NSW All Schools Day Four: Delta dominates

29 Sept 2019

NSW All Schools Day Four: Delta dominates

On the final day of the four-day NSW All Schools Wollongong’s Delta Amidzovski added two more records to her tally of three at the championships, while in the men’s 1500m and 400m events we witnessed some of the fastest times in the history of the meet.

All round talent, Delta Amidzovski rewrote the record books over the last two days. On Saturday she raised the 13 years high jump record to 1.74m, then on Sunday she broke the 13 years long jump record three times and the 80m hurdles record twice. She opened her long jump competition with a leap of 5.54m, to break the old mark of 5.44m. Then in round three she cleared 5.58m for another improvement. Delta then dashed over to the track to run her 80m hurdles heat where she ran 11.84, under the old record of 12.13. She then returned to the sand pit, to continue her long jump and extended her record to 5.63m, jumping in to a strong 2.1m/s wind. She then rested ahead of the 80m hurdles final where she again took down the meet record with a time of 11.67. The wind reading was over the limit for a state record/PB, but remains a new meet record.

Very impressive in second was Meriden’s Ellen Murphy who ran 12.24 – just outside the old record. Ellen also won the 100m and placed second in the 200m and 200m hurdles.

It was a slightly different approach at the championships for outstanding 400/800m star Josh Atkinson, who lined up in the 16 years 200m and 400m.

“I ran the 200m and 400m at the CHS and I was happy with how I performed so the coach and I decided to keep working on my sprinting,” said Josh. He started with a silver in the 200m in a PB 22.15, but in the 400m he was in a different class, seemingly coasting throughout the race as he clocked 47.75, outside his PB of 47.41, and just short of the record by Miles Murphy.

“It was a bit windy, but I’m happy with it.” Josh also confirmed he will return to the half-mile this summer. “I’m aiming for sub-1:50 this year.”

Youth Olympic Games representative Luke Young and World Cross Country representative, Oli Raimond staged a terrific battle in the 19 years 1500m, pushing each other to record levels. Luke just held on to win in 3:49.10, ahead of Oli’s 3:49.75. Both dipped under the meet record of 3:51.15 held by Lachlan Chisholm. Luke’s time was also the fastest in the history of the meet, quicker than Ryan Gregson’s 3:49.34 in 2007. It was also a significant PB by Oli.

It was a mixed meet for the enormously talented Rashid Kabba. He easily won the 14 years 100m hurdles despite nearly falling twice, as he explained.

“I came out of the blocks strongly, and I was trying to snap down over the hurdles but kicked it. That slowed me down a lot. Then after that I jumped over the hurdle normally and I had to use the gap between the hurdle to catch up. So, I gradually caught up and passed the other athlete again.” Then at the end he again hit a hurdle but still won by half a second in 13.43, not far outside the record of 13.25 which he surely would have broken but for hitting the hurdles. He placed third in the200m and also long jump. He was frustrated with his long jump results, and lined up shortly after in the 100m final, but it didn’t go as planned.

“I was psyched up for the 100m to make up for my long jump, but broke.”

What does the Dan Suchy coached athlete consider is his best event? “I’ve recently set PBs in all event, so I don’t know my best.”

Rashid has been doing athletics since he was aged 7 in Little Athletics and came to Australia aged one from Sierra Leone.

Four-time Australian Little Athletics champion, Liam Coles, has continued that form this summer, but had some very close battles over the four days. He won the 90m hurdles and then the sprint double, but both races by just 0.01 seconds in times of 11.95 and 23.64.

He explained.

“I was hesitant at the start in the sprints finals not wanting to false start, but I had a strong finish.”

He placed second in the long jump with a PB of 5.64m, just 3cm behind the gold medallist. He was also third in the triple jump.

“It has been hard to train over winter as I have Asthma and it plays up a bit,” he said.

One of the most exciting races on day four was the girls 15 years 90m hurdles. In the heats Abbotsleigh’s Georgia Fichardt was the fastest in 12.93, comfortably ahead of the field. But in the final Australian under-15 champion Emilia Duncan and a new talent Jessie Wong stepped-up, joining Georgia in a real battle. Mid-race Wong led slightly with them line-up across the track. But Georgia came through in the end to snatch victory in 12.91 ahead of Duncan 12.99 (exact time 12.981) and in third Jessie Wong 12.99 (12.988).

“The start was not as good as I was hoping,” Georgia said. “I could feel how close they were and it helped to push me. During the race I was think ‘come on you have got this’.”

