Lilly’s shot at Perth

Narrandera athlete Lilly Hewitt is heading off to compete at the Australian All Schools Championships in Perth on December 7.

Lilly won silver in the hammer throw at the NSW All Schools Championships in Sydney to qualify for the event. This will be the sixth time she has represented NSW at a national level.

During her nationals preparation, she threw a new record in the open women’s discus of 34.96m to win the event, along with a winning shot put throw of 12.74m at the MIA Championships at Griffith last weekend.

The Year 12 student at Narrandera High has been juggling school exams, part-time work at Narrandera Bakery, volunteering at Bidgee Boxing, mentoring young athletes and training this spring.

Lilly has trained weekly under former Olympic coach Bill Jacobs at Wagga since she was in Year 6.

This year, Lilly has competed in the state finals and Australian Junior Championships, finishing third in shotput with a throw of 14.54m.

Following the Australian All Schools Championships, Lilly will target the NSW Country Championships and ACT Athletics Championships in January, and Australian Junior Championships in March.

She will travel with the NSW team to Perth on December 5 – her first time travelling with the state team and in a plane.

Her mother Peta Hewitt said Lilly had gone up in weight in the shot put from 3kg to 4kg to compete in open womens.

“At the Temora carnival she threw 12.60m which is her best with the 4kg – that was the first time she had thrown that weight in competition,” Mrs Hewitt said. “She is in a transition period throwing two different weights – 3kg for the schools events and 4kg for the open.

“At Perth she will be throwing 3kg but in January this will move to 4kg.”

In training, Lilly has thrown the discus 52m but in competition her best is 45m.

“She is hoping to throw a PB of 48m in the discus at Perth to make top eight,” Mrs Hewitt said. “If she throws 52m she will be certainly in with a chance.”

Peta and her husband Craig will be flying to Perth to support their seventeen-year-old daughter.