Eight-year-old Millie Crowe and eight-year-old Milly McRae have both returned home from their respective regional based school cross country events with great results. 

Crowe represented the local region at the NSW Primary Schools Sports Association (PSSA) Regional Carnival at Broadmeadow Race Track recently where she placed fourth to qualify for the state carnival. 

This is the second consecutive year the Blandford Public School year 3 student has qualified to run at the state level, where she will compete in the two kilometre eight to nine-year-old division. 

The enthusiastic athlete won her school carnival to qualify for zone where she also took out top spot. 

She will run in the state event on July 17 at the Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney.

Crowe said after placing 42nd at the state carnival last year she is hoping to raise the bar and make it to nationals this year. 

Crowe and McRae both train in Scone with Nicky Western on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, but Crowe said she has also been doing the ‘Tip Run’ at home every other day with her older sister Bridie. 

She also ran successfully in the Scone Motor Inn Fun Run recently and placed in the top 20 in the five kilometre Quirindi Canter last month.

McRae has also qualified to represent her school, St Mary’s Primary School, in the Polding Cross Country Carnival which is contested by athletes from catholic schools right up to the NSW and Queensland border. 

She will also run in the two kilometre event after placing sixth at the recent Diocesan carnival to qualify.

The Polding carnival will also be held at Eastern Creek Raceway on June 12.

If both run successfully to qualify for nationals they will then run against each other at that carnival.

Both girls extended a big thanks to Western for all of her training help and support throughout the past 12 months. 

Another local athlete, Sarah Schiffmann, has also qualified to compete in the 12-year-old three kilometre division at state.