NSW Juniors Review Days 1 and 2: Rain Can’t Stop the Flood of Performances

26 February 2022

NSW Juniors Review Days 1 and 2: Rain Can’t Stop the Flood of Performances

Constant rain didn’t hamper terrific performances by NSW finest teenage athletes at the 2022 NSW Junior Championships being held at Homebush this weekend.

U20 1500m: Greatest ever 1500m? Certainly fastest

Despite the wet conditions, we witnessed a very fast men’s under-20 1500m. Usually won in about mid to low-3:50s, six athletes, five NSW and one from WA, dipped under 3:53 with the medallists all under 3:49. Bailey Habler (RBH) was chasing a World U20 Championships qualifier, sub-3:48.50, in a certified race after previously running 3:47.71 three weeks earlier. The race set off at a fast pace. On target for sub-3:48 approaching the bell, Bailey stole a lead but the strength of 5000m athlete Daniel Kelly (RCR) saw him overhaul Bailey in the home straight and take the win in 3:46.77, with Bailey clocking 3:47.90. Daniel’s time was a four seconds PBs.

Balmain’s Kane Shield took the bronze in 3:48.52, missing the World U20 standard by just 0.02 seconds. Fourth was Ben Thomas (RBH) 3:51.85, Hamish Hart (Knox) 3:52.43 and WA’s Ethan Wyatt-Smith sixth with 3:52.48.

“I would have loved to win that race but credit to Dan, well done, he did really well,” said Bailey. “It was good just to get under a qualifier at a permit meet.”

It has been a late start to racing this summer for Bailey.

“I just trained through December to make a late push for nationals.”

For Daniel Kelly, it was not his usual distance.

“I’m trying to focus on the 5k this season, so a bit shorter today. I’ve just come back from Falls (Falls Creek) and there was going to be good competition in the 1500m like Bailey so I thought I’d give the 15 a crack and the steeple a crack tomorrow.”

Daniel has been training at Falls Creek since December, except for a visit to Melbourne to run the under-20 3000m at Zatopek, where he did not finish.

“I wasn’t quite fit enough so that was motivation leading into this race.”

Lightfoot and Amidzovski continue push towards records

Wollongong’s Delta Amidzovski won three gold medals over the first two days. She won the under-17 100m in 12.14 and long jump with 5.64m, but her best performance was undoubtedly in the 100m hurdles where she just missed Michelle Jenneke’s NSW State under-18 record of 13.46, clocking 13.51.

Mitchell Lightfoot (MAI) clocked another quality performance running 13.66 in the final on the wet track, just outside of his 13.51 PB a level only four other Australian’s has reached.

In the under-18 110m hurdles Rashid Kabba (WES) snipped 0.07 seconds from his PB clocking 13.87, ahead of Goulburn’s Joshua Kalozi with 14.33. Joshua recently ran 13.61 in Canberra. Billy Blair was all class clocking winning the under-16 100m hurdles in 13.27, quicker than his 13.50 winning effort at the NSW All Schools in December.

Josh Atkinson goes sub-47 again in the 400m

Proving his ACT Championships time of 46.60 was no fluke, on a wet track in Sydney, Joshua Atkinson (HIL) clocked 46.81 to win the under-20 400m. His PB had taken him to number 22 Australian junior all-time.

There were two quality runs by Isabella Guthrie (UTN) in the under-20 Women’s 400m. In the heat she clocked 55.22, just short of the World U20 Championships standard of 55.20, but nailed it in the final with 55.19. She remains the third fastest junior in Australia with her 53.85 clocking in January. There was a PB for Ashleigh Goncalves (WOL) 55.94 in second. Also in the 55s and running PBs was under-17 champion Ella Penman (DUB) with 55.79 and under-16 winner Ivy Boothroyd (SUT) 55.58.

Xavier Perry (NEP) won a thrilling under-15 400m race in 53.03, from Aiden Wright (RYD) 53.26 and Wol Albino (HON) 53.74. In the u-16 400m Callum Gratham led an Illawong 1-2 clocking 50.86 ahead of Sebastian Miani’s 52.22.

More metric mile action

The women’s under-20 1500m matched the men in quality with Hayley Kitching (COF) clocking an incredible six seconds PB time of 4:20.06, ahead of Montana Monk’s 4:27.90 and Laura Roderick (RBH) 4:28.29. Hayley and Montana will be again be in action on Sunday in their pet distance of 800m.

For Laura Roderick, it was another stunning performance in her short track career. A coach with Jordan and Warren Williams’ Up and Running Squad, two weeks ago Laura clocked an incredible 16:16.11 in the NSW 5000m Championships – 30 under the standard for the World U20 Championships. On Friday night she won the NSW U20 3000m in a PB 9:44.27 and her third place in the 1500m also nailed a World U20 standard for her.

