Meet South Australia’s top 20 young athletics stars ready to shine at the 2024 Australian Little Athletics Championships
Australia’s Olympians of tomorrow will hit the track in Adelaide from Friday for the national Little Athletics Championships. Meet 20 of SA’s emerging track and field talents.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
As Adelaide prepares to host the country’s brightest up-and-coming athletes, the state’s emerging talents are warming up for the pinnacle event for young track-and-field stars.
More than 70 South Australians will compete on home turf at the Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships – an annual national event – at SA Athletics Stadium from Friday, April 26 until Sunday, April 28.
Meet 20 of the hometown athletes set to contest for medals in the under-13, under-14 and under-15 age groups.
Iluka-Rose Taylor
Iluka-Rose Taylor is a star of the state team and one of the SA’s most decorated junior athletes as she continues to embark on a journey to realise her Olympic dreams.
The Western Athletics Club member is set to compete in the heptathlon in the under-15 age category at the Australian Little Athletics Championships but she has already made waves in the athletics world.
The seven-event heptathlon combines track and field disciplines and is a relatively new challenge for Iluka-Rose, who has already made a name for herself on the track.
That’s where she truly shines – particularly the 400m event were she hopes to emulate her idol Australian athlete Cathy Freeman an one day win an Olympic gold medal.
She had been the 400m national champion two-years in a row at the All School Nationals and is an Australian record holder in the mixed under 16 4x400 relay.
In 2022, Iluka-Rose represented SA at the Little Athletics national championships in Melbourne as an under-13 athlete and it was a gold rush for the talented track athlete.
She won gold in the 200m and 200m hurdles and lowered her own state record in the events, gold in the 400m, gold as part of the medley relay team and a bronze in the 100m.
A heartbreaking hamstring injury kept her out of the 2023 nationals competition, however, after extensive rehab period, Iluka-Rose is back to her best, as she demonstrated this week.
On Tuesday, she competed the Australian Athletics Championships in the under-16s and won gold in the long jump and a silver medal and a personal best time in the 400m.
Iluka-Rose said she fell in love with running at her first sports day at school as a reception student.
“I love running – it makes me feel happy and free,” she said.
“When I run, I’m confident … I love competing.”
Her short term goal is to make it into the Australian side for the junior world competition with her ultimate dream is to one day compete at the Olympic Games.
Akon Baak
Akon Baak, from the Enfield Little Athletics Club, will compete in the under-15 triple jump and high jump events and is no stranger to success on the national stage.
In 2022, she won gold at the State Individual Championships in the under-13 triple jump and high jump.
Akon, who started out as an under-10, said her favourite disciplines are the jumping events; high, triple and long jump while she also enjoys hurdles and the sprint events.
Spencer de Lacy
Spencer de Lacy is another star of the state team set to contest a number of events in the under-15 age group.
Spencer, from the Tea Tree Gully Little Athletics Club, competed at the SA Little Athletics Championships last year and won gold in long jump (5.56m), triple jump (12.26m) and shot put (13.62m).
He was also a finalist in the 100m (12.95s) and 200m (26.08s).
River Dowling
River Dowling, who trains just across the border with the Mildura & Districts Little Athletics Club will represent South Australia in the under-15 sprints.
He was a medallist at the recent State Individual Championships and will compete in the 100m and 200m events.
He started athletics at the age of eight.
Hayley Fuss
Southern Hills Little Athletics Club star Hayley Fuss will compete in the events she identifies as her favourites; the 100m and 200m sprints in the under 15 age group.
Her selection in the state team comes after a silver medial at the State Individual Championship where she run the 100m sprint in 12.68.
Hayley started athletics as a 7 year old and her athlete profile states her whole family is “obsessed with athletics”.
Tempany Hames
Under-15 athlete Tempany Hames will tackle hurdle events at the championships.
The Mid Coast Little Athletics Club member will contest the 90m hurdles and 300m hurdles and has been identified by state team officials as one to watch.
Max Swift
Max Swift, a member of the successful Adelaide Harriers Little Athletic Centre, is another athlete with state team experience, competing at the national championship last year.
He heads into this year’s national championship in good form; he won gold in the discus at the State Individual Championships last month and sliver in the shot put in the under-15 age group.
Ogbonnaya Uduma
A runner from the Hallett Cove Little Athletics Centre, Ogbonnaya Uduma is gearing up for a big nationals event.
He will contest the 200m and 400m events in the under-15 age group.
Aleksander Boruc
Under-14 athlete Aleksander Boruc will be going for gold in the hurdles.
He will race in the 90m and 200m hurdles events after his success at the state championship.
Aleksander won gold in both events at state level in March and won a sliver medal in the 400m.
Ruby Carney
It all about the jumps for Western Athletics Club’s Ruby Carney.
She is in the under-14s and will represent SA in the high jump, long jump and triple jump.
In 2022, Ruby – who was then in the under-12 age group – had a successful national championships campaign in Brisbane where she placed sixth in high jump, 12th in long jump and fifth in the 4x100 relay.
Hamish Gordon
Mount Gambier Little Athletics member Hamish Gordon will be on show in a number of field events at nationals.
The under-14 athlete from the South-East will compete in shot put, discus and javelin.
Ashleigh Heggie
Ashleigh Heggie is gearing up to compete in the under-14 high jump and shot put events.
The talented Lyndoch & Districts Little Athletics Club athlete is competitive in a number of events and last year competed at national level in under-13 girls 1500m run.
