By JARROD POTTER
CASEY Grammar School speedster Aiden Saluni-Kettle has set a new Victorian standard in his beloved hurdles.
Saluni-Kettle, 14, from Cranbourne, has been in scintillating form already in this summer athletics season as he broke a school sports running record at last month’s School Sports Victoria State Track and Field Championships.
Setting the new mark for the boys 14 years 100 metre hurdles 84cm – Saluni-Kettle got out early and flew home to set the new time of 13.74 seconds.
“It’s pretty good – It was a fairly good win for me,” Saluni-Kettle said.
Clearing the 84cm hurdles in ease, Saluni-Kettle backed up his SSV achievements to register another victory at the All Schools Championships, picking up gold in the longer form 200m hurdles.
He hopes to expand his running repertoire in months to come as the 100m sprint is something he’s set as a major goal.
With a best time of 12.06 in the 100m dash, there’s no question he could have what it takes to add the flatland marquee event to his schedule.
The improvements have come along dramatically for Saluni-Kettle as he attributes his better times to a more serious training load, heading out to Ringwood for tutelage from coach Peter Benifer.
“I just recently got a coach – Peter Benifer – started training more probably and had lots of improvements and that’s probably why I got these medals,” Saluni-Kettle said.
All these state achievements set the scene for Saluni-Kettle’s bigger challenges to end the season as he looks towards track nationals and hopefully knocking down some records and potentially pick up a couple of medals as an under-age athlete.
“Always times to achieve but I want to do well at the next couple of nationals,” Saluni-Kettle said.
“The closest nationals I have to compete up an age group, so for this one it will probably be times, but the next one will be in Perth and I’ll be in the top age group so that’s the one I’ll want to get some great results.”
He wanted to thank his mum for her support and especially driving him to training throughout the week and heading around to the meets on the weekends too.
