2021 NSW All Schools on track for another exceptional Championships

Published Sat 04 Dec 2021

4 December 2021

2021 NSW All Schools on track for another exceptional Championships

From next Thursday, for NSW’s finest teenage athletes, all roads lead to Homebush where the 2021 NSW All Schools Athletics Championships will he held over four days.

A near record 1907 athletes will compete at the 2021 Championships, representing 498 schools. Athletes will travel from every corner of the state including Hay, Albury, Bourke and Tweet Heads to strive for a personal best and hopefully a podium finish.

The championships look set to continue the extraordinary levels achieved at the 2020 meet where 30 records were broken. We analysed the accomplishment was off the back of athletes being two months older than the usual September/October date for the meet and that many athletes had trained well during COVID 1 and had not over raced during the school year. The pathway to the 2021 for the athletes is similar with the added bonus of an inspiring Olympics and Paralympics to motivate the next generation.

One of the past superstars to emerge from the championships was Matt Shirvington.

“My first experience at the NSW All Schools was in the under 17's I was very nervous and remember picking up my numbers and shaking when I was pinning them on my shirt, mum had to help me out,” recalled Shirvington.

“It was at Homebush, and the Sydney Olympics were only a few years away, and I had no idea I was going to run in them.”

At the 1997 NSW All Schools meet, Shirvington won the 19 years 100m and 200m in stunning and still surviving meet record times of 10.29 and 20.97.

“I can't remember every year how many medals I won, but the ultimate highlight for me at All Schools was winning the 100m in a new Australian junior record 10.29.”

The 2021 championships will without doubt be a preview of the next Olympians, Paralympians, World and Commonwealth champions.

In recent years Tokyo Olympians Rohan Browning, Jessica Hull, Bendere Oboya, Rose Davies, Georgia Winkcup, Ollie Hoare and Ed Trippas competed. Nicola McDermott and Mackenzie Little who still hold meet records.

So who are the stars set to emerge in 2021?

We are already have many athletes ready to take that step forward onto national teams, while others may not be ready to shine for a few years, but could still reach the same lofty heights.

Some athletes expected to be pressing for selection in the 2022 World U20 Championships team include:

Men - Charlie Jeffreson (The King’s School), James Healey (Illawarra Grammar), Mitchell Lightfoot (Maitland High), Daniel Kelly (Katoomba High School), Patrick Cantlon (Trinity Grammar), Connor Bond (The King’s School), Aiden Princena-White (William Clarke College), Ciaran Rushton (The King’s School), Ben Jones (Kinross Wolaroi School), Rashid Kabba (Westfields Sports High) and Sebastian Ghisso (Trinity Grammar).

Women - Aleksandra Stoilova (Westfield Sports High), Emma Lee (Inaburra School), Olivia Rose Inkster (Pymble Ladies College), Ada Rand (Meriden School), Karina Bell (Meriden School), Sienna Bond (Pymble Ladies College), Shola Adeniran (Westfield Sports High School), Monta Monk (Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College), Hayley Kitching (Coffs Harbour Senior College), Olissa Onley (Coffs Harbour High School), Georgia Fichardt (Abbotsleigh), Emily Smith (Stella Maris College Manly), Ashlyn Blackstock (Belmont High School), Tiahna Skelton (Callaghan College Jesmond Campus), Allanah Pitcher (Terrigal High School), Erin Shaw (Roseville College), Alexandra Harrison (St John Paul College Coffs Harbour) and Alyssa Lowe (Riverside Girls High).

A big program of Para events will be contest by a strong line-up of 49 athletes. Three age groups are offered: 12-14 years, 15-16 years and 17-19 years.

Rio Paralympian Tamsin Colley (Randwick Girls High) and the Melinda Gainsford-Taylor coached Mali Lovell (Mackellar Girls) are set to resume their terrific battles from last summer where they were on the cusp of Tokyo Paralympic selection. The T36 athletes will contest the 100m and 200m next week in Sydney.

Summer Giddings (OLMC Parramatta) has a busy program in the T35/36 - 100m, 200m, discus, long jump and shot put, but despite the hectic schedule she will also find time to help conduct the meet as a technical official.

The 2021/22 season for Gundagai’s Indiana Cooper (Tumut High) and Sarah Clifton-Bligh (PLC Sydney) have added importance with their 100m events on the Commonwealth Games program. Cooper competes in the T38 and at the NSW All Schools will compete in the 100m, 200m, 800m and long jump; while Clifton-Bligh a T33/34 athlete, will contest the 100m, 200m, 800m and shot put.