Matthew Roberts, along with an outstanding group of young Maitland athletes, will remember the 2008 Pacific School Games with a view from the podium.
The 15-year-old swimmer was one of Maitland’s stand out at the games in Canberra from November 30 to December 6, finishing in the top three five times in his five-event campaign.
Roberts smashed the NSW State age record for the 50m butterfly, picked up a second individual gold in the 4x50 medley, finished second in the 100m butterfly and was part of the 4x50 team to blitz the games record of 1 minute 38.88 seconds, with a time of 1 minute 37.68, making it three gold and two silver.
The All Saints College, St Joseph’s Campus, Lochinvar student made the decision about a year ago to give away his love of rugby league and concentrate on his undeniable talent in the pool.
“I started training in the pool for rugby league when I was about 12, then decided about a year ago that I would focus on it,” he said.
His mother, Jodie Roberts, said: “He is a long way behind a lot of kids because they have been swimming since they were about eight or nine years old, but his rise has been really fast,”
Roberts might only be a year into his competitive swimming career but has no qualms setting himself some serious goals – “London (2012 Olympics) I think.”
Ten-year-old Abbey Harkin, who trains with the same Warners Bay squad as Roberts, took two silver medals in the 4x50 freestyle relay and the 4x50 medley relay and swam a fourth-placed personal best time of 2 minutes 48.79 seconds in the 200m individual medley.
Maitland had a strong showing of 10 athletes in the track and field events at the games and living up to expectations was Maitland Christian School’s Bronte Cincotta.
Cincotta walked away from the event with one gold in her favourite long jump event and four silver medals in the ambulant 12-years 100m, 200m, 800m and discuss.
Cessnock High School’s Jacarna Fenton could be forgiven for feeling robbed, she equalled the 14-years 400m games record of 56.46 seconds and still came home with the silver medal after her opponent etched in a faster time.
Brothers Ramsey and Rigby Vane-Wood put together competitive performances on the track as well.
Despite a niggling groin injury Ramsey ran a personal best time of 23.27 seconds in the14 years 200m to finish ninth and miss out narrowly on a final berth, while Rigby followed suite with a personal best discuss throw of 43.60m to finish fourth in the 12-years discus.
Connor Kirkwood carried the flag for Maitland’s younger competitors taking gold in the 10-years 100m relay and bronze in the 10-years 100m and 200m.
Hunter Valley Grammar School’s Dylan Bennett was a part of the winning 4x100m 11-years boys’ relay and ran fourth in the boys’ 11-years 200m final.
Kurri Kurri High School’s Charlotte McLeish-Kinch took out gold in the 15-years girls’ 4x200m and silver in the 4x100m relay with her NSW team.
Dungog High’s Christopher Lill finished just outside the medals in the 17-years long jump, with a distance of 6.85m.
An unfortunate case of pneumonia lingered around long enough to deny Josie Ernst her best performance in the 13-years 400m and 800m as she missed out on the medals, while her St Joseph’s counterpart Olivia Leonard also missed the medals in the 13-years 800m and 1500m events.