2024 Australian Junior Champs: Day 3 Review

18 April 2024

2024 Australian Junior Champs: Day 3 Review

WEDNESDAY On day three in Adelaide at the 2024 Australian Junior Championships little-known NSW high jumper, Ratu Viliame Lewanavanua captivated the crowd, while another NSW high jumper Izzy Louise-Roe, added to her medal haul. NSW athletes also dominated the sprint hurdles.

Ratu Viliame Lewanavanua – a crowd favourite

The crowd were captivated by the under-16 high jump with Ryde’s Ratu Viliame Lewanavanua jumping out of his skin to win the title. Of Fijian heritage, Ratu had placed fourth in the NSW Championships with a height of 1.75m, but that was probably not an indication of his talent as he has jumped the same height in 2023 to win the NSW title. In Adelaide he opened the competition at 1.75m with a first attempt clearance. At 1.85m, he nearly stumbled taking three attempts while three other competitors were over on their first attempt. At this stage he was in sixth place. He was up to third place at 1.88m with another last gasp clearance. Then incredibly he cleared 1.91m on his last attempt to take the title as his rivals missed their attempts. Ratu will close his championships with his best event the triple jump on Friday.

Hurdlers star

Sutherland’s Tammin Lampret, the current Australian All Schools U16 90m hurdles champion, has graduated well to the new 100m hurdles distance in 2024, winning the NSW under-17 title in 14.18 seconds. In the heats in Adelaide, she clocked the second fastest time of 14.08, but in the final, running into a solid headwind of 1.4m/s, Tammin was unstoppable winning the title in a blistering 13.73 seconds. She had earlier in the championships won bronze in the 200m.

Billy Blair won his second consecutive National title in Adelaide. In December he claimed the under-17 110m hurdles title and this week in Adelaide added the under-18 title 110m hurdles in 13.88. It was a terrific race with Billy out dipping Queenslander Harrison Purcell by 0.02 seconds. In comparison, in the under-17 110m hurdles Ollie Facer was most impressive clocking 13.95, run into a strong headwind. Ollie had fallen in this race last year, but rallied successfully to win the Australian All Schools in Perth in December.

Macleay Kesby progresses to National title

Kembla Joggers steeplechaser Macleay Kesby has been making good progressing over the last 12 months. Last year at these Nationals he placed sixth in the under-17 2000m steeplechase in a time of 6:22. He bought that time down to 6:02.89 in December in Perth to win the silver medal. This year he won the NSW title in March in 6:09. In Adelaide he was able to avoid a major fall at the first water jump to win the National title in Adelaide by three seconds in 6:00.15. Macleay is coached in Wollongong by Vicki and Pat McPhillips, the former who herself ran at the Australian Championships in Adelaide.

A tough day for Daniel Okerenyang

It was difficult watching an injury sustained by one of NSW’s finest junior athletes Daniel Okerenyang who had 16 months ago on this same runup broken the Australian under-16 triple jump record. The 16-year-old had last weekend won the Australian under-20 triple jump title and was pressing for a world junior qualifier. But on his third attempt in the under-18 event, he grabbed his hamstring. His second jump of 15.07m was sufficient for the win as he led a NSW medal sweep with Luke Vrataric second (14.88m) and Lian Anagnostopoulos third (14.85m).

Briefly

• Sydney’s Isaac Robinson dominated the under-13 1500m, winning in 2:12.73 – a four seconds winning margin. Isaac is the grandson of Alan Robinson, who won National medals in the 1500m, 5000m and cross country.
• The NSW team of John McDonald, Billy Bair, Dylan Hall and Zavier Peacock were in striking range of the National under-18 4x100m record clocking 41.16 to win the Australian title.
• Izzy Louison-Roe claimed two medals, her fourth and fifth of the week, winning the under-18 high jump (1.80m) and placing third in the 100m hurdles in a massive PB time of 13.93.
• Adamstown’s Callum Martin led home a NSW 1-2-3 in the under-14 3000m walk in a time of 13:33.60. Second was Tyler Cousins and third Liam Domoney
• Clearing 1.71m, just 1cm short of her PB, Charlie Haddad won the under-16 girls high jump.
• Kalisi Aualiitia completely dominated the under-15 boys hammer throw winning by 10 metres. His second round throw of 54.77m was his best but he also threw over 50 metres in rounds two and three. NSW swept the medals with Alexander Rice second and Noah Tonga third.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Ratu Viliame Lewanavanua U16 high jump (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)