mmg.com.au

Three Moama Anglican Grammar School students will pit their middle-distance abilities against Victoria’s best when they compete at the Athletics Victoria All Schools Track and Field Championships at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium.

Courtney Schultz, Rebekah Lock and Morgan Power were invited to the three-day event starting today, with Lock and Power contesting the 400m and 800m under 16 and 17 events respectively, while Schultz will compete in the under 17 400m event.

The trio trains at Eaglehawk Athletics Club in Bendigo each Monday and Saturday under the coaching of Terry Hicks, as well as completing gym and recovery sessions every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Hicks, who lives in Bendigo and works for St Anne’s Winery in Moama, trains the girls after school every Wednesday at Jack Eddy Oval.

He said their attentiveness at training and focus when competing made his job an enjoyable one.

‘‘They’re good kids and so well organised,’’ he said.

‘‘I thought I was going to start winding down my coaching commitments but with girls like these ones I enjoy it too much.’’

Hicks, who is also the president of the Eaglehawk club, trains with the girls and endures what they do.

Besides running, the girls also train in boxing, swimming and cycling as part of their fitness and recovery program.

All three are former athletes of Russell Parsons’ North West Athletics program and have the chance to qualify for the Australian Junior Championships in Perth next year, depending on their results.

All three have competed at the Victorian event before and Lock said each year the competition gets harder, while Hicks added their self-motivation was what made them return each year.

‘‘When they’re younger there’s a lot more kids in it, but the hard part’s staying in the sport and training harder and getting bigger and stronger,’’ Hicks said.

It has been a busy year for the athletes, having already competed at the NSW Combined Independent Schools Athletics Championships and Athletics NSW All Schools in Sydney.

And it only gets busier when the trio returns from Melbourne, with all three yet to complete their exams.