best, but having fun doing it.”
