The top SA athletes to watch and top seeds at the 2022 Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships

From big names to emerging talents, we’ve found SA’s athletes to watch and the top seeds for this weekend’s Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships, hosted in Adelaide. See the list.

Daniel Renfrey

@DanielRenfrey

4 min read

December 7, 2022 - 3:00PM

The Messenger

Replay: Athletics SA State Track and Field Championships

Local Sport

Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.

The Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships will begin this Friday right here in Adelaide and stacks of local athletes are ready to impress.

The championships remains as one of the major events for young gun athletes in Australia and will feature a range of competitors in a variety of events from December 9-12 at the SA Athletics Stadium.

Ahead of the championships, we’ve named SA’s top young stars to watch and the state’s top seeded athletes over the three days.

Here are the athletes – in no particular order.

MARLEY RAIKIWASA – Throw

(Tyndale Christian School)

Talented thrower Marley Raikiwasa is set to dominate at the Aus All Schools Championships. Picture: Athletics SA

Raikiwasa has exploded onto the athletics scene in recent years and has had a career-best year in 2022.

She represented Australia in discus at the World Athletics U20 Championships as a 16-year-old and qualified for the final round, and also won gold at the Australian Track and Field Championships in the U18 and U20 discus.

Raikiwasa currently holds state records for women’s U18 shot put and U20, U18 and U16 discus.

CHARLOTTE MCAULIFFE – Multi events/sprints

(St Peter’s Girls)

Charlotte McAuliffe (left) is a fast rising sprint talent in South Australia. Picture: Dean Martin

A promising heptathlete McAuliffe is especially strong across sprint events.

She has won the Open Women’s 400-metre title as a 15-year-old, edging out Olympian Kendra Hubbard to do so, and won gold in the women’s U16 200-metres and Silver in the U16 400-metres at this year’s Australian Track and Field Championships.

ANDREW MAENDA – Sprints

(St Peter’s College)

Saints Athletic Club member Andrew Maenda has experienced major success on the track this year. Picture: Supplied

Maenda comes into the championships ranked top three in both the U16 100-metre and 200-metre events.

He returned from this year’s Track and Field Championships with two golds, two silvers and a bronze in a variety of sprint and relay events.

THOMAS MATTINSON – Frame runner

(Westminster)

Thomas "Tommy Turbo" Mattinson with Premier Peter Malinauskas. Picture: supplied

While Thomas ‘Tommy Turbo’ Mattinson is a fast-rising frame runner, he will also compete in para shot put and para discus events this weekend.

He represented Australia in the CPISRA International Cup in Denmark this year, winning gold in the U14 RR2 100-metre and 400-metre events.

KEN FERRANTE TANIKAWA – Multi events

(Henley High School)

Ken Ferrante Tanikawa (left) with Iluka-Rose Taylor. Hen is competing in six events this weekend. Picture: Woodville Little Athletics

Ferrante Tanikawa will compete in six events at the Australian All Schools Championships including men’s U14 triple jump, javelin, shot put, discus, 90-metre hurdles and pole vault.

He is seeded in the top four in four of these events and is coming off of a state Track and Field Championships during which he won 10 gold medals.

ILUKA-ROSE TAYLOR – Sprints

(Immanuel College)

At just 12 years old, Rose-Taylor is one of SA’s brightest young stars, having finished third in this year’s open women’s 400-metre state final behind McAuliffe and Hubbard.

She has been dominant in the U14 age group across sprint and long jump events and is seeded first in this weekend’s 400-metre and long jump.

CHELSEA FRIEDRICH – High jump

(Endeavour College)

Friedrich won gold in the Australian Track and Field Championships U18 women’s high jump and should be a big chance at achieving gold again this weekend.

She will face tough competition from fellow SA athlete Tryphena Hewett.

TRYPHENA HEWETT – High jump

(The Heights School)

Talented 16-year-old pole vaulter and high jumper Tryphena Hewett will clash with Chelsea Friedrich yet again this weekend. Picture: Russell Millard

Hewett took the silver in the U18 women’s high jump at the national championships, finishing behind Friedrich.

It should be another close battle between the two young stars this weekend.

NOAH SCHOEPF – Throw

(Salisbury High School)

Schoepf is ranked top three in both U16 discus and hammer throw events this weekend.

He comes in as the Australian U16 discus champion and hammer throw silver medallist.

ANGUS HINCKSMAN – Para distance

(Westminster)

Angus Hincksman is a big name in national para athletics and should perform at a high level in this weekend's championships. Picture: Athletics SA

A major name in SA athletics, Hincksman has already set two national records in the 2022-2023 summer season, breaking the men’s U20 T38 state and national records over the 1500-metre and 800-metre distances.

He is a favourite for those two events this weekend.

TESSA EBERT – Distance

(Westminster)

Tessa Ebert is one of SA's emerging track stars. Picture: Athletics SA

Ebert was another big winner at the Australian Track and Field Championships this year, taking out the gold in both the women’s U15 300-metre and 15000-metre events.

She is in the mix to complete the double again at the National All Schools.

JESSICA MCMANUS – Distance

(Westminster)

Jessica McManus is set to spark at the Aus All Schools Championships beginning this Friday. Picture: Athletics SA

McManus has had a standout 2022 and will be in contention for medals in the women’s U18 800-metre and 1500-metre events this weekend.

She has won two silvers at the national championships in 2022 and also took out gold (1500-metre) and silver (800-metre) medals while representing Australia at the Oceania Athletics Championships in June.