NSW Champs Day 3: Taddeo hurdles 13.02

21 February 2022

NSW Champs Day 3: Taddeo hurdles 13.02

For the second consecutive day, a Penny Gillies coached athlete, Abbie Taddeo, recorded the best result at the 125th NSW Championships which concluded at Homebush on Sunday night.

Bolstered by some good interstate competition from Victoria’s Celeste Mucci and Gold Coast-based Michelle Jenneke (SYU), Illawong’s Abbie Taddeo clocked a PB 100m hurdles time of 13.02, moving from number 10 to equal 8 all-time. Celeste won in 12.99, just 10.01 seconds outside her PB, while Michelle Jenneke was third in 13.44.

“It’s a PB I’m stoked in a messy race,” said Abbie. Her 100m speed has been one of her keys in recent years, is that still the situation?

“I haven’t done a lot of flat races over the 100m so I couldn’t tell you where my speed is at, at the moment. My coach and I made a massive shift in technique. There is still a few things that can be a lot better, so there is more room for improvement.”

Is 1 or 10 events better for Sam Taylor?

Talented decathlete, Sam Taylor (NEW) stunned with a massive long jump PB of 7.77m, adding 32cm to his previous best. Sam, who suffered mild concussion after falling into the vaulting box at the NSW Decathlon championships, also possess terrific 10.65 speed. It was the second longest jump in Australia this summer and moves past another NSW decathlete Alec diamond who has leapt 7.71m.

Sam defeated Queenslander Zane Branco, who leapt 7.73. The NSW silver went to teenager Liam Fairweather (MAI) with 7.49m and defending champion William Fryer (UTN) who was experienced foul trouble, reaching 7.16m in his only registered jump.

Women’s sprint depth continues in the 200m

In the women’s 200m final seven athletes dipped under 24 seconds with former NSW athlete Kristie Edwards (QLD) out dipping defending champion Monique Quirk (ILL) 23.36 to 23.38. Central Coast’s Bronte Carroll trimmed her PB and recorded another World University Games qualifier.

Henly home

After five years in Canada, dual Paralympian Guy Henly is home in Australia. Arriving two weeks ago, he and Canadian wife Jenn Brown are looking to settle in Melbourne, a little cooler than Sydney for Jenn. They competed at the NSW Championships, with Guy reaching an excellent 49.52m in the discus. His series including four throws further than his Tokyo result. Jenn, also a discus thrower, won silver with a distance of 27.41m.

Clark sisters and Gunn on target

An expected high level women’s long jump competition didn’t disappoint with five athletes over six metres. Last year Tay-Leiha Clark won, this year, her younger sister and teenager Tomysha Clark (ILL) took the title with a wind assisted 6.34m jump, ahead of Maitland’s Brittany Carroll who leapt 6.24m. Teenager Katie Gunn (GOS) compiled a series of five six plus metre jumps with the best of 6.17m to take the bronze. Four of her jumps were World U20 championships qualifiers. In fourth was 15-year-old Delta Amidzovski (WOL) with a wind assisted 6.12m jump. Another teenager Alyssa Lowe returned to the six metre club which she joined in 2019, with a sixth round jump of 6.02m.

Progress for the consistent Alex Hulley

Improvement can take various forms, not just in distance (or time). For Alex Hulley (SUT) her Hammer Throw winning mark of 67.15m was one of her better throws this summer, but it was the series that she was most pleased with reaching distances of 65.99m, 66.96m and 66.15m in her competition.

In brief:

• Balmain teenager Luca Bruce-Gilchrist’s Ambulant 200m win in 44.22 was one of the highest scoring events in the women’s para competition. Luca, a T41 class athlete, hit a percentage of 91.59. Also in the race, Mali Lovell (UTN), 17, was just outside her lifetime 200m best clocking 31.42 – a time that a year earlier would have qualified her for selection for the Tokyo Paralympics. There was a terrific run by Rio Paralympian Tamsin Colley (HIL) clocking 32.36.

• Lizzy Baral cleared an excellent 3.80m in the pole vault, ahead of missing a new PB of 4.00m.
• A quick winning time of 20.98 for Abdoulie Asim (UTN) in the open 200m, but the surprise was St George’s Andrew Goschnik, 20, clocking 21.31 for the silver. He started the summer with a best of 21.81, then has set bests of 21.63, 21.52, 21.33 and now 21.31.
• Tokyo Olympian, Nick Hough clocked a wind assisted 13.87 to take the NSW 100m hurdles title.

• 17-year-old Charlie Jeffreson (KINGS), who ran a lifetime 800m best of 1:47.60 in Adelaide, coasted through the bell in near to last, before accelerating in the home straight to take the win in 1:53.68. Also at the back of the field at the bell, Luke Young (NEW), took silver in 1:54.00.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Women’s 100m hurdles final Celeste Mucci and Abbie Taddeo (David Tarbotton)

Various photos from David Tarbotton and Fred Etter.