GPS junior and senior track and field junior and senior championships
There was a Gout Gout awesome foursome performance and records tumbling throughout on a thrilling day of both senior and junior GPS track and field championship action. Full report here.
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Ipswich Grammar School sprint ace Gout Gout roared to an awesome foursome of records in the seniors, while the IGS senior and junior teams both claimed thrilling GPS track and field championships.
The IGS juniors won by just four points, while the IGS seniors wriggled past a strong relay challenge from Nudgee in the seniors.
In the 200m, Gout Gout’s 20.87 seconds whizzed past his own GPS record set 12 months earlier (21.09).
Gout Gout, the second fastest junior (under-20) in the world, roared beyond the winning post before halting his celebration to congratulate every other runner in the event.
Later he again surpassed his own record in the 100m open with a blazing run of 10.36 seconds, and just as the sun was setting, Gout Gout set the crowd alight with a 400m open record time of 47.75 seconds.
He eased to the line in beating the previous 400m GPS record set by Olympian Joseph Deng (IGS, (47.79) set in 2016.
It was spirited stuff on a day of track and field which had it all in both the junior and senior competitions.
Earlier in the junior championship, IGS’s team finished with 596.50 points - just ahead of BGS (592.50) - to claim the junior championships.
Third was Nudgee College (553.50), fourth was Churchie (552), fifth was Terrace (551) while BBC were sixth (507). TSS (405) TGS (292.50) and BSHS (79) rounded out the field.
Then, in the senior championship, Ipswich Grammar School led Nudgee by 43 points entering the final burst of relays, and went on with the job.
There was an early record near the start of the senior championship when Matthew Turner (Nudgee) burst clear to win the 14 years, 1500m, in 4:07.13. It was a sign of things to come,
Aside from Turner’s record and Gout Gout’s three records, he was also a member of the 4x400m open record breaking IGS team.
But other records were achieved as well in both the seniors and juniors:
+ BBC’s Brooklyn Howson blazed his way to a new GPS record in only the second track event of the day - the 10 years 80m hurdles;
+ in the Div 1 800m, BGS’s Patrick Reid was magnificent in his runaway record win in a time of 2:24.77;
+ field events saw dynamic IGS athlete Jonte Tukuafu (14.04m) win his shot put;
+ in the 100m Div 1 11 years, Terrace’s Anton Mugaha won in 13.57 seconds while second placed Walne (IGS, 14.03) also eclipsed the old record;
+ Matthew Turner’s record breaking performance for Nudgee in the 14 years, 1500m;
+ Sean Putra Susilo (Nudgee) was another breaker, this time in the 16 years 110m (13.80 seconds).
QLD SCHOOL SPORT TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The junior championship had everything - records, a dramatic finish and the joy of athletes finishing with PBs.
It was a grand sporting event which started with the 80m hurdles just after 8am. Whoosh, away Howson went, thundering down the track to snare a time of 13.67 seconds.
Ipswich Grammar School had the best of the hurdles.
Hugh Sedman (10 years, 80m Div 2), Ryder Wilson (11 years, 80m hurdles, Div 1), Charlie Leftwich (12 years, 80m hurdles Div 3) and Abdullah Ajani (12 years, 80m hurdles Div 2) all passed the post first for IGS.
Ajani won in dramatic fashion from Churchie’s Edward Potter in an early race of the day, with Ajani needing a sprint to the line after both boys came over the last hurdle alongside of each other.
Churchie’s Charlie Lopes, so successful at last year’s championship, won the 12 years hurdles while Seccombe (12 years, Div 4) finished first for BGS.
Charlie Johnston (Churchie) got the job done in the 11 years, Div 4 along with school mate Blair Tremlett (11 years, Div 2), while George Green (Terrace) did well to finish first in his 11 years, 80m Div 3 hurdles.
The 200m battle was highlighted by an extraordinary battle between IGS and Terrace. They went one-two or two-one in all four 10 years 200m events.
Sam Taylor (IGS) won the Div 4 200m from Vincent O’Neill, there was a blanket finish between Oscar Lawrence (IGS) and Hugo Schodel (Terrace) in Div 3 before Laird Walne (IGS) won from Bligh Isarabhakdi (Terrace).
However, Terrace won the Div 1 12 years when Anton Mugaba leaned forward first from the busy Sedman.
