VALLEY SPRINTERS SHINE IN THREE DAY CARNIVAL
Diamond Valley Athletic Club sprinters were the highlight of a big weekend of athletics kicked off with the Maurie Plant Meet on the Friday & Saturday and then with Meet #5 of the High Velocity Club & AV Throwers at Knox.
DVAC entered three Relay teams in the Maurie Plant Meet Community relays that were held at Lakeside Stadium on the Friday night. Standout performance for the Valley was the M Open 4 x 100m Relay team of Joshua Koegler, Christos Kozaris, Zander Botha and Asher Andrews that crossed in first place in 43.93. Given that Christos and Zander are still under 16 & Joshua has just turned 16 & Asher is still 19, that time ranks with the best-ever by a DVAC Men Under 20 combination. The club record, set in 2009, stands at 43.9h.
I might be going early, but I think that the 43.93 is a new DVAC club record! If you add 0.14 on to the hand held record as Mr Google suggests, then it stands to reason that the young guns have set a club record!
There is an argument why the Mens Open Medley Relay team of Zander Botha (400m), Charlie Cooper (400m), Joshua Koegler (200m) and Asher Andrews (200m) can claim a second DVAC relay record for the meet simply because DVAC has no record for this arrangement of distances to date. Mind you, the team ran a superb race, finishing second in 2:31.78.
Zoe Strangis, Chelsea King, Aria-Rose Cerqueira & Monica Symanski combined in the AV Clubs FU16 4 x 100m to make it three out of three Valley teams to win a medal. The team crossed in third position in a time of 53.23. The current DVAC FU14 4 x 100m Relay record was set at 52.21 in 2012.
MAURIE PLANT MEET – ELYSSIA & KIRRA
Kirra Wright (FU20) (T36) lined up against the best field of Para sprinters that Athletics Australia could bring together & recorded her best-ever time of 14.90 to claim 4th place with a Classification % of 91.81.
On a wet and windy night at Lakeside, Pole Vaulting becomes a challenge. Elyssia Kenshole still managed to clear 3.91m to finish in 7th place in a star studded field.
HVC & AVT MEET #5 – SUPER SUNDAY FOR SPRINTERS
15 DVAC athletes (6 Female/9 Male) journeyed to the Knox venue on Sunday 29th March for the HVC/AVT #5 meet. For five of the athletes, this was their second day of competition for the weekend.
Heat #1 of the Open Female 100m featured three Valley sprinters. Keely Boyne (F Open) went under 12 seconds for the 5th time this season with
11.99 to cross in third place. Katie Oliver (12.22) followed in at 5th place with Jamie Ritchie (12.31) close behind.
Kirra Wright (F20) (T36) followed on from the big stage at the Maurie Plant meet to the Knox Venue without a hitch in her best-ever form. This time it was the 200m where Kirra set down a new pb time & club record of 31.70.
Asher Andrews (M20) clocked a season best time of 11.03 in the 100m. Asher also threw the 800m Javelin 48.98m and ran the 200m in 23.25 to complete a busy weekend.
Zander Botha (M16) had a huge pb in the 400m with a time of 50.88. The MU16 club record stands at 50.01. Zander’s 400m run came after a busy night at the Maurie Plant Meet on Friday and after running the 200m in 23.37 at Knox on the same day.
Jacob Guyett (M14) lowered his best time for the 200m to 25.61.
Ryan Blair (M Open) (F38) continued his streak of setting club records with a Discus (1.5km) throw measured at 33.76m.
Chehan Udugampala (M18) sent the 700g Javelin a new pb distance of 45.52m.
Toby Hamilton (M16) showed good signs that he recovered from recent injury problems with a Javelin throw of 43.24m and a High Jump of 1.77m.
RESULTS:
MAURIE PLANT MEET MELBOURNE 2026
Friday 27 March 2026
Lakeside Stadium
Relays: AV Clubs:
DVAC Results:
Female:
FU16 4 x 100m: Final: DVAC (Zoe Strangis, Chelsea King, Aria-Rose Cerqueira, Monica Szymanski): 53.23 (3rd)
Male:
MU20 4 x 100m: Final: DVAC (Joshua Koegler, Christos Kozaris, Zander Botha, Asher Andrews): 43.93 (1st)
M Open: Medley (400m, 400m, 200m, 200m): (Zander Botha, Charlie Cooper, Joshua Koegler, Asher Andrews): 2:31.78 (2nd)
MAURIE PLANT MEET MELBOURNE 2026
World Athletics Continental Tour Gold
Saturday 28 March 2026
Lakeside Stadium
DVAC Results:
Female:
Pole Vault:Elyssia Kenshole:3.91m (7th)
100m: (PA Senior): Final:Kirra Wright:14.90 (91.81%) (pb):4th
AVT & HVC #5
Tuesday 29 March 2026
Knox:
DVAC Results:
Female OP
100m: Keely Boyne 11.99 (0.9); Katie Oliver 12.22 (0.9); Jamie Ritchie 12.31 (0.9); Elisha Blair 12.70 (-0.5); Aria-Rose Cerqueira 13.60 (1.0); Kirra Wright 15.00;
200m: Jamie Ritchie 24.70 (+0.0); Aria-Rose Cerqueira 27.69 (0.6); Kirra Wright 31.70 (0.5);
Male OP
100m: Asher Andrews 11.03 (0.9); Josh Koegler 11.63 (2.0); Joshua Dowling 11.79 (2.8); Jacob Guyett 12.45 (0.6);
200m: Asher Andrews 23.25 (1.3); Zander Botha 23.37 (1.3); Josh Koegler 23.44 (1.4); Joshua Dowling 24.56 (+0.0); Jacob Guyett 25.61 (0.2);
400m: Zander Botha 50.88;
Discus: Ryan Blair 33.76m;
High Jump: Toby Hamilton 1.77m;
Javelin: Asher Andrews 48.98m;
Long Jump: Liam Carroll DNS;
Male 20
Discus: Asher Andrews 32.47m;
Female JNR
Javelin: Ines Caton-Smith SCR;
Male JNR
Discus: Wilson Riley 33.34m;
Javelin: Chehan Udugampala 45.52m; Toby Hamilton 43.24m;
(Results compiled by Max Balchin)
CHECK THE pdf VERSION FOR ALL THE CROSS COUNTRY DATES & CC TRIALS DAY INFO
MAURIE PPLANT 2026 & WINTER INFO.pdf
