Scolyer breaks 25-year record at SATIS athletics championships

She broke a record that’s stood since 1998 at the SATIS athletics championships in Launceston, but Chelsea Scolyer has every reason to be confident she’ll run faster at nationals. Read why here.

Chelsea Scolyer (far left) on her way to winning the open 100m final at the SATIS athletics carnival in Launceston on Tuesday. Picture: Jon Tuxworth

TURNER’S Beach athlete Chelsea Scolyer defied an untimely bout of the flu to erase a 25-year-old time from the record books at the Sports Association of Tasmanian Independent Schools (SATIS) Athletics Carnival at Launceston on Tuesday.

Fresh from an open level 100m victory at the state championships on the St Leonards track just over two weeks ago, Scolyer clocked 11.99 seconds in the open girls final, eclipsing the previous record of 12.17 set by national level sprinter Lauren Jauncey in 1998.

The time was slower than the 11.71 the Marist Regional College student set at the state championships, but a strong hitout before the junior national championships at Brisbane next weekend.

She has another year of school to shave more time off her SATIS record next season.

The 17-year-old North-West Athletics Club member missed last year’s nationals due to injury and is ranked top three in the 100m and 200m.

Pictures: Students square off at SATIS athletics

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“It’s not the best time, the state champs time was better but it’s still a good hitout to get ready for nationals which is the main thing,” Scolyer said.

“11.6 would be nice (next year), depending on weather of course.

“You try and envision someone beating me and relaxing. But I only get the good times when I go to nationals or compet in the open state championship.”

Scolyer is confident she’ll go much faster in Brisbane after battling illness in the lead-up to the SATIS, which featured year 7-12 athletes from 20 schools.

“I haven’t been at a nationals in two years, I was injured last year. It will be nice to see what I can do up there, I usually run better with pressure,” she said.

“I’ve just got a bit of a flu and I have asthma too, which makes it worse.

“I’ve been doing the ecalyptus oil with boiling water and does affect everything, putting your body under that much pressure.

“It’s always good to break a record, espeically ones that are 20-plus years old.

I believe she (Jauncey) made some Australian teams, it gives good confidence.”

Other records broken were Jessica Bray (38.95m girls open discus throw); Arielle Cannell (40.26m, girls under 15 discus throw), Chanel Charles (26.33s, girls under-14 200m; 58.66s, girls under 14 400m), Arden Petersen (4:32.81, boys under 13 1500m; 2:11.10, boys unders 13 800m).