QGSSSA track and field: 50 athletes to watch
We reveal the 50 crack QGSSSA track and field stars to watch at Thursday’s track and field championship finale that will include the historic appearance of multi sport athletes.
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The 102nd QGSSSA (Queensland Girls Secondary Schools Sports Association) track and field championships will be held on Thursday featuring some of Queensland’s finest young athletes.
A breeding ground for state and international representatives - including 2022 world junior selections Torrie Lewis (sprinter) and Toby Stolberg (high jump) - the QGSSSA has now opened up a world of opportunity for multi class athletes like Abby Craswell (MBC), Holly Warn (St Hilda’s) and Phoebe Finlay (St Aidan’s).
The QGSSSA has already successfully incorporated events for para-athletes into its recent swimming and cross-country championships, and now athletes will be a field a dreams of some students.
Ahead of Thursday’s meet, we present these key Athletes to Watch.
ST AIDAN’S ANGLICAN GIRLS SCHOOL
Angelina Tignani 17 years+: A rookie to watch. Tignani has been unbeatable within her age groups in javelin at national level for the last five years and has won international medals in 2022 representing her country.
Zara Hagan 15 years: Hagan has incredible speed and is the national gold medallist this year in the 100m (11.92), and picked up a silver for the 200m (24.65).
Matilda Lee 15 years: Lee is a newcomer to St Aidan’s and is a rising star in Australia’s middle-distance ranks, earlier this year picking up a national steeplechase gold medal. Lee also enjoys the 800m and 1500m and recently represented Queensland at the Australian Cross Country Championships in Adelaide.
Bridget McCormack 17 years+: An exceptional sporting all-rounder McCormack has represented St Aidan’s proudly in her time at the school and is capable of covering any distance from 100m to 1500m. This year she was a state medallist in the 400m, 800m and 1500m U20 events.
Phoebe Finlay Open Multi-Class: Para-athlete Finlay took home a huge medal haul at the Met West Regional Swimming Championships and went on to compete at the Australian Age Swimming Championships in Adelaide. Finlay is also an exceptional tennis player and won Junior Doubles Champion and Junior Singles Bronze at the 2021 Tennis Queensland Blind/Low Vision Championships.
Emma-Kate Watt, 17+ years: Watt recently donned the maroon for Queensland at the National Cross Country and also won a medal in the 3000m Steeple event at Queensland Track and Field Championships earlier this year. She will be looking towards the 800m and 1500m events.
Gemma Casaceli, 17+ years: An incredible long jumper, Casaceli has her name in the QGSSSA record books already. She will be one to watch in the sandpit this Thursday, and also will be tearing up the track in the 100m, 200m and Div A relay.
SOMERVILLE HOUSE
Ella Rodwell 17 years+: An athlete starting to realise her potential, she had her first win at QGSSSA and Queensland State Cross Country this year and is a strong contender leading into National Cross Country in Adelaide. Rodwell will be looking towards the 800m, 1500m and 3000m on the track this season as she completes her Year 12 studies.
Brianna Leung 17 years+: A jump talent who is the reigning under 17 Australia high jump champion and long jump bronze medallist. Leung can also hold her own in the sprints.
Jemma Wilson 15 yrs: A middle distance talent on the rise, Wilson recently competed for Queensland at the National Cross Country Championships, and has also been performing well in Triathlons.
Jessica Durling 15 yrs: Durling has been competing in middle distance, Cross Country and Triathlon for a number of years, and has had some consistently good performances across 2022.
Annika Jansen: A 15-year-old multi-event athlete on the rise, look out for Jansen across the track and the field this season.
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Luxe Godfrey-Asseraf 15 years: A talented hurdler, Godfrey-Asseraf makes it look easy and has been honing her craft this year at a national level. She will be looking to defend her QGSSSA 90m hurdle crown again this year.
Zoe McElwaine 14 years: An exceptionally consistent middle-distance and cross country talent, McElwaine will be looking to compete in her favourite event, the 1500m and also give the 800m a really good shake-up. She recently claimed 10th place at the Australian Cross Country Championships.
Chiamaka Ekeocha 16 years: An athletic talent in sprints, hurdles and long jump, Ekeocha will be looking to defend her 90m hurdles title again in 2022.
Carissa Graham 14 years: A gutsy 400m runner, and the 400m QGSSSA defending champion, Carissa will be dangerous again this year with another year of experience under her belt.
MORETON BAY COLLEGE
Chloe Munro 13 years: An impressive horizontal jumper, look out for this national medallist in the Long and triple jump this season.
Kobi Walker 16 years: A dedicated middle distance and cross country athlete, Walker’s dedication and preparation is really starting to pay off with a sensational fourth in the 3000m at Nationals and fourth again at National Cross Country recently in Adelaide. Walker will be a huge contender across the treble, 3000m, 1500m and 800m.
Roxy Place 16 years: A fantastic 400m runner, Place will be looking to back up her podium finish at the Nationals this year. Place is also sensational across the 800m and
will be in a Relay on Thursday too.
Annabelle Barnett 17+ yrs: Look out for Barnett across the 400m and 200m races, and she can also whip up a very quick 100m.
