NSW All Schools Day 3 Review: Amosia Soatini sets national shot put record

11 December 2021

NSW All Schools Day 3 Review: Amosia Soatini sets national shot put record

Just a handful of Athletics Australia junior and age records are broken annually, so to witness one of these records at the NSW All Schools Championships on day three was a special moment when Trinity Grammar School shot putter Amosia Soatini smashed the national under-16 shot put record.

Athletes arrived at the 2021 NSW All Schools with all levels of performance aspirations. Amosia Soatini could recite all the records, the championship, NSW and Australian, but time was running out before he graduates from the age division.

On his opening attempt of 19.48m, he set a PB and came close to the Championship best of 19.79m, but on his second attempt, he wiped out all the records with a massive put of 21.08m.

“I was going for the national record, I’ve been chasing it for a month. I’m just relieved I executed it today,” said Amosia, a quietly spoken year 9 student.

He broke the championship record of 19.79m held by Tepai Moeroa, a Parramatta NRL player, the NSW record of 20.05m held by Samoan Olympian Emanuele Fuamatu and the Australian record of 20.64m held by Damian Birkinhead.

With Croatian (his mother) and Cook Island (his father) heritage, the inevitable question about interest in playing rugby is always present.

“It is moments like these that ensure I’m not tempted to play rugby,” he said, noting that his school have tried to coax him onto the footy field.

One of the key’s to Amosia’s success has been his coach David Bruce. The old-style coach is the master of throws and particularly the shot put, producing a succession of NSW and Australia’s best. He coaches Alexander Kolesnikoff, currently studying at Harvard University, who last season inflicted the first defeat by another Aussie for seven years on Olympian and national senior record holder Damian Birkinhead. Alexander Kolesnikoff is on the cusp of becoming Australia’s number one.

Going under the radar in the same event was the ever talented Central Coast shot putter George Wells (Narara Valley H). After round one, he was within a metre of Amosia, closing his competition with a best of 18.62m.

A regular gold medallist Newcastle’s Ashlyn Blackstock (Belmont High) won her final NSW All Schools title, claiming the 17-year shot with a solid 15.11m put, while in the 15-year shot put we saw a new name Xylavene Beale (Scots School Albury) win with 14.46m. The Albury athlete was one of dozens of athletes from their town to compete at the NSW All Schools for the first occasion, due to the Victorian All Schools being cancelled in 2021. Logically they choose to compete in Melbourne and register with Victoria clubs.

One of the highest scoring para performances of the weekend was Telaya Blacksmith (Warilla High) in the 12-14 year Ambulant 100m. The T20 competitor clocked 13.88 to score 85.81% and claim the gold medal.

Despite a very strong headwind of 4.5m/s there was also some quality sprinting in the para 17-19 year 100m Lucia Bruce-Gilchrist, a T41 classification athlete, took the win in 20.62 seconds, scoring 85.84%. Second and third also scored 85%, with Paris Paralympic hopeful Mali Lovell (T36) clocking 15.96, ahead on percentages of Lainee Harrison (T37) clocking 15.38.

In the 15-16 year 100m, Indi Cooper (Tumut High) continues to press her claims for selection in the Australian team for the Birmingham commonwealth Games. Indi clocked 15.09 into a 1.1m/s wind. Her T38 100m event is one of a handful of para events on the 2022 Commonwealth Games track and field program.

What a championship it has been for Temora’s Grace Krause, winning two gold, a silver and a bronze, including a triple jump meet record. After winning the long jump on Friday with a jump of 5.63m, she added a silver in the 14 year 100m in a very close battle with Holly Rea (Chevalier College) 12.69 to 12.70. For Holly it was the sprint double after her earlier 200m win on Friday.

The Graham Garnett coached Jack Proudford (Pacific Hills) completed the sprint double on Saturday. After a comfortable 200m win in 26.11, he was pushed all the way to the line in the 100m by Kingston Tutani, with Jack taking the win by the narrowest of margins 13.03 to 13.04 (2.9m/s headwind).

The theme of close 100m races continued in the 17 year boys with Joesph Ayoade (Ryde) defeating Donovan Bradshaw (Barker) 11.04 to 11.05 and in the 17 year girls Shola Adeniran (Westfields Sports High) defeating Eliza Da Silva (Monte) 12.63 to 12.65.

In the highest standard girls sprint event, the 16 year 100m, there was drama when Australian 2021 Australian junior team member, Alek Stoilova (Westfields Sports High) was disqualifying for breaking in the heats of the 100m. The decision was reversed, and she was offered a solo run to qualify for the final, which she nailed. In the final, 200m champion Emma Lee (Inaburra High) took the win in 12.14 (headwind 2.6m/s) from Alek with 12.19, ahead of Olivia Rose Inkster (PLC) 12.35 and Gabriella Taylor (PLC) 12.51.

The 13 year boys discus was a very close battle with 85cm separating the medallists. Cody Ramanauskas (Trinity Grammar) held on for gold with his third round effort of 43.99m. The earlier leader Julio-Xavier Tatupu (St Andrews) was second with 43.33m, from Blake Deery (Burgmann Anglican School) throwing 43.14m.

Blake Deery jumped up an age in the long jump and also finished on the podium with second in a leap of 5.94m. The winner was Daniel Okerenyang (The Riverina High) who won with his second round jump of 6.10m, to add to his earlier triple jump title.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Amosia Soatini (courtesy of David Tarbotton)