Trinity’s Matthew McLauchlin and Nate Ward were locked in a thrilling race running side-by-side for most of the under-15 1500m event, until Matthew broke way on the last lap to record the terrific time of 4:11.46, ahead of Nate Ward (KOT). Matthew’s time would have won silver in the under-16 event.

The under-16 winner was Daniel Williams from Hyland Park, just north of Nambucca Heads. He strode away to take the title in 4:07.64. The under-16 girls event was a quality race with five under 4:40, led by Sienna Scahill (ASW) 4:34.67, Sarah Baker (UTN) 4:36.92 and Fleur Cooper (MOS) 4:37.63.

In the U17 1500m after a close battle throughout, Nate Oliver (RBH) looked to have the title over Jade Kitching (COF), but Jade rallied in the last 200m to produce a superb final kick which saw him sail home for the win in 4:13.79 to Nate’s 4:14.01.

A wet track didn’t slow the sprinter’s

In January in Brisbane, Connor Bond (UTN) had secured a 200m World U20 Champs qualifier clocking 21.38, but the 100m standard of 10.60 had elided him, with a best of 10.61. But on a wet Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre track on Saturday, he surprised with a time of 10.56 into a slight 0.5m/s wind. With four under 10.90, he defeated a quality field. He probably knew a quick time was possible as 10 minute earlier he witnessed in the under-18 100m Sebastian Sultana (CBT), who has previously run a World U20 Champs qualifier of 10.59, clock 10.65 in the less than ideal conditions.

NSW open championships bronze medallists, Alek Stoilova (WES), 16, accounted for the field in the under-18 women’s 100m in a quick 11.82.

Names to watch for the future with big 100m wins were: Jack Proudfoot (HIL) U14 100m 12.31, Matilda Harrison (UTN) U14 100m 12.82, Max Marshall (NOW) U15 100m 11.48 and Dylan Hall (KNO) U16 100m 10.81.

Amosia Soatini picking up the new weight

Australian under-16 shot put record holder Amosia Soatini (TRI) looks to be handing the move up to the 5kg implement with ease hitting 18.05m to win the NSW under-17 event by three metres. He has nearly two years to take down the NSW record of 20.69m.

Chasing a World U20 Championships standard, Jason Parmaxidis (CBT) reached a PB of 17.14m to win the under-20 event. He needs to putt 18.20m for the standard which no athlete in Australia has yet reached.

Visiting South Australian, Marley Raikiwasa gave NSW pair Emma Polikowski (SYP) and Emily Richardson (MQH) some great competition in the under-18 women’s shot. Emma led early with 14.34m, finishing with 14.44m for the NSW title, while Marley won the competition with a mark of 14.66m. Emily was also over 14 metres with her second round effort of 14.01m.

Katie Gunn and Grace Krause negotiate flooded sand pits

After the first competition, the home straight jumping pits became un-useable due to flooding from the rain, requiring the horizontal jumps to be moved to the back straight and warm up track.

Through constant rain Katie Gunn (GOS) managed to fly to 5.90m to claim the under-20 title, while Sienna Bond (UTN) was just as impressive nailing 5.78m in the under-18s. Temora’s Grace Krause won an under-16 double, taking the triple jump with 11.62, directly after winning silver in the 100m. She won a close triple jump from Izobelle Louison-Roe (STG) who bounded out to 11.56m. Grace had won the long jump in teeming rain with a very consistent series which included jumps of 5.50m, 5.59m and 5.59m.

Women’s junior race walking emerging

NSW have the best crop of junior women race walkers in over 15 years and they were again in terrific form on Friday in the under-20 5000m event. Allanah Pitcher (MIN) was competing in her last race before heading to the World Race Walking Teams Championships in Oman next month. She clocked 23:54.13, just outside her bronze medal winning time last weekend in the NSW open championships. First in the race was Elizabeth McMillen (SYP) who is preparing nicely for the national Under-20 10,000m walk which will decide places in the Australian team for the World U20 championships. Third on Friday night was Emma Blanch (SGD) in a time of 24:13.55. She was last week second in the NSW open 5000m walk and earlier in the month fourth in the under-20 10km Walk trial for the World Race Walking Teams Championships. A close fourth was Hannah Bolton (MIN) with 24:22.68. The under-17 winner Milly Boughton (RBH) was hot on their heels with 24:32.84.

Isaac Beacroft (NEP) was impressive in the under-16 boys 3000m clocking 12:40.77, while Sienna Pitcher (MIN) went one better than her older sister, taking gold in the under-16 3000m walk with a time of 14:25.77.

High Jump wrap-up up tomorrow.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Josh Atkinson (courtesy of David Tarbotton)