TEENAGE high jumping sensation Eleanor Patterson shapes as one of the stars of the Victorian Country Track and Field Championships in Ballarat.
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While the Leongatha youngster will also test her sprinting prowess in the 100m, Patterson’s performance in the high jump will be her main focus over the in the three-day event, which begins at Llanberris Athletic Centre tomorrow night.
The 17-year-old earned the billing as the best female high jump prospect worldwide in close to three decades after clearing 1.96m at the Australian All-School Track and Field Championships in Townsville in last month.
This is the biggest jump by an athlete of her age since 1984.
Patterson won the world youth under-18 title in the Ukraine last year and is target to compete at either the world junior championships or Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Patterson will begin her meet representing the South Coast in the women’s open and under-20 high jumps on Friday night.
She will then run in the under-20 100m and under-18 high jumps on Saturday.
Eureka Athletics Club’s Emma Werner is Ballarat’s hope for a place in the women’s open hammer throw.
The 21-year-old, who hails from Dimboola, has represented Australia twice as a hammer thrower and she hopes to better her personal best of 38.75m.
She will also compete in the shotput, discus and javelin.
Werner began training for hammer-throw at 17 years of age.
“It’s something that has interested me and I hadn’t seen it done before,” Werner said.
“I’d love to place in the hammer throw, one of my competitors is going for the Commonwealth Games. I won’t go for it this year, but I will in the future.”
Werner will compete in the Hobart Graeme Briggs Grand Prix next week.