KANGAROO Flat’s Blake Pryse is aiming to keep on jumping higher and further in many track and field events.Pryse’s feats in the jumps at the Victoria Country track and field titles in Bendigo earned one of the competition’s most prestigious awards, the Joyce Lockyer Memorial Shield.The award not only recognises outstanding performances, but also sportsmanship and dedication to field event/s and discipline.“To win the Joyce Lockyer Memorial award was a surprise,” 15-year-old Pryse said.“There were so many talented athletes at the titles across all age groups, so to be named this year’s winner meant a lot to me.”Previous recipients of the Lockyer award include South Bendigo’s multi-talented athlete David Purdon and Eaglehawk sprint star Sophie Taylor.A great run by Pryse at the country titles on his home track at the La Trobe University Bendigo athletics complex in Flora Hill included gold in the under-18 pole vault, long jump and triple jump.He cleared 3.75m at pole vault and reached a mark of 6.25m at long jump.A highlight was his leap of 12.76m at triple jump, which broke the Athletics Bendigo under-16 record of 12.70m jointly held by Gary Cowling, Aaron Gamble and Ricky McLean.Pryse was rapt to have won gold in all three events he contested.“The triple jump was into a really strong headwind, so to reach 12.76 and break the record was exciting,” he said.“My run-up and timing were things I had really worked on a lot at training.“The wind (6.25m) made it tough, but I just focused on what I had to do.”He said encouraging words and some tips from his coach, Brett Gilligan, just before what would be the record-breaking leap really helped him a lot.“The pressure was greater because of it being country championships, but I just tried to focus on doing what I had done at training and every other Saturday,” the Girton Grammar student said.Pryse’s next major hit-out will be the Victorian Junior Championships on February 24 to 26 at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park.He will then focus on the Australian Juniors at Sydney’s Olympic Park in mid-March.The Pryses, dad Paul and sons Blake and Jemuel, went on a medal-winning spree at the country titles.Competing in the 40-plus class, Paul won gold in the pole vault, silver in the 110m hurdles, and bronze in the 400m hurdles and long jump.Jemuel, 12, won four gold medals and two silver. A great run by the young star included victory in the under-14 pole vault, high jump, triple jump and discus.The feats by the Pryse trio helped Bendigo YMCA Harriers be the No.1 men’s team and win the David Kitt Memorial trophy for the first time since it was first contested in ‘95.Bendigo YM was runner-up for the Margaret Saunders Country Cup. The battle for overall team honours was won by Eaglehawk for the fifth year running.The Bendigo YM squad, which is likely to include the Pryses, will be determined to go one rung higher at next year’s country titles.