Legana's middle distance running sensation Sam Clifford has been nominated for Athletics Australia's junior male athlete of the year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The nomination recognises a stunning 2019 season for the Newstead Athletics talent whose coach Gary Armstrong has also been shortlisted in the awards.
Clifford's nomination profile said he "displayed his versatility" with a strong 30th place finish in the world under-20 cross-country championships in Denmark before breaking the under-18 Australian 5000m record in a time of 14.07.92 in November.
It added: "He then continued his dominance in Australian under-age distance running at the all schools championships, winning both the under-18 1500m and 3000m."
The 18-year-old is one of six nominations, all from different states and territories.
Victorian Jack Boulton won the under-16 100m and 400m all schools titles; Colby Eddowes (ACT) claimed the under-18 decathlon along with four other medals at junior nationals; South Australian Isaac Heyne won the under-20 5000m title; Queensland decathlete Ashley Moloney won the Oceania Championships; and Etienne Rousseau, of Western Australia, won the shot put and discus at the Australian All-Schools Championships.
Earlier this week, Clifford told The Examiner his upcoming schedule would be dominated by the world cross-country championships, set to be held in Bathurst in March, and the world track titles which were scheduled for Nairobi this July before being postponed due to the coronavirus.
The Launceston College student will run 8000m in Bathurst and has recorded qualifying times over 3000 and 5000m for the track titles, providing they still stand and the event goes ahead.
Athletics Australia has been announcing nominees daily with the awards set to be held online next Wednesday (June 10) evening from 7.30pm, hosted by Olympic silver medallist John Steffenson.
Armstrong had already been nominated for the junior athlete coach of the year while Launceston's Sandra Speers and Hobart's Rosemary Coleman had seen Tasmania claim two of the nine nominations for official of the year.
Also on Wednesday, the Athletics Australia board said it remained committed to ensuring this year's national cross-country championships will go ahead, ideally around late September or October.
"With the gradual easing of state-based COVID-19 restrictions, it is also hoped that the opening of state and territory borders will soon follow, allowing the championships to proceed as planned in Adelaide," AA said on its website.