Ron Bendall

Janet Naylon set a UTS Norths club record for 60m hurdles in the women’s 55+ years category at the Northern Zone winter series competition at Rotary Field on Saturday.

Janet was also second in the 60m and 150m.

Ron Bendall squad winners on the day included Bronte Pickering who took out the open women’s 60m and 150m sprint double.

Clinton McEwan won the open men’s 60m an was second behind Riley Sloan in the 150m.

Maria Cimino dominated the 40+ years women’s throwing events, taking out the throws pentathlon, the shot put, discus, hammer, javelin and weight throw.

Matthew Hunt won the under 16 years male athlete of the year award at the UTS Norths annual presentation day on Saturday.

During the 2020-21 season Matthew won the u/16 boys 200m hurdles South Australian Championship and was fourth in the same event at the NSW Championships.

While |Matthew was the only winner several other Ron Bendall squad athletes were nominated for awards.

Nicolette Donofrio was nominated in two categories, the under 20 years female athlete of the year and the development award.

Nicolette won the state under 20 years100m hurdles and was second in the same event at nationals.

James Hunt, who won the South Australian u/20 400m hurdles championship and was sixth at nationals, was nominated for the under 20 years male athlete of the year award.

Maria Cimino qualified for the open national championships in the hammer throw at age 49 years, set club records in weight throw, heavyweight throw and throws pentathlon and won three gold medals at NSW Masters. She was nominated for the female masters athlete of the year award.

Ron Bendall was a nominee in the coach of the year category, an award he won for the third time the prev ious season.

Maria Cimino was re-elected vice-president at UTS Norths Athletics Club’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday.

It is the fifth year Maria has held the position, first having been elected in the 2017-18 season.

Three Ron Bendall squad athletes topped the UTS Norths ranking at the end of the 2020/21 season.

Nicolette Donofrio was the fastest woman in the club over 150m and was second in the 100m hurdls rankings.

Jessie Wong was best over 300m hurdles and Maria cimino topped the rankings in the heavyweight throw.

Joey Dennis was second fastest male over 150m.

Maria Cimino broke her own club record in winning the throws pentathlon at the Northern zone Winter Series at Rotary field.

Maria also won the women’s40+ years women’s shot put, discus, hammer throw, javelin and weight throw.

Squad mate Dave Turner was second in the men’s 40+ years 60m.

Claudia Healey enjoyed a big day out at her school athletics carnival.

The Loreto Kirribilli student and Ron Bendall squad member won the 14 years 400m and long jump and was second in the 100m and 200m.

Claudia was also sixth in the School Championship which featured the 10 fastest 100m runners over all age groups.

Following her second placing in the under 20 years women’s hurdles at the National Championships, Nicolette Donofrio has been selected in Athletics Australia’s Target Talent Program.

 The Target Talent Program is the first step on Athletics Australia’s High Performance Pathway, and is an important step in ensuring the long term success of athletics within Australia.

TTP’s aim is to attract athletes with the greatest potential of representing Australia at the senior level.

Ron Bendall squad athletes broke 11 UTS Norths club records in the 2020-21 season.

Ashley McMahon set records over 60m, 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m in the 45+ years men’s age group.

Maria Cimino set records in the weight throw, heavyweight throw and throws pentathlon in the women’s 45+ years age category.

Jessie Wong set a record in the under 18 years girls 300m hurdles, as did Monique Perry over 100m in the 45+ years women’s age group and Caerl Murray in the 1250m in the 45+ years men’s category.

Competing in her first Australian University Games at SOPAC, Bronte Pickering made the finals of both the women’s 100m and 200m.

Bronte finished fifth in the 100m and seventh in the 200m.

At the National Track and Field Championships at SOPAC, Ron Bendall squad athletes:

Wone one silvr medal;

Made four other finals;

And ran four personal best times.

Nicolette Donofrio won the silver medal in the under 20 years women’s 100m hurdles.

The other finalists were:

Jessie Wong (2), fifth in both the under 18 years girls 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles;

James Hunt, sixth in the under 20 years men’s 400m hurdles;

And Susie Douglas, eighth in the open women’s 400m hurdles.

Nicolette Donofrio ran personal best times in both her heat and her final as did James Hunt.