From left, Jessee Yields, Nilu Perera, Ethan Cornford and Kaine Johnston combined to take out the under-nine medley relay at the State Relay Championships at Olympic Park on Sunday. By Marc McGowan
THE dream has come to fruition.
Under-nine athletes Jessee Yields, Kaine Johnston, Nilu Perera and Ethan Cornford combined to trump all comers on Sunday to complete a fairytale win in the State Relay Championships at Olympic Park.
The foursome qualified for the state titles in the medley relay (two 100 metres, one 200-metre and one 400-metre) by emerging victorious in regional competition.
They debuted at the Mentone open day last month and were cobbled together from three little athletics clubs – Hampton Park, Dandenong Districts and Narre Warren.
With little to choose from, Jessee, who was an unregistered athlete when they started, was plucked from obscurity to make up the squad.
From lane three and competing against six other teams – one was scratched – Jessee burst from the blocks and passed the baton to Kaine in fourth spot and nipping on the heels of his opponents.
Kaine brought them closer with a barnstorming 100-metre leg, before Nilu burned the track up with an electric 200 metres that had the quartet in second spot only just behind the first place Lilydale-Yarra Ranges side.
The stage was set for another Ethan special and the nine-year-old did not disappoint.
He roared to the front within the first 200 metres, just ahead of his Lilydale-Yarra Ranges and Bacchus Marsh combatants, only to hit the wall and be overtaken at the 300-metre mark.
If there is one thing the four boys have, however, it is heart and Ethan picked himself off the canvas and sped past his rivals on the line to steal a memorable triumph.
To put Ethan’s performance into perspective, his fourth-leg Lilydale-Yarra Ranges adversary was the under-nine 400-metre Victorian champion.
Assistant coach and Kaine’s father Ken Johnston was ecstatic at the massive achievement.
“Jessee gave us a great start. He ran for his life yesterday; he has quickened up so much since he started,” he said.
“Ethan never normally gets challenged. His dad gave him away and thought he was spent (at the 300-metre mark). Then he came again; his legs pumped and pumped and pumped and he gave it all he’s got.”
They were awarded medals and Dandenong will receive a pennant, which is believed to be the club’s inaugural state success.
The group is also going to have Puma T-shirts made up, with ‘Together we achieved 2006’ on the back of them, while Sunday’s date and venue will join the euphoric words.
The boys will return to being competitors this weekend and Jessee, Kaine and Nilu have designed a strategy to defeat Ethan.
“They reckon they’ll tie Ethan’s laces together!” Johnston laughed.
