Students make their mark at Athletics Carnival

By Tamara McMahon This year’s athletics carnival was filled with excitement and remarkable achievements, but two standout students, Arthur Bateman and Harry Radnedge, have made headlines for their record-breaking performances. Arthur, a talented Year 3 athlete, broke the 9-year boys 100m record, which had stood since 2009, with an impressive time of 15.88 seconds. Reflecting on his accomplishment, Arthur shared, “I was shocked really, I was proud to bring a record back to our family." "My dad used to have this record and he still holds the record for the 200m," he said. Despite his incredible success, Arthur remains humble about his training. “Not really. I just like to play footy and other sports,” he admitted. However, it wasn’t just the 100m that brought him joy; he also took first places in other events including the long jump and is excited to represent his school in six events at the district level. Arthur credits his speed to his family, saying he thinks he get his speed from his dad, who made it to state, and his mum, who was also a really fast runner and good at basketball. “My legs were shaking but I didn’t really feel nervous," Arthur said, when asked about his pre-race nerves. He enjoys the thrill of running and takes pride in being able to represent his school. Looking forward, he expressed his eagerness to help his relay team win at the district carnival. Harry, a Year 4 student, made waves in the junior boys' 1500m race by breaking the previous record set in 2019. “I was thinking I wasn’t sure if I’d win. I had a goal to break a long-distance record. It made me feel like I shouldn’t give up and to keep going,” he explained. Despite facing challenges, including cramps during the race, Harry’s determination propelled him to victory. “It felt very very good. I was very proud of myself,” he shared. Harry’s training routine includes running around the block and playing sports like soccer and rugby. He draws inspiration from athletes such as Nedd Brockmann, who famously ran across Australia, and American sprinter Noah Lyles. The athletics carnival proved to be full of surprises for Harry as well. “I didn’t think I would win as many events and make it to district for so many things,” he said, reflecting on his unexpected success. To younger students aspiring to excel in athletics, Harry advises to probably train and one of the main things to do is to have fun. Congratulations to these young athletes on their record-breaking performances!