World Athletics appoints Hunters
Glenhuntly Athletic Club – Latest News
Congratulations, Pam and Maureen!
World Athletics in conjunction with Athletics Australia recently released the appointments of National Technical Officials and Sport Specific Volunteers for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships – Bathurst 23.
Two of the 19 Victorian Officials selected for these Championships are Glenhuntly Athletic Club’s AV delegates. Congratulations to Pamela Drake-Noden and Maureen Austin on your selection for these Championship. This is a fantastic honour for you both and a reflection of your experience and commitment to our sport.
Maureen Austin
Appointed as Call Room – Clothing Supervisor at the World Cross Country Championships – Bathurst 23
Maureen joined the club in 1999, following her daughters, Sarah and Juliet, when they moved over to Glenhuntly AC from Little Athletics. Maureen helped our team managers with the junior girls at summer inter-club competition before becoming a team manager herself, for both senior and junior girls; a position which she held for over 10 years.
Maureen became a member of the Glenhuntly AC Committee in 2002, serving for 7 years, including holding the position of club delegate on the Duncan Mackinnon Reserve Trust. Her work was pivotal at a time when the club and Glen Eira City Council planned and prepared for a major upgrade of the facilities. Maureen’s interest then turned to officiating, and she has since been a long-serving Athletics Victoria official, representing the club in her official capacity at both summer and winter events.
Maureen is currently a member of Athletics Victoria’s Awards Committee, and continues to provide substantial service to our club and the sport of athletics. She was awarded Life Membership of Glenhuntly AC in 2015.
Pamela Drake-Noden
Appointed as Technical Information Centre Assistant at the World Cross Country Championships – Bathurst 23
Pam joined the club in 1953 as a junior sprinter and jumper, making the Victorian sub-junior team for the Long Jump. In 1965, she was a member of the club’s 4 x 75 yards relay team which won the Victorian Championship. In 1965, Pam joined the Club Committee and the Social Committee and since then, she has been highly active in administration, both at the club level and the Victorian Women’s Amateur Athletic Association (VWAAA)/Athletics Victoria (AV) levels.
In 1978, Pam took on the role as Club President of Glenhuntly Women’s Amateur Athletic Club, and appointment which she held for 8 years. This was a transitional time for the club and for the VWAAA during the process of amalgamation with the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association in 1982 to form what was to become Athletics Victoria. Pam took on many duties, including returning as President in 1995 in the final year before amalgamation of the men’s and women’s clubs.
Pam has been prolific in the giving of her time to the club as an AV delegate, as a member of the Committee of Management at Duncan Mackinnon, and as an official for inter-club meets. She is a current member of the club committee as well as an AV official (Starter). She has earned many awards both at the club and AV, receiving a 50-year Service Award at AV as well as a Merit Award in 2007. Her Life Membership of Glenhuntly AC was awarded in 1980 (then GWAAC).
World Cross Country Championships – Bathurst 23
The World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. This will be the 44th edition of the World Cross Country Championships, and will be held 18th February, 2023, on the infield of the Mount Panorama Circuit in the New South Wales regional town of Bathurst. It will be first time that Australia has hosted the World Athletics Cross Country Championships and the second time that the event has been held in the Oceania region (following Auckland, New Zealand, in 1988).
Hunters at World XC – Bathurst 23
The Glenhuntly Athletic Club is expecting to have a good turnout from its members, past and present, at the World Cross Country Championships – Bathurst 23. Some of us as spectators, others potentially as athletes (in the World XC or Masters World XC events). Expect to see more information posted soon. In the interim, if you are interested in getting to Bathurst with the Hunters group in February 2023, contact Trevor Vincent trevvin@bigpond.net.au or Kara Gilbert kara@kmgcommunications.com.au
The biographies of Maureen and Pam were sourced from Phil Hutton's Go Hunters – The history of Glenhuntly Athletics Club (published 2021, Melbourne, Australia)
Curated by: Kara Gilbert.
Date published: 18th November, 2022
This article has been published in good faith, drawing on available data. Please contact kara@kmgcommunications.com.au if you notice any errors or omissions in the above results or would like to see additional content included.