NSW All Schools - Day 1 Review: 40-year best for Louison-Roe and Beacroft the best ever

23 September 2023

NSW All Schools - Day 1 Review: 40-year best for Louison-Roe and Beacroft the best ever

The 2023 NSW All Schools Athletics Championship kicked off in style with a series of record breaking performances from our emerging talent. In the first field event on the program, Commonwealth Youth Games medallists Izzi Louise-Roe leapt out to 6.13m in the long jump – the longest jump at the meet for 40-years, while in the very last event on day one, we witnessed Isaac Beacroft record the best race walking performance in the history of the meet, first held in 1936 – 87 years ago.

ISAAC BEACROFT – records galore

In the closing event on day one, the 5000m walk, Isaac Beacroft shattered many records, but it was how he toughed it out against his main rival in Australia, Canberra’s Owen Toyne, which was probably most impressive. Beacroft clocked 20:17.88 minutes to win the 16-years event, taking well over two minutes off the meet record and was over a minute faster than the quickest time in any age in the history of the meet.

“It was really tough today, I had to work hard,” admitted Beacroft. “There were a few tactics out there. Owen went straight into lane two and even lane three to try and get me to go in front. I even zigzagged on the back straight for a few laps,” recalled Beacroft.

The kicked down started over the last two laps.

“About 500m to go he came at me, and I matched his pace, hoping I’d break him. At about 300m to go he tried again and I put the hammer down again to see if I could break him, and I finally did. It was a really quick last lap, maybe about 1:20 odd.”

Beacroft has lot of respect for Owen Toyne who was second at the Nationals in April. “That was a real test. He is a good walker.”

For Beacroft, a Year 11 student, it was his fifth consecutive win and now holds four (every record possible) race walking records – 13 years to 16 years.

IZZI LOUISON-ROE – best in 40 years

Arriving at the meet with a PB of 5.89m, Louison-Roe would twice raise her long jump PB, reaching a best of 6.13m – the longest jump at the NSW All Schools for 40 years – ranked second only to three-time Olympian Nicole Boegman-Stewart.

“I’m very happy, I’ve been wanting that six for so long,” said Louison-Roe. “Training has been increasing, but there has not been much on long jump.” She also noted how the event is ranked behind her high jump and triple jump. “Long jump is my third best event I’d say.”

She later added the 16 years 100m hurdles title in 14.24 seconds.

DELTA AMIDZOVSKI – Delta double

In the morning, overcoming fouling issues in the long jump, double Commonwealth Youth Games champion, Delta Amidzovski won her fifth consecutive title, she then rushed to the 100m hurdles title, where she defended her title in a record time of 13.48 seconds. It was also her fifth consecutive win and fourth record in the hurdles.

She defeated her CYG teammate, Jasynta Lampret who also dipped under the old meet record of 13.65, with a time of 13.60.

TELAYA BLACKSMITH – on a pathway to Paralympics

Indigenous Para sprinter, Telaya Blacksmith won her fourth consecutive NSW All Schools Ambulant 200m, but it was her 400m which was the key run of the day for her. With just the long jump and 400m on the Paris Paralympic Games program for her T20 classification, her run in the able-bodied 400m heats, where she placed fourth in her heat, produced a PB 61.41 seconds. “It helps so much (able-bodied competition) as it pushed me so much further,” said Blacksmith.

OTHER NOTABLE MARKS

• Maia Madden Khan, a terrific heptathlon prospect, won a close battled in the 16-years long jump to claim silver with a jump of 5.85m – a PB by 25cm. It is the start of a big program by the talented all-rounder who is coached by former heptathlon great, Jane Jamieson, a dual Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist.

• Winning a hurdles gold at his fourth consecutive championships, Billy Blair won the 16-years 110m hurdles in 13.88 to miss the meet record by just 0.01 seconds. He confirmed his goal is now to step up to the 99cm hurdles and chase World U20 Championship selection in April 2024.

• The 17-year women’s javelin was potentially a walkover by the very talented Tali Baltineshter, the Australian under-20 bronze medallists, but she had to battle all the way to claim a narrow victory. She reached 43.97m on her opening attempt, but Hornsby’s Isabelle Cruickshank surprised smashing her PB hitting 43.78m, to fall just 19cm short of Baltineshter, while Vanessa Apel was also in the mix with 42.32m to finish a close third.

• Commonwealth Youth Games stars, Fleur Cooper (16y 1500m) and Daniel Williams (16y 1500m) fought hard, but went on to defend their NSW All Schools titles.

• Barker College’s Timothy Forster claimed a key win over Rashid Kabba in the 19-years 110m hurdles to clock the second fastest time in the history of the championships, recording 13.88 seconds.

FAMILIAR NAMES

The children of former Australian representatives were competing across the championships, including Jasper Scamps-Magro, Sienna Vassella, Isaac Robinson and Amber Worden.

PRIMARY CHALLENGE MEET RECORDS

11y boys HJ – Duke Lampret 1.58m

10y boys 1500m – Reed Martinus 4:48.43

11y boys 1500m – Isaac Robinson 4:37.31

10y girls 200m heat – Harlow Pate 27.22

11y girls 200m – Marnie Lawrence 26.56

11y boys 200m – George Lambousis 26.07

11y girls LJ – Jasmine Morrison 4.70m

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Images: Isaac Beacroft (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)