Adelaide hosts Australian All Schools Athletics Championships this weekend

SOUTH Australia will field one of its largest teams when the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships return to Adelaide for the first time in 14 years this weekend.

Australian Schools Athletics Championships

SOUTH Australia will field one of its largest teams when the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships return to Adelaide for the first time in 14 years this weekend.

About 170 teenage athletes from across the state will compete with more than 1000 of the country’s best juniors from Friday to Sunday at SA ­Athletics Stadium.

The event is also an opportunity to stake a claim for qualification for July’s IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.

Happy Valley’s Kurtis Marschall is considered one of SA’s top medal chances.

The Western Districts Athletics Club pole vaulter represented Australia at the World Junior Championships in the US in July and won the state school title in October.

He hoped to improve on his best mark of 5.20m set at an interclub meet last week.

“I’m excited because it’s the first time I’ve competed in a nationals in my home state,” Marschall, 17, said.

“The PB has definitely put me in a better head space.

“There’s three of us guys all jumping around the same height so the PB has given me a bit of an edge.

“My aim is to come out on top, win the gold and get another PB.”

Lucy Fitzgerald, of ­Panorama, is also tipped to perform well.

The Urrbrae Agricultural High student won the under-18 sprint double at the state school titles.

Fitzgerald also broke Commonwealth Games ­representative Margaret Gayen’s 200m meet record, posting 25.26secs in the final.

“Training has been going really well and I’ve had a strong winter,” Fitzgerald, 17, said.

“The times are starting to come along and are getting a bit quicker.

“Last year in the same championships I ran 11.96 (secs) in the 100m so I’m ­definitely looking to run some PBs (this weekend).”

SA sent a team of 90 to last year’s nationals in Townsville.

Athletics SA chief executive Adam Bishop said hosting the event allowed more local athletes to compete at the elite level.

“We worked hard to get the Australian All Schools back to Adelaide as we knew it would provide a fantastic opportunity for more of our athletes to experience a ­national championship without the expenses ­associated with travel,” Bishop said.

The Australian Schools Knockout Cup follows the championships on Monday.

Action starts at 5pm on Friday, at SA Athletics Stadium, 145 Railway Tce, Mile End South.