By Tyler Lewis
An array of Keysborough College students have set the State Athletics Championships alight.
Campus captain Seth O’Donnell led the way on the track, taking out both the 3000-metre and 1500m races, while fellow Year 12 student Cel Marsters finished second in shot put and third in discus, and Year 7 student Jezaiah Sega broke the record in the shot put on his way to second.
In the 1500m event, O’Donnell ran a blistering 4:15, cruising down the home straight, leaving the next best in his dust 50 metres behind.
In the 3000m, O’Donnell was challenged down the home straight but prevailed in an exhilarating sprint to claim victory.
It wasn’t the first time O’Donnell has had success in athletics. The young athlete has been to the state cross country finals three years running, finishing second, third and fourth in respective years -where he is notorious for running the event in his football boots.
Marsters was also a fierce competitor on the day in both her shot put and discus finals.
Marsters finished second in shot put, throwing a whopping 9.89 metres, and third in discus with another mighty performance, throwing 24.35 metres.
For Marsters, it also wasn’t the first time she has had success at the athletics track.
Back in 2015, she won the state under-14 shot put title.
While the pair of senior students performed admirably, the results didn’t surprise the college’s physical education teacher Peter Wagner.
“Seth (O’Donnell) is a footballer at heart and gets involved in most sports,” he said.
“He was the impetus for us to gather enough kids for a school cricket and football team.
“By Year 9, he realised he could also run middle distances.
“He is unique because he is a thinker – his running gait isn’t fluid but he makes it up strategically.
“When I first saw Cel (Marsters), it was with a basketball in her hand.
“She is one of the best junior basketballers I have seen in 25 years of teaching and watching junior basketball.
“She is courageous, strong, carefree, and a naturally-gifted athlete which is why athletics was always something she has been good at.”
Both of the Year 12 students are in the midst of their final high school exams. Wagner believes they both have a bright future ahead of them in and out of the sporting arena.
“Seth isn’t sure what avenue to go down – he is one of our school captains and has applied for a scholarship at Melbourne Uni,” Wagner said.
“Sporting-wise, he would love nothing more than to play football for the Hawks, but athletics coaches have been in contact and are offering their services to him.
“Cel isn’t sure where she wants to go education-wise. An athletics coach offered her services to teach her hammer throw but it wouldn’t surprise me if she ends up playing for the Australian Wallabies -that is how good Cel is.”
The sporting talent at Keysborough College doesn’t end at the senior school with Seth and Cel. Year 7 student Jezaiah Sega has burst into the high school’s sporting ranks with a dominant performance with shot put in hand.
Finishing second, Sega broke the state record when he threw a monstrous 16.31 metres in the state final.
In qualifying for the state finals, Sega crushed the Southern Zone record by over four metres.
While proving to be an incredibly gifted athlete in field athletics, Sega is on the radar of many for his ability on the rugby field at such a young age.