The 11 years 200m produced a wonderful finish between the winner, Josh Lenz (Nudgee), and Terrace’s Alex Fullerton who pushed him all the way the line.
There was nothing separating the Div 2 200m 11 years event either, with Churchie’s Jack Kingston doing enough to edge ahead of Nudgee’s Kingston Massingale. Both were superb contests.
All the thrills and spills of the 200m kept coming thick and fast with a dramatic lunge at the line by BGS’s Marlin Ngo needed to withstand a withering finish by Churchie’s Edward Potter.
Ngo looked home for all money in the Div 2 12 years, but he died on his run while Potter maintained form - only to finish second. It was a great race.
Sam Shaw of BSHS then broke through for his school’s first track win of the day in the 200m Div 1 (12 years).
In the Div 3 200m, William Creighton (BGS) had a wonderful win in the 12 years.
When the gruelling 800m events came around, Lucas Black, the son of Lions footy legend Simon, and The Southport School’s Mitchell Flanders had the runs of their life to win - Black some distance. They were rousing performances.
Flanders had to fight off big challenges by Nudgee’s Rapihana and Churchie’s Fitton.
BGS’s Patrick Reid was a remarkable winner in the Div 1, 800m, winning by almost the length of the straight - then looking like he had the energy to do another lap or two. Gee, he must be fit.
In the Div 2, 10 years 800m, there was a great race as Jim Anderson (BGS) was pushed hard, but held off Vincent O’Neill (Terrace).
The high class 11 years, 800m field swung into action, highlighted by Churchie’s Josh Lenz’s win over W Rogers (Nudgee) in the Div 1.
Both boys started like they were in a 200m dash, and maintained pressure on each other throughout.
The Div 2, 11 years 800m was captured by Churchie’s George Chandler in a PB time, while BGS’s James Brunton won his Div 3, 800m event.
Toowoomba Grammar School saluted the college’s first win on the track when Henry Reeves led from start to finish in the 12 years 800m, Div 1.
On the field, the 10 years Div 1 high jump was claimed by IGS’s Sedman (1.31m) from James Anderson (BGS), while IGS had another win in the 11 years Div 1 shot put when Harry Chrzescijanski won well.
BBC’s Maia Pensio shone like a beacon in the 12 years, Div 1 long jump, launching himself to a winning margin of 5.09m.
Earlier, BBC snared more points when Oscar Irwin (10 years, Div 2 high jump), won with a leap of 1.22m.
IGS were having a gala championship, and it got better when Franklin Boughen (Div 2) and Ryder Wilson (Div 1) found a winning high jump height in the 11 years.
The powerhouse 12 years athletes flourished in the shot put, where IGS’s Tukuafu (14.04m) won by almost 4m.
It was a good day for discus and BBC’s Peter Zsitvai took advantage of the morning conditions to win the 10 years, Div 1, while the Div 2 event was claimed by BGS’s Alexander Lee.
Zsitvai later claimed the Div 1 shot put (distance 8.58m), while Nudgee’s Angus Geddes (7.68m) pipped Sedman (IGS) in the Div 2 shot put.
Terrace flexed its sprint power in the 100m Div 1, 11 years when Mugaha won again after earlier hurdles success. His 100m dash was a record.
Then soon after there was more success for Nudgee. Massingale who won a photo finish, 11 years Div 1 100m dash. There were pats on the back all around for Massingale.
Back on the field, IGS’s Lachlan Pesch (4.46m) produced a winning 11 years, Div 1 long jump effort, while Blair Tremlett claimed the Div 2 age group (4.05m).
Terrace then stunned with two successive 1x100m relay wins in the 10 years.
Mugaba anchored the team of Mahony, Schodel, Isarabhakdi to victory, while Chase Winter anchored the team of Chambers, Demetrovics, Hyde to the Div 2 win.
In the 11 years 4x100m Div 1, Nudgee’s Massingale maintained his winning form with a last leg effort after his teammates Donoghue, Lenz and Jones had positioned him nicely.
BGS then won the Div 2 4x100m 12 years, while the IGS relay team of Kelly, Pesch, Kuresa and Ajani combined for victory in the final relay event.
THE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
There was a sensation to start the senior championship when St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace’s Remy Tollenaere won his first ever 400m hurdles competition - beating the under-18 national champion, the stoic Jack Love (Churchie). Third was BBC’s Callan Jensen in the all ages event.
