Gympie Athletics Club reveals top athletes to watch
With the 2032 Brisbane Olympics on the horizon, here are the rising stars of track and field from Gympie. See the FULL LIST.
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Whether they’re sweating it out at a Friday night training session or competing on a national level, these young athletes could have what it takes to go for gold.
With the 2032 Brisbane Olympics on the horizon, these bright stars are headed in the right direction.
From runners to long-jumpers and everything in between, meet the young Gympie athletes to watch.
*These sports stars have all been nominated by parents and coaches from Gympie Athletics Club. This list is in no particular order:
Hayden Austin
A keen runner, Hayden Austin, 8, loves both sprints and long-distance events.
He competes in the Under 9s division.
Hayden said his only goal with athletics was to up his speed.
“When I started out running, I figured out that I was pretty fast,” he said.
“Now I just want to get faster.”
Ruby Beutel
Eight-year-old Ruby Beutel is a runner on the rise.
She regularly places first in long distance running events, including cross country and 800m track events.
Ruby said her favourite part about athletics was getting to compete.
Dallas Ayton
Dallas Ayton loves to run, and he loves to run fast.
For him, athletics is a simple pleasure.
That pleasure often translates to wins at Gympie Athletics, especially in long-distance events.
Dallas competes in the Under 6 division.
Eli Neumann
An accomplished runner, Eli Neumann is known around the Gympie Athletics Club for his long-distance achievements.
He frequently wins at club competition nights, and also enjoys other events.
For Eli, his reason for running is simple.
“I have fun,” Eli said.
Mia Power
Power by name and performance - Mia Power, 9, competes in the under 10s division, specialising in shot put and 800m track events.
She has recently competed at a state level, placing 4th in the 800m event.
She also competed in shot put at a state level.
“My favourite part about athletics is being able to try my best,” Mia said.
Tayah McLeod
With a personal best of 14m, Tayah McLeod is one to watch in discus events.
She hopes to one day compete at a national level.
Tayah frequently enjoys wins at competition nights at the Gympie Athletics Club.
Piper Wilson
Another accomplished runner, Piper Wilson has recently competed – and set personal bests – in four events at a state level.
She prefers sprints over long distance runs, especially 200m events.
Piper said her reason for running was simple.
“I just love sport,” she said.
Courtney Wilson
Courtney Wilson competes in the Under 13 division in running events.
She recently went to state championships for 200m, long jump and 4 x 100m relay.
Courtney is driven by defeating her personal best scores.
“I love seeing what I can achieve personally,” she said.
Maci Ritchie
Maci Ritchie, 10, recently competed and won at a state level for a tetra event.
She is set to go to national championships in a few weeks.
Maci said she couldn’t wait to compete nationally.
“I’m really excited about competing against people I’ve never competed against before,” she said.
Hudson McArthur
Hudson McArthur is one of the brightest stars across the Gympie region.
He recently was selected as captain of the Wide Bay State team, where he had to recite the athlete’s oath.
Hudson also placed first in his tetra event at state championships.
“It was a great opportunity,” he said.
“I was very nervous.”
Eli Peterson
Eli Peterson, 12, competes in the under 13 division for high jump.
He recently placed first in the event for the Wide Bay and competed at a state level.
Eli said competing in high jump was like flying.
“I like being in the air,” he said.
Maya Brady
The youngest athlete to make the list, Maya Brady is just 4.
Despite this, she is the Gympie record holder for the 60m sprint event.
Maya said she was very proud of this achievement and loved to run.
She competes in the “tiny tot” division.
Baxter King
Baxter King, 6, is a passionate runner, and loves to compete in sprinting events.
He frequently sets new personal bests at Gympie Athletics Club competition nights.
Hudson has two main goals with his training.
First, he hopes to beat the record for his age group, the Under 7 division.
He also hopes to go to the Wide Bay championships next year.
Piper Power
Piper Power, 12, excels in high jump and shot-put events.
She has competed multiple times at Wide Bay and state championships.
Her high jump personal best is 1.35 metres.
Piper said her favourite part about athletics was the social aspect.
“I love the community and hanging out with everyone,” she said.
Matilda Steer
Matilda Steer, 7, is a fairly new face at the Gympie Athletics Club but is already turning heads.
She was inspired to take her training to the next level after placing age champion in sprints at Kilkivan State School.
Matilda said she loved to push herself.
“I like running because I get to challenge myself,” she said.
Slater Mason
Slater Mason, 11, is a multi-talented sportsman and excels in 200m and long jump events.
He recently competed at the Wide Bay championships and has competed at a state level when he was younger.
He also is an accomplished soccer and touch football player.
Slater said he loved running for the feeling of accomplishment.
“My favourite part about running is the excitement after placing well,” he said.
Jaelyn Knight
With a personal best of 5.89 metres, Jaelyn Knight is one to watch in long jump.
He recently placed in the top 20 at state championships for high jump, and said his favourite part about competing was seeing where professional athletes train.
Jaelyn has Olympic aspirations, and hopes to compete in Brisbane in 2032.
Georgina McCabe
At just 14, Georgina McCabe is one of the most accomplished young athletes in Gympie.
In just a few short weeks, she will be off to national championships for javelin.
Her personal best score is 39.43 metres.
“I’m excited for nationals because it’ll be a brand new experience,” she said.
Molly Isaac
Molly Isaac, 14, competes in the Under 15 division.
She is a long-distance runner and her specialty event is the 800m run.
Molly’s personal best score for 800m is 2:49:77, a score which she is rightfully proud of.
She recently placed fourth in the 400m event at Wide Bay championships and also competed at a state level.
Amelia Garner
Amelia Garner, 16, competes in the Under 17 division and has Olympic aspirations.
Her specialty event is hurdles, especially longer distance events.
Amelia said the reason she prefers long distance was because the events prioritised speed over technique.
“It’s easier to catch up,” she said.
Fraser King
With a personal best of 21.09 metres in discus, Fraser King is accomplished beyond his years.
At just nine-year-old, he is a driven young man.
His main goal is to keep challenging himself to beat his personal best.
“I want to beat the record for discus,” he said.
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