Sam Pike leaps into the School Sport Australia Track and Field Exchange for long jump.
By Sarah Schwager
A CLYDE youngster may be heading for sports stardom after being accepted to represent Victoria in the 2006 School Sport Australia Track and Field Exchange.
Sam Pike, 12, jumped his personal best to claim second in the long jump event at the Victorian Primary Schools Sports Association Championships in Bendigo last week.
He jumped a massive 4.99 metres in the state event, also coming seventh in the triple jumps with a jump of 10.06 metres.
The grade six Hillcrest Christian College student had to qualify through the school, district, zone, regional and state championships to make the national athletics competition.
“I’m very excited. I can’t believe I get to go to Cairns,” Sam said.
This was Sam’s first year competing in the state competition after starting athletics training three years ago.
“I’ve trained a lot in Little Athletics. My mum and dad have helped a lot, too,” he said.
Sam competed only in the long jump and triple jump, which he said were his favourite events.
But Sam has higher aspirations than athletics. He wants to become a basketballer and already plays for Cranbourne Ice.
“I know I am going to be tall. I really want to be a basketball player when I’m older,” he said.
Sam said he inherited the sports genes from both his father, who played cricket and football, and his mother, who specialised in high jump and netball.
He said time would tell for his younger brother Benjamin, 7.
Sam will represent the Victorian team in long jump at the Track and Field Exchange in Cairns, Queensland, which will be held from 23 to 27 November.
