Hellyer Read Award

for Sprint Achievement

In 1978, club President Coral Read donated a trophy to recognise athletes who excelled in sprint events. At the time, the club had many outstanding sprinters who specialised in only one or two events, and Coral believed their achievements deserved specific recognition.

The first recipient of the Sprint Achievement Trophy was 14-year-old Miriam Spitteler. She was selected for the NSW team at the Australian Sub-Junior Championships in Sydney, where she won both the 100m and 200m events and ran the anchor leg in the winning 4 x 100m relay team.

Miriam was also selected in the NSW schoolgirls team to compete at the Australian Championships in Adelaide. Later that season, she represented NSW in the NSW vs ACT match in Canberra, where she won the under-15 200m, placed a close second in the 100m, and was a member of the winning Open relay team.

Previous Winners