PBs and qualifiers Galore in Canberra

31 January 2022

PBs and qualifiers Galore in Canberra

The annual pilgrimage to the ACT Championships for hundreds of NSW athletes produced dozens of personal bests, national team qualifiers and some significant breakthroughs across the three days of competition.

Nine athletes achieved World U20 Championships qualifiers, with importantly four first timers Olivia Rose Inkster (UTN) 200m, Joshua Atkinson (HIL) 400m, Delta Amidzovski (WOL) 100m hurdles and Erin Shaw (UTN) high jump.

Two juniors Isabella Guthrie (UTN) and Joshua Atkinson were outstanding. Pushing Tokyo Olympian Sarah Carli to the line, Isabella clocked 58.42 in the 400m hurdles, a 1.67 personal best and the fastest time by an Australian junior for 10 years. It elevated her to number 10 in Australian junior history and now sits just below Carli who ran a best of 58.05 as a teenager.

18-year-old Josh Atkinson placed third in the open 400m bring his PB down 0.35 seconds to 46.60. The time was a second under the Australian standard for the World U20 Championships and moved him to number 22 Australian junior all-time. Second in the event, was 2019 World Championships relay team member Ian Halpin (BAN) who clocked 46.33 to break his three-year-old PB of 46.39. Winner of heat two, Matt Crowe (UTN) continues to impressive on the flat running 47.60, which surely in time will convert to a much quicker 400m hurdles PB – currently at 52.45.

In the 400m hurdles, Mark Fokas (UTN) clocked another terrific time of 51.29, just outside his recent PB of 51.21, also recorded in Canberra. He is on track go sub-50 this summer.

Until one month ago, Delta Amidzovski (WOL) competed in the under-16 90m hurdles over 76cm, but in Canberra in just her second run over the under-20 specifications of 100m and 84cm, she clocked a world U20 Championships qualifier of 13.93 seconds.

In the under-20 long jump, Katie Gunn (GOS) just missed a second world junior qualifier, leaping 6.09m. High hurdler Mitchell Lightfoot (MAI) claimed an important win over national champion, Victorian Tay Willis, 13.51 to 13.75 in the under-20 110m hurdles. They are two of the four fastest in Australian junior history.

There was a very quick 100m by Commonwealth Games prospect Indi Cooper (T38), 17, clocking 14.48.

NSW’s junior sprinters Joseph Ayoade and Sebastian Sultana continued to impressive going 1-2 in the under-20 100m. They should later this summer press their claims for Australian junior relay team selection.

NSW’s long jump depth was on show in the open women’s event. Samantha Dale won with a good jump of 6.25m, ahead of teenager Tomysha Clark 6.24m. Newcastle’s Brittany Carroll was third with 6.19m. 15-year-old Delta Amidzovski was fourth with 6.06m and Central Coast’s Bethany Kranendonk (WYO) fifth with 5.90m.

Olivia Rose Inkster clinched the sprint double clocking a World U20 Championships qualifier in the 200m winning in 24.19 seconds. Twins Jasmine and Isabella Guthrie battled for the bronze with Jasmine winning the medal 24.60 to 24.97. In the open 200m, Gold Coast-based Monique Quirk waged a close battle with Victorian Sophia Fighera, finishing second 23.56 to 23.68. In third was Central Coast’s Bronte Carroll with 23.84. Fourth place was one of the finds of the 2021/22 summer, the John Quinn-coached Kysha Praciak with 24.10.

High jumper, Erin Shaw (UTN) cleared a world junior qualifier of 1.83m, ahead of attempting a PB 1.86m.

On the last day, Alex Hulley (SUT) reached 66.56m in the hammer throw while in the triple jump, Connor Murphy bounded to his third longest of his career with 15.73m.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Monique Quirk (courtesy David Tarbotton)