NSW Junior Championships Day 1: hurdlers highlight

13 March 2025

NSW Junior Championships Day 1: hurdlers highlight

The 11-day festival of athletics in NSW got underway at Homebush today in perfect conditions. With steeplechase and 400/300/200m hurdle events on the program, the officials were working overtime moving barriers and hurdles.

U20 3000m Steeplechase – Jessie Fotheringham

Clocking the fastest time by an Australian junior for seven years, Tamworth’s Jessie Fortheringham stormed to victory today in the NSW U20 3000m steeplechase. After clocking a best of 10.40 minutes last summer, Jessie had gone to a new level this summer with 10:21 minutes and 10.24 minutes times, ahead of today’s outstanding performance of 10:12.38 minutes to win by nearly two minutes.

“I was very happy with the time. I was hoping to get under 10.18 and I got 10.12,” Jessie said.

“I've been doing athletics since I was really young, I just copied all my siblings, but it was probably when I was in year 10 that I probably started to progress. We had a new coach come to Tamworth and I started training with him. And from there, improved rapidly.”

How did she start running the steeplechase a rather unique event?

“I always loved hurdles, but I wasn't a very good sprinter. So, steeplechase was basically just hurdles. I did it once and loved it,” said Jessie who as a very young had dabbled in hurdles. She also regards her years in gymnastics as helping her hurdle.

“I was a very sporty kid growing up, so I did lots of different sports.”

U17 400m hurdles – Maiya Hewitt

At just 15, Athletics Wollongong’s Maiya Hewitt has recorded her third three outstanding 400m hurdles time in the last three months to win the NSW U17 400m hurdles title today. In December in Brisbane at the Australian All Schools she won the under-17 National title in 60.50 seconds. Then in January in Canberra she trimmed her PB to 60.31 and now the State championships in 60.72 seconds. How fast are these times? Well for the World U20 Championships last year a time of 61.0 seconds was required to qualify and just two Aussie achieved that. Also Maiya’s 60.50 time in December was the fastest in the world in 2024 for a 15-year-old.

Coached by her dad Josh, a former NSW State open hurdles champion, Maiya, who is also very good junior tennis player, is also an incredible long jump talent, winning the National schools title in December. So which direction is she likely to follow in athletics? “Well, the hurdles are more of a recent thing, but I’m still not doing my long jump. I’d say the 400 hurdles is probably my favourite.”

U17 Hammer Throw – Cooper Dabin

Just two years into competing in a new event, Cooper Dabin is already a National champion, claiming the U16 Australian All Schools hammer throw title last December. On Thursday he added another state title, the NSW U17 title to his collection with a 61.60m mark, and winning by 10 metres.

Cooper started out in Little Athletics as a shot putter and discus thrower and won a medal at ALAC. The athlete from the NSW country town of Young had a chance meeting with Ernie Shankelton, an elite hammer throw coach who guided Bronwyn Eagles to a bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships.

“I went to Country Championships at Dubbo and that's when I first met him (Ernie),” recalled Cooper.

Cooper started making the hour and a half one way trip twice a week to train with Ernie in Canowindra.

“Initially I started doing discus and shot but eventually he transitioned me to the hammer.” And the rest is history as Cooper has gone on to win the last two Australian All Schools titles for his age.

U18 400m hurdles – Alex Ingevics

In just his second year of hurdling, the rise of for 400m sprinter Alex Ingevics continued with a strong win in the under-18 400m hurdles. He former Mosman Little Athlete, Alex was primarily a 400m sprinter until 15 months ago when he added the 400m hurdles to his program.

“With long legs and a thin build we thought I was perfect for the four hurdles. I thought maybe this is where I can do well.

In his first ever run over the hurdles he clocked 60.6 seconds and a year on, in December 2024, he won the National U17 400m hurdles in a time 53.97 seconds. Today’s win was a modest 55.06 in the warm conditions.

Alex has s strong coaching team behind him, his dad, Katie Edwards and Mel Gainsford-Taylor. Mel and Katie had a good day in the hurdles, with Grace Townsend comfortably taking the U20 400m hurdles in 61.83 seconds.

A year 12 student, Alex Ingevics has a definite short-term goal. “Hopefully world juniors. Yeah, that’s my big goal.”

14years/U15 3000m walk and 2000m Steeplechase – Callum Martin

It was a herculean effort by Adamstown’s Callum Martin, claiming two endurance events medals in 70 minutes. Callum opened his account with a commanding win in the under-15 3000m walk clocking 14:06.04. But incredibly 70 minutes later he has on the line for the very demanding under-15 2000m steeplechase, where he claimed silver in 6:49.81 minutes.

Despite his distance running talent, race walking is where Callum seems to be heading.

“My dream is to go to the Olympics so I'm still targeting that,” he said.

“I want to go to World Juniors next year because they have made it a 5000m walk.”

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Jessie Fortheringham (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)