BENDIGO teenager Avery McDermid fought on to claim the bronze medal in Tuesday's running of the under-17 800m at Athletics Australia's national junior field and track titles in Adelaide.
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After winning his heat in 1:56.62 in Monday's heat, McDermid followed up with a faster time in the two-lap final.
The rising star from Bendigo University Pride clocked 1:55.39.
Also in Tuesday's finals was Eaglehawk's Tahlia Blight in the under-15 400m.
A season best of 59.27 seconds earned fifth place in the one-lap dash.
Blight ran her heat in 60.12 to be runner-up.
Gold is already on its way back to Bendigo after Jordyn Lewis achieved a personal best of 2.75m to win the under-14 pole vault.
The youngster from South Bendigo Athletics Club who is coached by Peter Barrett also marked a season best.
Bloods' clubmate Tyler Fynch ran the under-15 1500m final in 4:14.65, which broke the Bendigo residential record for the under-14 age group.
Fynch was ninth on the Adelaide track.
Bendigo was well represented across day one.
At hammer throw, Hailey Stubbs from Bendigo Harriers reached a distance of 47.27m to be fourth in the under-17 final.
South Bendigo's Chelsea Tickell ran the 1500m in 4:43.60 to be eighth in the under-16 final.
Clubmate Genevieve Nihill ran the 800m in 2:20.28 to be sixth in her heat of the under-18 class.
Eaglehawk's Fletch Watchman ran the under-18 400m hurdles in 1:02.86 to be sixth in his heat.
Hawks' clubmate Cooper Richardson ran his under-16 100m heat in 11.74 to be fifth.
The teen who has also entered the 200m faced a wind of -2.2 in the 100m dash.
Season-best times or distances across the seven-discipline heptathlon capped a great campaign for South Bendigo's Kai Norton.
After two days of hot competition, Norton was a top-eight finisher in the under-16 division.
Best results were second in the shot put, 15.11m; and third at javelin, 44.48m.
Norton also performed strongly in the 100m hurdles, 15.79; 200m, 25.08; long jump, 5.47m; and 1500m, 5:40.
He fought back brilliantly from no height at high jump.
Norton's focus is now individual throws at javelin, discus, hammer and shot put.
High for Bendigo in the open and under-20 championships was the gold medal-winning feat by Emma Berg in the open shot put.
South Bendigo clubmate Jemma Norton hit a personal best of 33.34m to be 21st in the under-20 hammer (4kg).
Harrison Boyd from Bendigo Harriers ran the 1500m in a season-best 3:56.52 to be fourth in his heat of the under-20 class.
