It’s been a busy month for athletics star Matthew Campion on the state and national stage.
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The distance runner fought off a bout of flu last month at the Australian All Schools cross country in Hobart to speed home for 6th place.
Despite having the flu, Campion was thrilled with his race.
“NSW won the team medal so I was part of the team national championship win,” he said.
“We also won silver in the team relays.
“It was really good to race at a national cross country level and to come sixth was incredible.”
Last week, Campion took on the the state’s best at the NSW CHS athletics to claim gold in his favourite event, the 3000 metre steeplechase, and fourth in the three kilometre run.
With his sights set on a podium finish, Campion was disappointed with fourth in the 3km event.
“The first 200 metres, I wasn't tactically aware and two people got away and that was where the race was won and lost,” he said.
“I believe I could have easily ran the time the winner ran so I was pretty disappointed in that so it motivated to win the steeple even more.”
He snagged the medal in the steeplechase easily.
Campion surged to an early lead and strode away from the competition which included fellow team members and training mates Stuart Geddes and Henry Sindel.
“Heading into the races, I was pretty confident in the steeple because I knew most of the competitors and I had raced them before so I was confident in that and I had a pretty good race plan,” he said.
“My race plan was to go out hard, see who would come with me and then after two laps I was coming first by about 15 metres so I just cruised along and held on.
“It was really good, especially being my last school race. It was good to get back to doing it because I hadn't done it since doing national athletics last year and it was a good lead-in race for the season.”
Campion has the help of one of the country’s best in Armidale Athletics club president Jay Stone and credited the coach with helping him reach his goals.
“Thanks to Jay for everything, for his continued support and help,” he said.
The Glen Innes High School student is busy preparing for his Higher School Certificate but isn’t slowing down his training.
“I have to finish school but then I will go to state three km champs in November and hopefully make what they call Zatopek 3000, which is in Melbourne,” he said.
“It is the best under 20 runners in Australia for 3000m so hopefully I will get a really strong training block in before the state 3km and see how fast I can run.”
Fellow Glen Innes High School student Kaleb Hope was another medal winner, claiming bronze in the 12-year-old’s discuss event.