2025/26 AVSL Season Recap
The Preston Athletic Club has completed a competitive 2025/26 Athletics Victoria Shield League (AVSL) season, marking its return to Division 2 with a solid overall performance.
After earning promotion ahead of the season, Preston faced a higher level of competition across the 10-round campaign and ultimately secured an 8th place finish on the Division 2 ladder. The result reflects a consistent effort across the season, with several standout performances highlighting the club’s depth and emerging talent.
Preston opened the season with a promising 6th place finish in Round 1 (22,045 points), followed by a 7th place result in Round 2 (23,496). The club’s strongest showing came in Round 3, finishing 2nd with 21,159 points — a clear demonstration of its ability to compete with the top teams in the division.
Throughout the middle rounds, Preston maintained steady form, placing 7th in Round 4 (22,240), 5th in Round 5 (23,006), and 7th again in Round 6 (24,165). Despite a slight dip in the later stages — including 8th place finishes in Rounds 7 and 8, and 9th in Round 10 — the team rebounded strongly in Round 9 with a 6th place finish and a season-high 25,799 points.
Round-by-round results:
Round 1 – 6th (22,045)
Round 2 – 7th (23,496)
Round 3 – 2nd (21,159)
Round 4 – 7th (22,240)
Round 5 – 5th (23,006)
Round 6 – 7th (24,165)
Round 7 – 8th (18,954)
Round 8 – 8th (19,480)
Round 9 – 6th (25,799)
Round 10 – 9th (18,694)
A number of Preston athletes were recognised among the Top 100 Most Valuable Athletes across individual rounds, underlining the club’s strong individual contributions throughout the season.
Leading the way was Anwita Prasanth, who delivered an outstanding season to finish 4th overall in the women’s rankings and secured 1st place in the Under 16 category. Gurpreet Rai also made a significant impact, finishing 10th overall and claiming the top spot in the Open men’s division.
Other Preston athletes to feature in the Top 100 across the season included Rajnihal Singh Bhullar, Jasman Mann, Reet Sandhu, Sukhman Kaur, Rebecca Kane, Arnavjot Aulakh, Craig Stephens, Aarthika Jeevithan, and Chloe Grenade — highlighting the breadth of talent contributing to the club’s Division 2 campaign.
The 2025/26 season marks an important step forward for Preston Athletic Club as it continues to establish itself in Division 2 competition. With a strong foundation of emerging athletes and experienced performers, the club is well positioned to build on this year’s results.
The club would like to thank Cheryl Duff and David Long for officiating, as well as Kim Paton and Neville Kane for their ongoing support with club duties throughout the season.
Thanks to Joanna Margiolis (@joannamargiolis) and Chloe Grenade for capturing photos across the season. View the full photo albums on our Facebook page.