There was some terrific 400m performances, including two records. Triple gold medallist in 2018, Lachlan Wood won bronze in the 14 years 100m and was fourth in the 200m ahead of his speciality the 400m where he won by nearly two seconds in a meet record and PB time of 50.80. In the 13 years girls 400m, Chelsea Ezeoke broke her own 400m record of 57.54, clocking 56.46.

There were two outstanding 400m/800m doubles. After setting an 800m record, Charlie Jeffreson added the 15 years 400m in 50.08. Also in the 15 years, Newcastle’s Montana Monk had won the 800m by four seconds and she added the one lap title in 55.94, close to the meet record. Caitlyn Ferrier won the 17 years 200/400m double, her 400m time of 54.95 the fastest at the meet and one of the quickest ever in the 80-year history of the championships.

Newcastle hurdler Mitchell Lightfoot looks the goods to press for selection in the world junior team in 2020 after his start to the summer. At the CHS, the 16-year-old clocked 13.91 and added the NSW All Schools title in 14.11.

“I was hoping for a better time here, but I had a bit of a shoulder niggle,” said Mitchell.

“I had a good start and the back end was good, I just need to work on the middle.”

What next for Mitchell?

“The short-term goals - make the transition to 99cm and chase that Kenya (World Juniors) time.

To challenge for the World Juniors he will need to negotiated an increase in hurdle height from 91cm to 99cm.

“My coach and I have been discussing that, and we have been jumping back and forth between the 99 and 91cm to get a bit of a taste and bit of an edge, and so I can make that transition earlier than I need to.”

Mitchell has in recent years returned to athletics.

“I did LAs, then took a break, played AFL then came back to running full on four years ago.”

The good conditions during the four days helped the distance runners, who posted solid times.

Making good progress over the last year or two has been Year 11 Pymble Ladies College distance athlete Imogen Gardiner.

She clocked the two fastest times at the championships in the 17 years 1500m and 3000m with marks of 4:27.80 and 9:43.89 – both just outside the meet records.

“In the 3000m I wasn’t expecting to get the win over Jaylah Hancock‑Cameron (Youth Olympic Games silver medallist) so I guess it was a good day for me,” Imogen said. “It was not a PB as it was slow in the early stages.”

She shared her thoughts on her recent improvement.

“I think the consistency in training and the start of some strength work has helped, along with not getting injured. I have had solid blocks of training rather having to stop and deal with injuries.”

Her goals? “World Juniors would be an absolute dream.”

After a four second win in the 13 years 800m, Ivy Boothroyd added the 1500m on day four. Coached by Jacinta Doyle, she was 12^th at the recent Australian Cross Country Championships. The Ian Hadfield coached Noah Towill took over two seconds from the record to win the 12 years boys 1500m in 4:37.84. Trinity’s Luca Gillard won the 13 years 800m, then added the 1500m with a four seconds margin in 4:25.30. Imogen Stewart claimed the 14 years 1500m/3000m double, with the longer event in an impressive time of 9:56.18.

There was some quality long jumping on the final days of the championships. Tomysha Clark broke a 32-year-old record in the 17 years long jump event, with a leap of 6.17m. Other impressive winning jumps were Sienna Bond with 5.55m in the 13 years and Alyssa Lowe with 5.95m in the 16 years event, over Oceania Championships silver medallist Katie Gunn with 5.81m.

Some extra coaching help from former leading NSW triple jumper Greg Wiencke has helped get the talented Godfrey Okerenyang back on track with a 7.17m winning leap in the 17 years long jump. He was in second by 1cm until he gathered himself for one final attempt where he grabbed the win with just his second seven metre leap of his career.

“It felt amazing as I haven’t jumped a lot since I set my last PB which was last year at juniors,” said Godfrey.

“I torn my achilles about six weeks ago so I wasn’t expecting to be sprinting or jumping at this comp. I saw a physio yesterday and he said it was an overuse injury so I was able to run on it and just need to do some activation before I compete.”

Wagga Wagga-based Godfrey has being getting help from coach Greg Wiencke in Temora on Tuesdays.

He is moving well towards his next goal. “World Juniors is what I’m looking for next.”

One of the strongest junior events in Australia is the girls discus and moving up the ranks is 15-year-old Ashlyn Blackstock with another outstanding throw of 46.46m, adding a metre to the old record. The distance was just below her recent throw of 49.34m at the CHS. She also added the shot with a distance of 14.23m.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Delta Amidzovski (courtesy of David Tarbotton)