Records tumble at the Queensland School Sport Track and Field State Championships
Day 3: Records tumbled on another action packed day at the Queensland School Sport Track and Field State Championships. Story here.
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Ginger Cox and Padraig Heffernan both charged to new steeplechase records as the Queensland Representative School Sport track and field championships swung toward the home straight.
On day three of the four day event, Cox, the sublime St Margaret’s distance athlete, surged to the line in a time of 11.06.12. In second position was Tess Hannigan and third was Isabelle Jeude.
And the elite Heffernan, a benchmark athlete for his peers, was at the top of his game - again - running a sizzling 9:29.00 in his steeplechase.
Earlier in the meet, Canterbury College pole vault exponent Archie Watt also launched his way to a new record
Watt soared 4m in the 15 years men, one of six records set so far at the championships.
There was a sensation in the 14 years women’s pole vault when Liana Herrington (Capricornia) and Taylah Smith-Miller (South Coast) deadheaded for third. The event was won by Sadie Dowden from Lilja Jonsdottir.
The gruelling steeplechase events were among the highlights of the day.
Displaying tremendous courage, Sasha Josipovic (Met East) won the 14 years women from Evie Wright and Zoe St John, while in the 15 years women Savannah Bush (South Coast) had the endurance of a champion to finish ahead of Ava Knox and Grace Adams.
The 16 years was claimed by St Margaret’s Met North representative Coco Fidler, with Zara Heath second and Ava Watson third.
Then in the 17 years St Peters Lutheran College ace Milla Roberts strode to victory ahead of silver medallist Maya Mullins and bronze medallist Matilda Lee.
The 14 years boys steeplechase was a grand showdown claimed by Sam Newsham (South Coast) from Cameron Cox (Met East) and third placed Braxton Mitchell (Met West), while in the 15 years boys Othniel Nichitean (South Coast) was victorious from silver medallist Jack Jenvey (Met East) and Hamish Cox (Met East).
The 17 years steeplechase was a sprint to the death between Asher Parkin (Met North) and Rhett Baker (Sunshine Coast). Third was Owen Davie.
And Ipswich Grammar School ace Dakota Stewart (Met West) then got the job done in the 16 years men, beating Harvey Hermiston (silver) and Jett Snow (bronze).
Day three action also saw a terrific trio in the 16 years discus - Jackson Bray (Met West), Connor Hopgood (South Coast) and Jamieson Pooles (Sunshine Coast) - finish on the podium.
In the 13 years high jump, Peninsula’s Isabella Crossley finished on top, ahead of Eiva Ejembi and Sophie McGeehan.
Moreton Bay College had more success when Met East’s Chloe Munro produced a personal best 11.46 in the 15 years triple jump. Second was Jannah Davies and third was Ella Sandilands.
In the 13 years women’s high jump, Peninsula’s Isabella Crossley reached the high water mark, claiming gold from second placed Diva Ejembi (Met West) and bronze medal winner Sophie McGeehan.
And in the 15 years pole vault, South Coast’s Riley Clare prevailed over second placed Caitlyn Butland (Peninsula), with Charli Moore (Met East) third.
The 200m races were a glittering affair, lit up by St Margaret’s Ebony Okonkwo who sliced her way to a 17 years victory over Mikayla Webb and Sarah Elliott.
The excitement continued in the 16 years events where Met West’s Amaya Mearns unleashed in the women’s event, coming home ahead of Minka Tukino and Anika Avers.
In the men’s 200m, exciting Northern sprinter Keanu Watson-Hewitt got the job done over Mitchell Goodman and Kyan Dottta.
Another Northern sprint star in the making, Uwezo Lubenda followed up his 100m success with a 200m win in the 15 years boys - beating home Matthew Green and Samuel Galstuch Magalhaes.
Another gold medal came the way of Darling Downs Ms Lightning, Xanthee Watts (15 years, 200m). It was a high class field which saw the silver medal going to Bronte Grose (Met West) and bronze to Acacia Wohlsen (Met West).
