Are you the next Mona, Deek, Benny Saint or Kerryn McCann?

28 December 2021

Are you the next Mona, Deek, Benny Saint or Kerryn McCann?

What do these Australian distance running legends Steve Moneghetti, Rob de Castella, Kerryn McCann, Craig Mottram, Stewart McSweyn, Shaun Creighton, Ben St Lawrence and Suzy Walsham all have in common? They made their debut in the green and gold of Australia at the World Cross Country Championships.

In a little over 400 days NSW and Australia’s rising distance talent will have an opportunity to follow the same pathway as these greats, and on home soil, when the NSW country town of Bathurst hosts the next edition of the World Cross Country Championships. Which junior NSW athlete will be inspired by this opportunity and go on to join the above list of legends?

The 2023 World Cross Country Championships will be held on February 18 and has four key individual races, open and under-20 races for men and women. There are team events in the individual races, also a mixed relay, Para events for the first time and mass participation races. The athletes race over 10km in the open events and in the under-20 races run 6km (women) and 8km (men).

To be eligible for the under-20 race, athletes must be born in 2004 or later. i.e. 19 years or younger in 2023. Athletics Australia will release a selection criteria in 2022, but likely conduct a selection trail a month or two prior.

For each event Australia may enter 8 athletes, but only 6 can compete with the first 4 scoring for the Australian team.

In addition to the above legends, the race has launched the careers of so many great Australian athletes including: Olympians Martin Dent, Collis Birmingham, Lee Troop Chris Wardlaw, Susan Hobson, Krishna Stanton, Kate Anderson, Anne Cross, Jake Birtwhistle and Carolyn Schuwalow.

And other Aussie distance greats like Suzy Walsham, Lara Tamsett, Anne Lord, Michelle Dillon, Emma Carney, Susie Power and Jackie Fairweather.

Even a bunch of the current Olympians Liam Adams, Brett Robinson Morgan McDonald, Amy Cashin, Jack Rayner, Ed Trippas, and also Matt Ramsden and Leanne Pompeani started their international journey at the World Cross Country.

Who are some of the NSW names to watch for to qualify for the Australian junior teams in 2023?

Here is a list of some of the NSW athletes who could be in the mix, but as we know athletes at this age can make significant improvements in six months – there is still 14 months to the 2023 World Cross Country Championships.

Ciaran Rushton, Hamish Hart, Logan Campbell, Cameron Gorman, Adam Williams, Hamish Longworth, Lockie Townsend, Ryan Binskin, Adam Bruntsch, Jonathan Meaker, Max Russell, Bailey Habler, Theo Christian, Nathan Stanmore, Nicolas Rodgers, Ethan McKenzie, Joel Offord, Oliver Freeman, Samuel Liddell, Brendan Felice, Luca Gillard and Kane Shields.

Imogen Stewart, Allegra McGivern, Alexia Kalamvokis, EmmaOlson-Keating, Ruby Madden, Hayley Kitching, Sophie Ferenczi, Natasha Ward, Ava Honore, Grace Kells, Katia Bjorkmann, Bonnie Rouch, Amelie Sun, Gabriella Ibrahim, Jean Stump, Mia Toohey, Ada Rand, Niamh McMahon, Lily Winward and Olissa Onley.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Images: Leading NSW junior cross country athletes Bailey Habler and Theo Christian (courtesy of David Tarbotton)