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

Published Tue 20 Sep 2022

20 September 2022

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

Over the last few years the NSW All Schools Athletics Championships has unearthed dozens on new emerging talent. Many of them are still youngest enough to compete this weekend at the NSW All Schools. They include stars like Birmingham Commonwealth Games Para-Athletes Indi Cooper and Sarah Clifton-Bligh and another Para-athletics star Mali Lovell. Along with six from the 2022 World U20 Championships team who will also compete - Erin Shaw, Hayley Kitching, Olivia Rose Inkster, Aleksandra Stoilova, Delta Amidzovski and Charlie Jeffreson.

We also have a number of establish stars, who will again compete in 2022. Athletes like sprinter Paige Campbell, shot putter Amosia Soatini, sprinter/jumper/hurdler Rashid Kabba, sprinter Sebastian Sultana, sprinter Emma Lee, sprinter/jumper Grace Krause, middle-distance runner Ivy Boothroyd, hurdler/jumper Sienna Bond, race walker Lizzy McMillen, sprinter/hurdler Billy Blair, middle-distance runner Daniel Williams, hammer thrower Sam Perkins and many more.

But who are some new names to watch for this week?

An emerging jumper is 15-year-old Izzy Louison-Roe (Kirrawee High), who bounded out to an amazing 12.59m in the triple Jump at the CHS Championships last week.

“I jumped a pretty good PB and broke the record and had an awesome time,” said Izzy.

She has also cleared an impressive 1.80m in the high jump and will also compete in the hurdles at the NSW All Schools.

“Coach (her mum Karen Roe) keeps me pretty consistent with the jumps and I’ve been adding some hurdling to mix it up and bringing it to the 200m hurdles for All Schools. I’m looking forward to going for it at the All Schools. It’s always a great comp and I can’t wait to bring the smiles and the claps and have the best time out there!”

Randwick Botany distance runner Piper Simpson (St Catherine's School Waverley) has had recent success in one of the toughest races to prepare her for the domestic season. Last month, Piper placed third in the National Cross Country on the challenging Adelaide course.

“National XC was amazing and something I have never experience before. The mud was crazy, and I would probably say it’s one of the hardest races I have ever done,” said Piper who on the track last summer won the National U15 3000m title. Piper enjoys training with Jordan Williams in The Run Squad.

“Training with Jordan and my squad is so good. I have friends that motivate me to show up and do my best every training session. He is such a supportive, understanding and caring coach, always putting the needs of his athletes before his own,” said Piper who will compete in the 14 years 1500m and 3000m at the NSW All Schools Championships.

Tali Baltineshter is NSW’s best emerging javelin talent who last December threw a PB 47.25m (500 grams). Then in March 2022 she was fourth in the under-17 javelin championship of Australia in a very close competition, reaching 45.03m. Tali’s slight dip in form was due to struggling over summer to access javelin training facilities. She reflected on her Nationals performance.

“On the day of Nationals, I did not take advantage of the wind direction and therefore my technique let me down. I have learnt a fair amount from this experience, and I know what I am capable of achieving this year,” said Tali.

The Moriah College student had success in her first international competition, when in July 2022 she won the javelin at the Maccabiah Games with a throw of 43.27m with the 600g implement.

After the summer season Tali made a coaching move.

“During the off season this year, I have been focused on a holistic approach to my training. Over the past two years I have been very fortunate to attend several of Angus McIntyre’s elite coaching sessions. After Nationals I decided to change coaches, with Angus “taking me under his wing” and developing the holistic Javelin training I needed. There have been several positive changes to my training and technique since the change, which has given me greater confidence. The next stage in my javelin development is to transition into more senior competitions.”

In recent weeks she has broken the school records at the CDSSA, AICES and today (Tuesday) at the CIS. Also at the CIS she hit a PB of 48.11m, but might have a bit of explaining to do when next at training with coach Angus McIntyre and warming up with training partner Mackenzie Little, as today’s record was held by Mackenzie.

The leading discus thrower at the championships is Chelsy Wayne – aged just 14. The Australian U16 champion, by a staggering 5 metres, Chelsy, who attends St Mary Star of the Sea College in Wollongong, has also signalled a good season ahead by winning the CCC last week with a PB of 45.78m.

Tamworth’s middle-distance runner Isabella Wall is a talent on the rise. After six years in the sport, last March she won silver in the U15 800m at the Australian Championships, clocking 2:15.14. The performance provided her loads of motivation to train through winter with the aim of going one step higher on the podium this summer. Despite recent wins at the CCC Schools in Sydney, Isabella might be a little underprepared at the NSW All Schools as her leadup has been hindered by the usual winter sicknesses of flu.

An emerging throws star is The Hills Sports High’s Kaiah Wong. At last year’s Nationals she won silver in the U14 hammer and bronze medals in the U15 shot and U14 discus – an amazing feat across three throwing disciplines. However, she will have very tough competition in the shot this week from Leichhardt’s Irini Kapsalis who recently won the CHS Shot.

Newcastle’s Ava Ross is a terrific talent, who specialises just in the 100m. The 14-year-old recently won the CHS Championships, but her highlight this year was an excellent time of 12.14 to place second in the National U15 title in March. The Whitebridge High student is coached by Dennis Pitt.

Sisters Tammin (14 years) and Jasynta (16 years) Lampret have been in top form in the lead up winning the same three CHS titles - the 200m, hurdles and high jump in their own age divisions. The Endeavour Sports High students, both broke hurdle records. Jasynta broke the 100m hurdles record set 18-years-ago set by Tara Holt, also from Endeavour Sports High. While Tammin broke the 90m hurdles record set 14-year-ago by another Sutherland Shire student Carly Rodger who attended Kirrawee High.

Since Sydney 2000 Olympics nearly half Australia’s Olympic medals have been won by our race walkers and NSW has been one of the strongest States. However NSW has dipped a little in recent years, but there was a breakthrough at the 2022 Australian junior championships last summer when behind our emerging under-20s Allanah Pitcher, Lizzy McMillen and Emma Blanch, NSW won four junior women’s titles – under-14 to 17. Three of those stars will be in action this weekend: U16 winner Zoe Woods, U15 winner Grace Beck (Pymble Ladies' College) and U14 winner – Maisie Mitchell (Colo High).

Zoe Woods is an intriguing athlete who mixes running with her race walking. At the NSW All Schools she will compete in the 15 years 1500m and 3000m walk. Coached by Nicole Fagan, for the walks, and Graham Garnett for running, the Abbotsleigh student third in a high quality 800m at the IGSSA Championships.

NSW has lots of fine junior women’s hurdlers, but two who are set to shine are Alexandra Richards and Georgia Fichardt. At the recent IGSSA they both broke the 18/19 years championship record in an exciting race where just 0.02 seconds separated them with Alexandra taking the win in 14.37 seconds. Georgia Fichardt (Abbotsleigh School), who trains with Andy Burton, qualified last year for the World U20 Championships, but missed one of the two team positions. Alexandra, who attends Meriden School, trains under Jack Darcy, and is age-eligible for the 2024 World U20 Championships.

Pymble Ladies College’s Matilda Harrison had a breakthrough sprinting performance last summer winning the National U14 200m title in a time of 25.64. She had earlier placed third in a close 100m running 12.77.

READ earlier previews:

NSW All Schools PREVIEW: Internationals return

NSW All Schools PREVIEW: Para-Athletics events

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

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW