Fresh-faced Temora athlete Sophie Bowley is gearing up for the Australian Junior Athletics Championships knowing that she’s already proved herself at the elite level.
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Bowley won gold in the under 14 girls 4x100 metre relay in her first Australian All Schools Championships in Adelaide last month, a confidence-boosting victory she will use as a springboard for further success.
Sophie, 13, said it was a real thrill to win a national title.
“It was pretty exciting, pretty fun,” she said.
But claiming gold didn’t come without its challenges.
“I met my teammates for the first time an hour before the race,” she said.
Sophie’s team ultimately stamped their authority on the race, pushing the envelope when the lights shone brightest to win by a convincing margin.
The NWS girls finished in 48.91 seconds, winning quite handily as second-placed Victoria finished in 49.44 seconds.
Western Australia ran in third (49.54) and South Australia finished fourth (49.89).
Competing with fellow youthful standouts Eve Gardner, Shola Adeniran and Hayley Wright, Sophie was able to bask in the glory of the win as the team’s final runner.
The local youngster also competed in the 100 metre sprint, finishing ninth with a time of 12.91 seconds.