Day 1 Australian All Schools Championships: Distance dominate in the heat

7 December 2019

Day 1 Australian All Schools Championships: Distance dominate in the heat

Despite challenging weather conditions, NSW distance runners and para-athletes have spearheaded a tremendous day one for NSW at the Australian All Schools Championships being held in Perth this weekend.

There were promising signs from her after a strong NSW All Schools win, but who could have predicted the five seconds personal best from Matilda Ryan to win the national schools under-18 800m in a stunning 2:06.47? She finished just ahead of team mate Nicola Hogg’s two second PB of 2:07.26. Ryan has run within half a second of the qualifying time for the World U20 Championships next year in Kenya.

“It was a lot faster than I have run before,” noted Ryan who explained the race didn’t go exactly to plan.

“I knew I had to sit in the front pack, but then got boxed in and thought ‘oh no’. But I somehow got out. With 300m to go I was thinking I have got a bit of speed from the 400m so I thought I will try and kick and see how far ahead I can get.”

But she hadn’t shaken teammate Nicola Hogg who was herself on the way to a big PB.

“I could hear someone coming behind me and I thought ‘oh no I’m so close’,” but she held on to the victory.

The talented athlete next races at the Schools Knockout on Monday for her school St Columbus in two relays and the 100m hurdles !

Similarly, impressive and on track to threaten the qualifying standard for the World U20 championships is Trinity Grammar’s Ethan Brouw, who won the under-18 800m in 1:52.07, over Angus Beer’s 1:53.03.

Brouw came into the race with confidence.

“I’d been injured over the last few years, so it was great to get some good training in during the leadup which gave me confidence.”

Brouw fought hard in the home straight after entering in second place.

“I came off the bend and I felt like I was in catching distance so I dug deep in the last 50m and when I overtook my good mate Angus I started to feel fatigued, but kept fighting to the line.”

The PB has resent his goals.

“I’d love to get a WJ qualifier and go there. That was a good PB today, so I’ll keep working at it and it is only the beginning of the season.”

Brouw still has one more race in Perth.

“For the 1500m I’m feeling more confident and hopefully I can double today’s PB and drop four seconds.”

Also, in the 800m, probably the most decisive win was by Tayissa Buchanan, who took the under-14 event by over two seconds in a six second PB time of 2:12.98.

“Going into the race we thought it was going to be timed finals, but when we knew we were all in together it was exciting,” she said. “But I still tried to run my own race.”

Meet records are rarely broken, but that didn’t stop Charlie Jeffreson who ran an amazing time of 1:53.39 to smash the old meet record which had stood for 14 years. He also took second placed Victorian Mitchel Langborne (1:53.89) under the old mark and NSW’s Nathan Stanmore in third was close with his great run of 1:54.28.

“It was fast up front and at 400m I was sitting in second place, but with 250m to go I took the lead,” said Jeffreson.

“I wasn’t expecting the time.”

NSW was expected to dominate the under-18 girls long jump and they did, but the order was a surprise. Hurdler, Alyssa Lowe took the win with two strong jumps in the last two rounds with a best of 6.05m. “I was really happy with my jump and a PB by 4cm,” she said.

Favourite Tomshya Clark was not well after a long day in the heat which had included a high jump earlier. The 6.20m jumper, leapt 5.94m “I was a little disappointed today conditions were good, but I just didn’t feel very good.”

In third was Central Coast’s Katie Gunn, with 5.93m “I was happy as I had been struggling over my last few comps,” said Katie.

One of NSW’s new national champions on Friday was Andrew Laycock in the U16 2000m steeplechase. He clocked 6:14.68, seven seconds ahead of second place, but had a nervous wait as the first across the line, Victorian Ethan Grills, appealed his disqualification.

Although he won, Andrew learnt a lot from the race about pace.

“I was putting in little surges to ensure I was keeping up a good pace for a PB, a good time or a medal. But I slowed down at the end, I had gone out too fast at the start, but I will learn from that. I’ll be better in the next race.”

Andrew next races Saturday in the 3000m.

NSW’s para athletes dominated two events on day one at the championships. In the under-16 800m, NSW provided all four competitors, with Mali Lovell taking the win in 3:03.00, ahead of Sara-Jane Clifton Bligh (3:22.12) and Indiana Cooper third with 3:07.88. In the 200m Clifton Bligh took the win in 49.25, with Lainee Harrison second (31.60) and Lovel third (34.74)

There was a terrific battle in the under-14 girls discus. In September at the NSW All Schools just 25cm had separated

Xylavene Beale and Rachel Bardney 36.87m to 36.62m. In Perth on Friday, the battle was even closer with just 4cm separating the two best in Australia. Beale struck early with a distance of 37.47m holding the lead until round three when Bardney came so close with a distance of 37.43m. But those best throws remained with Beale taking the national title.

There was a high quality girls under-16 200m, with NSW’s Olivia Inkster winning in 24.25, just ahead of Queensland’s Monique Hanlon (24.31) and Gabriella Taylor close in third in 24.25.

There were many more national champions for NSW, here is a list:

U14 girls 200m Damita Betham 25.08 (0.6)

U14 girls 3000m Walk Milly Boughton 14:28.90

U18 girls 400m hurdles Annika Lynch 62.20

U18 girls para discus Holly Saunders 19.42m

U14 boys discus George Wells 50.68m

U16 boys para 200m Dylan Mendonca 41.42

U16 boys para 800m Luke Small 4:15.92

U18 boys para 200m Sammy Muamba 24.47 (0.0)

U18 boys para Long Jump Sammy Muamba 5.20m (0.0)

U18 boys para 800m James Tirado 2:18.86

A special mention to a few athletes who showed the form capable of achieving the World U20 Championships standard later in the season (in addition to those mentioned above):

800m - Montana Monk 2:07.58; High jump - Erin Shaw 1.76m, Rosie Tozer 1.77m, Alexandra Harrison 1.77m; and Discus - Sally Shokry 47.28m.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Charlie Jeffreson winning the U16 800m in a meet record (image courtesy of Laura Crowhurst)