High five for Games star Brooke

TRACK-and-field star Brooke Stratton, 15, has excelled at the Pacific School Games in Canberra.
The Knox Little Athletics competitor took home five gold medals, showing her talents in the 200 metres hurdles, 90 metres hurdles, triple jump, 4 x 200 relay, and the long jump.
She qualified in the long jump for next year’s world youth championships in Italy, and also has been selected for the Australian Youth Olympic Festival, to be held in Sydney next month.
Brooke was one of 30 present and former Knox Little Athletics competitors to attend the Pacific School Games from 30 November-6 December.
The Games began as a test event for the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. School Sport Australia took responsibility for them and they have become the flagship of the Australian school sports program.
The number of competitors has grown from 2184 from 12 teams (including all Australian states and territories) in the first Games to some 3500 competitors from 30 teams from the states and territories, countries around the Pacific Rim and other invited nations.
More than 500 officials accompanied the teams. Knox Little Athletics Club athletes featured prominently. Dakota Pyke, 11, won the 100 and 200 metres and Jack Sheridan, 14, won the 400 metres in an impressive 49.72 seconds.