Mentone boy takes Australian Athletics Championships u-14 javelin title
Jack Mogensen’s 36.05 metres javelin throw was a personal best and saw him crowned Australia’s under-14 javelin champion.
Local Sports Stars
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WHEN Jack Mogensen threw a javelin 36.05 metres, two things surprised him.
Firstly, the distance — which was a personal best by more than a metre — and secondly, the fact he’d just become Australia’s under-14 javelin champion.
“I kind of felt over-gifted — like on Christmas when you get three Christmas presents from one person,” he said.
“I wasn’t even expecting to get a medal because of the high standard, because I knew a few people qualified around the same distance as me and the person who qualified first threw really far.”
Jack admits that boy “had a bad day” during the Australian Athletics Championships u-14 javelin final, but said persistent training was why he himself succeeded.
He started out at Chelsea in the under-5 age group and as an under-10 moved to Mentone for Little Athletics, where he remains training today, as well as at Sandringham to compete in the senior competitions.
He said his coach would focus on teaching one thing at a time until Jack mastered it before moving on to another technique.
And it appears the coaching style has paid off with Jack ending the 2016/17 athletics season on a high as national and state u-14 javelin champion.
Although Jack will switch his mind to soccer while he’s got a short break before the next athletics season kicks off, he says he’s happy as long he’s doing something sport-related.
“I don’t care if I’m managing, doing or coaching the sport,” he said.
“I’ve been kicking a ball since I could stand and I’ve been running around since.”
Jack is this week’s Mordialloc Chelsea Leader Junior Sports Star.
Leader Local Sports Stars medallists will be named in seven categories including juniors, teams, individuals and encouragement.
The program is now a national celebration, and junior category winners will be judged for national awards.
Cash prizes as well as vouchers from our sponsor Sportsmart are up for grabs.
For full details and to nominate an athlete, go to localsportsstars.com.au
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