Fast feet in Weidemann family

Four children from Rupanyup’s Weidemann family will head to Warrnambool next month after qualifying for Greater Western region cross country finals.

Rupanyup Primary School students Hugh, 8, Adelle, 10, and Connor, 12, enjoyed success at Black Ranges level at St Arnaud at the start of the month.

Hugh finished second in the 10-year-old boys race after winning the same event at Dunmunkle cluster cross country level. This will be his first time competing at a Greater Western competition.

Adelle will run at Greater Western level for the second time after winning the Black Ranges 11-year-old girls race, while Connor enjoyed a convincing win in the 12-year-old boys event at St Arnaud. He has competed in state cross country championships twice.

Murtoa College student Lachlan, 13, won the secondary school 14-year-old boys Black Ranges race at Murtoa last week. He has contested Greater Western region competitions in the past and made it to the state championships on one occasion.

The students’ mother Andrea Weidemann said she was thrilled to see them all progress to the next level.

“Although they don’t do running competitively, other than at the school cross country, the Weidemann children enjoy running, especially the boys,” she said.

“They all participated in the Run for the Kids fun run earlier this year, with the older boys running in the 15-kilometre run.”

Mrs Weidemann said her children were keenly preparing for their races in Warrnambool.

“They have marked the two-kilometre and three-kilometre distances on fence posts by the road outside our farming property and regularly go for a run.”

The Black Ranges competition hosted students from schools in Ararat, Northern Grampians, Buloke and Yarriambiack municipalities, while students from Horsham, West Wimmera and Hindmarsh municipalities competed in Little Desert cross country finals at Kaniva.

The top students from each age group qualified for the Greater Western region cross country finals, on June 1.