BENDIGO'S best little athletes put themselves to the test this weekend as the city hosts the Northern Country regional track and field championships.
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More than 300 youngsters are taking part in the two-day carnival, including a huge home-town team of almost 100 competitors.
The Bendigo contingent includes many talented teenagers who will be hoping to reproduce their medal-winning form from Athletics Victoria's junior championships last weekend.
Distance runner Luke Padgham and thrower Bree Heiden are strong contenders in their age groups, having both broken local records this season - Padgham in the under-15 1500m, and Heiden in under-14 shot put and discus.
Fraser Symons and Ella Farnell are jumpers to look out for in the under-14 age group, while thrower Mackenzie Cooper and hurdlers Lachie Johnson and Ellie Wilson will be out to impress in their final year of little athletics.
Runner Ben Powell won state medals last year in the 400m and 800m and will contest both races again in the under-14 section.
Among the leading younger athletes, Charlotte Sexton set a new Bendigo under-11 high jump record and took out the Victorian primary schools title before Christmas. She will also challenge in the triple jump, as will Hunter Staples.
Carissa Brook, who has competed at national level, will likely be up the front of the field in her under-12 1500m race walk event and hurdler Scott Johnson has dominated his races over 60m and 80m at region level in recent years and won several state titles.
The championships feature competitors from 21 little athletics centres stretching from Albury to Kyneton and including Shepparton, Wangaratta, Rochester, Echuca and Rutherglen.
Athletes from under-9 through to under-15 are aiming to qualify for the state titles in Melbourne in late March. Events are also being held for under-8s, but they do not progress.
The Northern Country region has produced several world-class athletes, including Bendigo's Commonwealth Games hammer representative champion Tim Driesen and Olympic shot putter Scott Martin, from Wodonga.
Both still hold regional little athletics records in throwing events.
Weekend action starts at the La Trobe University Bendigo athletics track at 10am on Saturday and continues from 8.30am on Sunday. Entry is free.
