Bombala High School’s Bailey Jones is off to Homebush this weekend to compete in two events at the NSW All Schools Track and Field Championships
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The 18-year-old will take on all comers from state, Catholic and independent schools in the long and triple jumps.
Bailey basically fell into the triple jump event after he went to Cooma to compete in athletics.
“We don’t do triple jump here,” Bailey’s dad, Peter Jones, said.
“He just had a go at it and he’s progressed from there.”
Without formal training or a coach, Bailey’s success so far comes down to his natural athleticism and a drive to win.
“He likes his basketball, his footy and his touch footy,” Mr Jones said.
“He’s pretty athletic.”
He went to Cooma for a number of other events and just had a go.
- Peter Jones.
Bailey took out third place at the Combined High Schools state carnival earlier this year and the two competitors who beat him are in a different age bracket at this event.
Despite this, Mr Jones is reluctant to say he would be the favourite going in to Saturday’s competition.
“We really don’t know what other kids are going this time because there are also the private and Catholic schools,” he said.
That said, with a jump of 12 metres he is certainly likely to be among the front-runners.
As well as the pressure of competing at state level, Bailey has his Higher School Certificate to look forward to.
With examinations looming, you would expect him to be a bundle of nerves, but his father says that’s not the case.
“He’s probably more worried about this weekend to be honest,” he said.
Bailey will travel to Sydney Olympic Park at Homebush on Friday, to compete in both his events on Saturday morning.
He will join more than 1400 secondary school athletes for the NSW All Schools Track and Field Championships - the state championships for secondary school athletes.
The event has a long and rich history in NSW, being a breeding ground for many of NSW's best athletes, including Matt Shirvington, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, Jana Rawlinson and current stars Dani Samuels, Fabrice Lapiere, Ryan Gregson and Joel Milburn.
The competition is open to any athlete currently attending a NSW Secondary School, between the ages of 12-19. There is no direct progression from a previous carnival, and no qualifying standards exist.
No doubt Bailey will be carrying the best wishes of all his family and friends back in Bombala.