Maggie Robinson
Hills Little Athletics Centre star Maggie Robinson will take to the track in both the under-14 400m and 800m events.
She enjoyed success at the recent State Individual Championships and was part of the 2023 state team.
Nathan Trotter
Nathan Trotter is a big chance at a medal in a number of events in the under-14 age group including the 400m, discus, shot put and the triple jump.
The Western Athletics Club member won gold at recent State Combined Event Championships.
Nathan also enjoyed success in 2023 when, as an under-13, he impressively broke the club’s 1984 discus record throwing a distance of 39.64m to smash the previous record of 38.20m.
Zindel Denisoff
Zindel Denisoff is a young gun of the state athletics team and will take to both track and field events at the nationals.
The young star will compete in the under-13 80m hurdles, high jump and triple jump events.
Beau Lawson
Northern Districts Athletics Club star Beau Lawson will compete in the under-13 discus, javelin and shot put events.
Earlier this week, he became the under-14 men’s national hammer throw champion, winning gold at the Australian Athletics Championship competition with a throw of 46.98m.
Sofie Mead
Coastal Districts’ star Sofie Mead has been identified as an athlete to watch at the national championships.
She is a member of the under 13 team and will compete in running events; the 100m, 200m and 400m events.
Sienna Morris
Sienna Morris is a star in the field events in the under-13 age group.
The Hills Little Athletics star holds many club records and is ready to make a name for herself on the nationals stage in the discus, javelin and shot put.
Luke Ramsey
An under-13 star from Port Lincoln, Luke Ramsey is set to compete in the multi-class category.
Luke, who is legally blind, found a passion in athletics while attending the SA School for the Vision Impaired.
His has a heavy schedule for the nationals event and his events include the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and long jump.
Mia Walasek
Salisbury Athletic’s club member Mia Walasek will also have a heavy load at the national championships, competing in four events.
She is set to contest the under-13 200m hurdles, 80m hurdles, high jump and long jump.
NAMED: THE FULL SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STATE TEAM
Under-15 boys
Spencer De Lacy – Tea Tree Gully, Juvenal Doko-Tchatoka – Eastern Districts, River Dowling – Mildura & Districts, Liam Freundt – Salisbury, Jett Johnson – Mildura & Districts, Gerard McGinley – Reynella East, Tory Milburn – Salisbury, Martin Nash – Port Adelaide, Daniel Oddie – Mid Coast, Elijah Owen – Plympton, Max Swift – Adelaide Harriers, Zach Szelag – Mid Coast, Nicholas Tippins – Hallett Cove, Ogbonnaya Uduma – Hallett Cove, Jayden Zammit – Salisbury.
Under-15 girls
Scarlett Axon – Western, Akon Baak – Enfield, Inara Castle – Hills, Hayley Fuss – Southern Hills, Aaliah Giacopini – Salisbury, Lillia Giannakis – Campbelltown, Tempany Hames – Mid Coast, Scarlet Heitmann – Salisbury, Alicia Jones – Golden Grove, Grace Marin – Eastern Districts, Iluka-Rose Taylor – Western, Sophie Van Schaik – Plympton, Lily Whiteman – Hills.
Under-14 boys
Aleksander Boruc – Adelaide Harriers, Joel Christie – Salisbury, Rubin Davis – Enfield, Hamish Gordon – Mount Gambier, Mitchell Harrison, Rowan McClelland – Enfield, Paxton Ong – Salisbury, Nathan Trotter – Western.
Under-14 girls
Ava Adcock – Adelaide Harriers, Ruby Carney – Western, Matilda Flynn – Golden Grove, Laci Galanos – Coastal Districts, Ashleigh Heggie- Lyndoch & Districts, Maggie Robinson – Hills, Lucille Trengove – Adelaide Harriers, Jaya Venables-Miller – Mid Coast, Lily Woodward- Reynella East, Layla Young- Tea Tree Gully.
Under-13 boys
Nathan Andriani – Woodville, Tyler Bell – Western Matthew Boothby – Salisbury, Andrei Chemutov – Magill, Zindel Denisoff – Port Adelaide, Orlando Grantham – Enfield, Beau Lawson – Northern Districts, Joshua Malan – Southern Hills, Luke Ramsey – Port Lincoln Jack Robinson – Northern Districts, Rylee Saers – Gawler, Jack Wheeler – Barossa Valley, Harry Whalan – Mount Gambier.
Under-13 girl
Eva Chester – Hills, Martha Edson – Eastern Districts, Madison Girvan – Golden Grove, Tessa Grieve – Adelaide Harriers, Taylah Heitmann – Salisbury, Caitlin Holmes – Port Adelaide, Anja Jansen Van Vuuren – Tea Tree Gully, Sofie Mead – Coastal Districts, Sienna Morris – Hills, Violette Smith – Mount Barker Districts, Mia Walasek – Salisbury, Lola Whiteman – Hills, Kelani Woods – Tea Tree Gully, Ayla Woodstock-Swaffer – Port Lincoln.
‘Like a second home’: Local footy club legend calls time
A Southern Football League great has called time on his dazzling career ahead of season 2025 after winning a fourth A Grade premiership with his beloved local club in 2024.
‘Gone up a notch’: Local footy club makes major additions for season 2025
A recently relegated Adelaide Footy League club has welcomed back a number of big names for 2025 including a former Crows gun and dual league medallist as it prepares for instant division two success.