General News
8 September, 2024
Times Gone By
- from Rainbow Archives and Historical Society's Peter Ralph
With the recent Olympic and Paralympian Games seeing many great achievements by Aussie participants, we thought it time to revisit October 28 1986, and the wonderful performances at the highest State level by our own Rainbow Secondary School students then.
Given an enrolment of 172, and a location far from the resources of city-based schools, it was then (as it is now) very difficult for staff and families to provide specialist training for talented students hoping to further their sporting aims.
And so assistance, though well-intended, was limited.
That year, two lads - Kish Atwell (cross-country) and Michael Helyar (football) - gained berths to compete at State-wide level competition, which were great experiences for them.
With staff support and lots of lunchtime practice, the crop of athletics hopefuls worked tirelessly at Inter-House, Inter-School and Northern Zone levels.
They did so well that eight of them reached the State level championships - an incredible effort as these events are where the cream of all State school athletes vie for a State title.
And so it was that Gayle Talent (shot put), Kirsten Atwell (long jump), Katrina McCallum (sprints), Annemarie Martin (hurdles) and Rod Mathews (sprints) all reached the most elite finals within their age groups.
Three senior boys, Tim Heinrich, Daryl Fisher and Brad Fisher, completed the eight as they joined with Rod to make a formidable 4x100 metre Open Relay combination.
Held at Olympic Park, the Rainbow contingent was chaperoned by Carol Boulton and Murray Robinson.
All of the students performed at their best, with Katrina and Rod gaining major placings.
Their combined points total meant that Rainbow finished up in 4th position out of the 50 competing schools - a mighty Mallee effort!
The heart-stopper event was the Open Relay where despite the sleek changes, our position meant that final leg flyer Rod, earlier having done well on the track, faced an insurmountable challenge to rundown the field.
But with him churning past several other runners, the boys nevertheless finished a great second!
What a finale for the Year 12 boys and for the Rainbow contingent.
Murray phoned news through to the school as soon as everyone caught their breath.
He added that, without fail, that relay baton would be brought home and mounted.
And so it was.
What a year, not only for sport, as Year 12 student Mandy Humphrey was judged Wimmera Showgirl, and in the new year was to be crowned with the State title.