Tollenaere had run sprint hurdles before, but never did a lap of the track in competition and he claimed the stunning win despite kicking down two hurdles.
Terrace’s golden start to the seniors continued when Ben Hooper, fresh from success at the Queensland Sport Sport championships just days earlier, powered his way to victory in the 13 years 1500m.
It took a four second PB to push himself ahead of a brave Benjamin Schinard (BBC, second) who went for broke in the final 400m, only for Hooper’s long stride to have the final say.
Then came Matthew Turner’s record breaking performance for Nudgee in the 14 years, 1500m, with him striding to victory by the length of the home straight to pass the winning post in 4:07.13.
The high class performances just kept coming in the senior 1500m, with BSHS’s Alex Butler testing himself to the limit to win the 15 years. Butler raised his hands in delight as he was about to cross the line, so happy was he with his performance.
The cream rose to the top in the 16 years 1500m as well when IGS’s middle distance champion Dakota Stewart roared around the track in a time of 4:10.37.
And to top it all off, the decorated Lachlan Rayner had a rousing victory for BBC in the open 1500m.
The 200m were thrilling affairs, with TSS’s Sebastian Hartel surging to victory (13 years), and then a photo finish in the 14 years between Nudgee’s Manley and Terrace’s Dunworth.
Jackson De Frost then sizzled to win the 15 years, while Jonathan Kasiano was a powerhouse in winning the 16 years.
Then came Gout’s record breaking burst in the open 200m, and another record not long after courtesy of Nudgee’s Sean Putra Susilo (16 years, 110m hurdles).
The Purcell’s, Harrison and Thomas, were fabulous in their hurdle events for IGS.
Harrison powered to victory in the open 110m hurdles, while Thomas (12.87 seconds) was just .02 of a second away from equalling the GPS record in the 15 years hurdles.
There was a wow factor everywhere in field events as well.
Jacob Turner (Nudgee) won the open javelin (59.74m) Jeriad Slade-Sue claimed the 13 years shot (16.20m) and Daniel Antonio (BSHS) launched to the 15 years triple jump victory.
Liam Walker (14 years high jump), won for Nudgee, as did his school mate Max Molley (16 years discus) while Australian rugby union representative Nicholas Conway won the open high jump (Nudgee).
The 16 years triple jump was won by IGS’s remarkable Kasiano, Tyler Komarzynski (Nudgee) won the 13 years long jump and Daniel De Swardt (IGS) won the 14 years shot put.
The field action kept coming when Aden Webber (TSS) delivered the goods in the 15 years javelin, Joshua Kwan (Churchie) rose to the occasion in the 14 years long jump while the big boys let fly in the open shot put - which was won by Tristian Knudsen (BGS).
One of the highlights of a very long day was the 15 years, 800m, won by Sam Wilson (IGS) over Nudgee’s Arlen Norris. It came down to the final stride, the last lunge, with Wilson just ahead.
Tate Van Camp (BSHS) was in golden 800m form in the 14 years, while Ben Hooper (Terrace) made it a double by just holding off a gutsy Flynn White (BBC). That was another grand race and both boys should be proud of themselves.
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The Southport School’s winning 4x400m Boys open relay team was comprised of three parts Gallie family, one part MLB-bound star.
The brothers Jack, Jed and Max were accompanied by Max Durringham, who earlier this year signed a contract with the Oakland Athletics.
Race order: M. Durrington, Jack Gallie, M. Gallie, Jed Gallie
The quartet stunned with a near-one second victory over runners up Churchie, stopping the clock at 3:27.58.
Durrington also ran an 11.13 100m and 22.54 200m to place 6th in both.
Stewart (IGS) again delivered for his school, this time in the 800m, 16 years, while Lachlan Rayner (BBC) snared a cherished double in the open 800m.
Rayner was elated, and so he should have been because it was a great achievement.
Gout Gout brought the house down with his 100m dash into the late afternoon, but not far behind him was his school mate, Kasiano, who snared a sprint double.
De Swardt was another IGS ace (14 years, 100m) and together they helped IGS enter the later stages of the competition ahead of Nudgee.
TSS’s Hartel also snared a sprint double after winning his 13 years.
There was more joy for The Southport School late when the 4x400m open relay team won their event.
High praise also to Nudgee’s Ned Curran who bravely battled on to win the 3000m in 8:48.58.