NSW All Schools PREVIEW: New names to watch in 2022 - Boys

Published Wed 21 Sep 2022

21 September 2022

NSW All Schools PREVIEW: New names to watch in 2022 - Boys

As with the girls preview, who are some of the new boys we can expect to emerge at the NSW All Schools Championships?

Following his sensational Australian Championships cross-country run-in Adelaide, Coffs Harbour’s Jade Kitching has converted quickly to the track where he produced a number of sensational runs at the CHS last week, clocking 1:56.92 in the 800m to win by over six seconds, adding gold in the 1500m and a close second in the 400m. However Jade will receive terrific competition from St Joseph's College’s Oliver Neate who set a record at the recent GPS clocking 1:55.71. When last they met on the track, last March, at the Australian Championships, Jade won the 800m with Oliver in fourth.

In the hammer throw an emerging talent is Alex Goetz (Westfields Sports High), who was involved in a thrilling National under-16 championship last March. After three rounds his best of 56.35m held the lead over second and third places by less that 30cm. But on his fourth and final attempt, with the gold secure, he unleashed a mighty throw of 60.87m to win by over four metres. This weekend he will face strong competition from Cowra High’s Ky Garratt (PB 56.66m) who is coached by Ernie Shankelton who coached Bronwyn Eagles to a medal at the world championships.

A feature of the NSW All Schools will be the 19 years and 17 years 100m and 200m sprints. Nearly every athlete amongst the top-3 have set PBs this month. It will see the champions from CHS, CAS, GPS and CCC race-off. Here are the leading contenders:

19-years

-Joseph Ayoade (Ryde Secondary College) 100m & 200m PBs 10.69/21.57 – CHS 1st 100m 10.69, 2nd 200m 21.57

-Alex Sherlock (Knox Grammar) 100m & 200m PBs 10.54/21.59 – CAS 1st 100m 10.54, 2nd 200m 21.59

-Ethan Quintana (St Joseph's College) 200m PB 21.66 – GPS 1st 100m 10.80, 1st 200m 21.66

17-years

-Sebastian Sultana (St John College Stanhope Gardens) 100m & 200m PBs 10.59/21.44 – CCC 1st 100m 10.75, 1st 200m 21.44

-Rashid Kabba (Westfields Sports) 100m & 200m PBs 10.71/21.33 – CHS 2nd 100m 10.71, 1st 200m 21.33

-Sebastian Ghisso (Trinity Grammar) 100m & 200m PBs 10.80/21.70 – CAS 1st 100m 10.81, 1st 200m 21.70

The newest name to this group, Alex Sherlock, reflected on his progress in athletics.

“I started my athletics back in 2012, running for the Ku-ring-gai club,” said Alex who was a champion athlete at his school – Knox Grammar from his early years. “I have basically been doing athletics my whole life but never took it super serious until High School. My athletics really started to take off in 2020 when I competed at the NSW All Schools coming second.”

In the last few years, one of NSW’s best in his age has been Barker College’s Donovan Bradshaw – who also competes at the CAS.

“The night of CAS I was feeling pretty nervous about the 100m as I was up against my biggest rival.”

Alex was equal to the challenge clocking a sensational 10.54 to win ahead of Donovan Bradshaw.

“The feeling that rushed through me when I won was one of complete relief and joy at the same time, and when I found out that I got the record, the feeling was unexplainable. Everything from my start to my acceleration to my top speed was perfect. That 100m race at CAS was the first time I have ever ran sub 11 officially.”

Another terrific asset for Trinity Grammar at the CAS was Ben Stevens, who was peerless in four wins, taking the titles in the 17 years and open, shot and discus events. Similarly, 14-year-old Jozef Cluff (Trinity Grammar) competed in a staggering 9 events at the CAS, with six podiums, including four wins. His best result was in the shot put where he set a Championships record distance of 16.11m. In the 14 years he also won the long jump and discus. He stepped up to the 16 years discus for another win there. At the NSW All Schools he will narrow his focus to the 14 years shot, discus and javelin.

What a rise it has been in 2022 for Knox Grammar’s Lachlan Herbert. Not shy of hard work, he often competes in all three sprints at the same championship. In 2019 at the NSW All Schools he just made the 400m final, by 2021 (in the 15 years) he was on the podium in third clocking 51.64. But over the summer, he smashed his best with three sub-50 seconds runs, landing at 49.24 as he claimed the Australian under-17 400m title. He was also fifth in the 200m final and eighth in the 100m. No surprise he was a valuable asset for Knox at the recent CAS Championships winning the 16-years sprint treble and adding a fourth win as a member of the 4x100m relay. Coached by former 10.43/20.64 sprinter Clayton Kearney, Lachlan will compete in just the 16 years 100m and 400m at the All Schools.

Decathlete Angus Clues is evolving into a tremendous all-round talent. At the CHS he leapt 6.97m in the long jump, won the shot (15.95m) and discus (48.44m) and was second in the javelin. This week he will compete in the eight event, three throws, three jumps, the 100m and 110m hurdles.

Westfields Sports High’s Bryce Nolan, under the guidance of coach Denis Knowles, was in a class of his own easily winning the open CHS throws, with distances of 56.04m in the discus and 17.72m in the shot. The 17-year-old is on the verge of becoming the best senior discus thrower in NSW.

The boys under-15 3000m will see Matthew McLachlan (Trinity Grammar) and Nate Ward (Hunter Sports High), Australia’s two best in the event race again. Matthew won their last race at the National titles in March - 9:08.05 to 9:08.72. Nate had a comfortable win in the 1500m at the recent CHS Championships, while Matthew won the 800m and 1500m double at the CAS last week. Prior to the CAS, Matthew ran a brilliant second in the Australian Cross Country in Adelaide in August.

READ earlier previews:

NSW All Schools PREVIEW: Internationals return

NSW All Schools PREVIEW: Para-Athletics events

NSW All Schools PREVIEW: New Names to Watch in 2022 - girls

EVENT PROFILE – NSW All Schools Track & Field Championships

When? 24 to 27 September 2022

Where? Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre

More information: including tickets, timetable, entries, age groups and rules

https://www.nswathletics.org.au/events/144824/

Live results http://www.nswathletics.info/liveresults/

Daily articles https://www.nswathletics.org.au/home/

Live stream details – Athletics NSW socials