Ned Amorsen (Met North) was a gold medallist again, this time in the 200m 14 years. He won well from silver medallist Vince Figliano and third placed Marlon Andrews.
St Aidan’s sprint pin up girl Eloise Nealon also had her moment, letting fly in the 13 years 200m.
Nealon surged to the front, with South Coast’s Zarayah Williams second and Met North’s Sienna De Young third. It was a terrific run by Nealon.
And in the 14 years, 200m girls, Lara Crisafi was in grand touch, with the Met East athlete claiming gold from Charli Cox (Northern) and Met North’s Erin Grimshaw.
The 800m competitors ran themselves to the point of exhaustion during a dramatic series of elite middle distance events on day 3 at the Queensland Representative School Sport track and field championships at QSAC.
Met East athlete Emma Fryga (Somerville House), who on day 1 broke a competition record in the 800m heat, again ran the house down to claim the 15 years title from gutsy pair Abbie Heggarty (Met East) and Charlize Heathcote (Met North).
Met West’s Claire Riot kicked off the 800m in fine fashion with her gold medal winning effort in the 13 years - just ahead of Kielani Kratzmann (Met East).
Ben Hooper (Met North, Gregory Terrace) was also impressive in his first place effort from Asha Creighton (silver, Met East) and Flynn White (Met West) in the 13 years boys.
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Moreton Bay College athlete Ruby Hazell (Met East) then brought some star power to the 14 years 800m with her gold medal performance ahead of Sunshine Coast’s Kya Wills-Rawlings and Met East’s Ysabella Tomkins.
There was a personal best effort by Narangba Valley SHS’s Saul Kennard Ackfield (2:02.74), who eased to first ahead of silver medallist Issac Blue (Peninsula) and bronze medallist Levi Maher (Sunshine Coast).
Met West’s Luke Unwin, a Parklands Christian College student, shone brightly to win the 15 years 800m, ahead of Brock Dawson (Darling Downs) and Met West’s Sam Wilson.
There was another PB - this time by Moreton Bay College’s Amelia Sherrard (Met East) whose sizzling 2:14.26 pushed her clear of big hearted pair Lola Bryant and Julia Wainwright.
The big blokes in the 17 years and 18-19 years events absolutely exhausted themselves in pursuit of victory.
Taylor Goodwin, a John Paul College talent, won the 17 years from South Coast pair Cru Scott (second) and Eden Katene (third), while Heights College runner Micaiah Lane (CAP) edged out Charlie Miller and Campbell McIntrye to win the 18-19 years.
The 16 years men’s 800m was claimed by Sunshine Coast’s Liam O’Neil, with Oliver Masters the silver medallist and James Johnson the bronze medallist.
There was more success for the Capricornia region when country girl Sharnti Woodham rose to the occasion to power to the line ahead of Paige Grose (Peninsula) and April Fischer.
There was action off the track as well on day 3, with Redcliffe SHS’s Nate Blight marking his 14 years discus win with a PB distance of 54.06m.
The high class field saw Jake Sambrook-Smith (silver) and Cooper Laycock (Wide Bay) join Blight on the podium.
In the 16 years triple jump there was a milestone moment for Met West’s Cooper Murray. THE BBC student claimed his first ever gold medal in a major meet with a leap of 13.69m securing him first position.
The shot put was also great viewing, with Wide Bay’s Chloe Gibson, from the famous Kingaroy district, winning the 13 years from Jessica Heap (Sunshine Coast) and Paradise Tuua (Met North).
In multi class action, South Coast’s Jaida Burgoyne was at it again with yet another gold medal.
One of the athletes of the championships, yesterday she claimed first in the 200m 13 years women.
Gold also glittered off the chests of Daniel Phillips (Met Wet, 13 years 200m men), Jayden Graham (Darling Downs, 14 years 200m men) and Ellie Daniels (Darling Downs, 200m women).
The courageous Riley Beazley won the hearts of the crowd with his medal winning effort, especially his performance in the triple jump - an extraordinary performance for a vision impaired athlete.
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