Hallam’s Stefanie Fenton is enjoying a record-breaking season for Narre Warren Little Athletics Club.By Marc McGowan
FEW sportspeople can match Hallam athlete Stefanie Fenton’s past five weeks.
Fenton, 15, smashed her fifth club or centre record in as many weeks at Dandenong Little Athletics Centre (DLAC) on Saturday.
She now holds an astounding 15 records over different age groups since starting the sport nine years ago.
But don’t think that’s the end of her extraordinary feats.
The Narre Warren little athlete also won her first state title last month in the under-15 discus at the Victorian Secondary Schools’ Sport Association track-and-field state finals.
Fenton also placed sixth in the under-15 javelin.
Put simply, it has been an amazing period in the Year 9 Gleneagles Secondary College student’s sporting life.
“I’ve broken the same record continuously throughout the year in discus and javelin before, but I’ve never broken five separate records,” she said.
“I’m thinking maybe a sprint record (next) because I enjoy the sprinting.
“To break the 1500m and the steeple, I thought, ‘I’m not exactly a long distance runner, but I’ll take that!’ ”
Fenton has even broken two of older sister Brittany’s marks during her record-breaking spree.
“That was pretty cool because last year I missed her shotput record, so she was kind of like, ‘ooh, I’m better than you’,” she laughed.
“But this year when I beat her I was like, ‘Ha, I got it!’.”
Fenton’s family is heavily involved in little athletics.
Her older sister, Brittany, 17, used to compete for Narre Warren, while her younger siblings, Maddison, 11, and Chris, 9, are alsostate-medal winning athletes.
Her father, Steve, is the DLAC president, while her mother, Kerry, is the duty and publicity officer.
Fenton also calls her grandfather, Keith, her biggest fan, and he rarely misses a competition.
Keith gave her her nickname – Splodge, after the hyperactive kangaroo in successful children’s program, Blinky Bill.
Fenton knows she is a long way from representing her country in the sport, but draws inspiration from former Narre Warren Little Athlete Jeff Riseley.
Riseley competed in the 1500m at this year’s Beijing Olympic Games.
“That would be pretty awesome, to represent Australia,” Fenton said.
“But it’s something like one in every 1000 athletes that do it, so you’re going to have to be pretty lucky to get in there.”
Fenton is instead setting her sights on next year’s state championships and the Little Athletics State Multi-Event Championships, both of which will be held in March.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to say I’m the best (for my age group) in Victoria for the discus,” she said.
“But I’ll have to throw further than I did last month to win the state championships.
“Dad’s taking me to the state ‘multis’ as well, but my main problem with that is I can’t hurdle.
“But this year I’m going to work up to it and I really want to do well at that.”