Teresa Anthony 17+ yrs: A Queensland State medallist in the Triple Jump and Long Jump this year, Anthony is going to be a real challenger.
Abby Craswell Craswell Open Multi-Class: MBC Athletics Vice Captain Abby is the Oceanic record holder for multiclass long jump – set at the 2021 Queensland Athletics All Schools Championships
ST MARGARET’S ANGLICAN GIRLS SCHOOL
Ashley Blackman 13 years: A State and National High Jump medallist, Blackman will be looking to break the 1.60m mark this season.
Georgia Hopwood 14 years: Hopwood has an excellent track record in the hurdles events and has a number of State medals to her name.
Ebony Okonkwo 15 years: Okonkwo is a state and national medallist in 100m and 200m and her duals with Zara Hagan of St Aidan’s are always races to watch.
Caroline Williams 17+ years: Williams has a long history of sprinting success and showed her strength with wins at the recent Met North Championships across the 100m and 200m. She will be lining up in the 100m and 400m events this Thursday.
Isabella Harte 17 years+: Arguably one of Australia’s most successful schoolgirl middle distance runners of recent times, Harte will be focusing on the 3000m and 1500m this year. Harte holds the QGSSSA record for the 3000m in a time of 9.31.94.
IPSWICH GIRLS’ GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Alice Fernando 16 years: A developing Triple Jumper, Fernando is also quick over the 100m.
Charlize Goody 16 years: Charlize can throw a mean discus and javelin, and also displays some sprinting prowess – these attributes helping her to a high ranking as a Heptathlete. Fresh from some international success this year, she will again be one to watch.
Lucy Hill 17 years: Hill has been a National level middle distance and cross country star for a number of years and will be lining up for Ipswich Girls Grammar for her final QGSSSA. Hill recently came first in the 3,000m at Met West Track and Field and will be in great form this week.
ST HILDA'S
Alexia Abela 14 years: A 2022 National Triathlon White Team member, Alexia will be using her endurance to race across the middle-distance events.
Dior Scholz 16 years: A Queensland State 200m champion, Dior will also shine in the 100m, 400m and jumping events this season.
Holly Warn open multi class: Holly was the Gold and Silver medallist in the Queensland School Sport Cross Country Championships as a primary student, and the Open multi-class pennant winner at the 2022 QGSSSA Cross Country Championships. Holly also won the QGSSSA Open Multi class Swimming pennant this year where she also set a new Australian multiclass record for the 13yrs 50m Butterfly. To cap off Holly’s blazing sporting start to 2022 she then went on to compete at the Australian Age Swimming Championships in Adelaide.
CLAYFIELD COLLEGE
Danielle Jones 15 years: This 15-year-old is a state javelin and discus medallist and an exciting prospect for the Championships.
Leila Johnson 16 years: Johnson will be competing in the 16 years middle distance events and has seen huge improvement in her running this past year. She competed in Adelaide for the Queensland Cross Country team recently and has been showing great form on the track so far this season.
Mia Geere 14 years: Geere recently returned from played at the National under 15 AFL Championships and was named in the All-Australian Team. A very versatile athlete, Mia can turn her attention to multiple events, and is certainly a star on the rise.
Poppy Stephen 16 years: A national Swimming sensation, Stephen will be competing in the 800m, Long Jump Div A and a relay.
Tiana Kritzinger 17 years: Kritzinger is a super fish, and a member of the Australian Junior Dolphins Swimming Team. Like Poppy Stephen, Kritzinger will always put her hand up to support her school, and use her exceptional fitness in both the 800m and 1500m events.
Ella Wilkins 17+ years: Wilkins has been leading the Clayfield team through the season, and will be lacing up the spikes across the sprint events. Wilkins had some recent success with three podium finishes in the 400m, 200m and 100m at Met North Track and Field.
BRISBANE STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Saffron Jenkinson 13 years: A consistent presence on middle-distance and cross country podiums across the country, Jenkinson will be hard to beat over the 800m and 1500m again this year.
Zara Moore 14 years: The youngest of the four Moore sisters, all national level middle distance and cross-country athletes trained by mum, Sydney Olympian Lizel, in her star stable in the western suburbs. Zara has grit and will tough it out in the middle-distance events, focusing on the 1500m.
Saskia Josipovic 14 years: National gold medallist this year in the shot put and discus, look out for Saskia in the throwing circle.
Georgie Gilroy 16 years: A middle distance star, Gilroy plans to be back to defend her 1500m title. Gilroy has the ability to carve out a strong 800m and 3000m on the track too. Gilroy recently came third in Australia in the 16 years race at National Cross Country.
Leilani Hills 17 years+: A sensation in the sprints and hurdles, Leilani is the best in Australia for her age in the 100m hurdles and came second place in the 400m hurdles at nationals this year.
Francesca Peacock 17 years+: Get ready for a hot contest between Peacock and Toby Stolberg of St Peters in the high jump. Peacock’s PB is 1.74m and picked up a national gold medal in the under 18 high jump this year.
ST PETERS LUTHERAN COLLEGE
Elyse Rolison 12 years This will be Rolison’s first experience at QGSSSA Athletics, but not her first experience tearing up a track! Rolison is the Queensland Gold Medallist in the U12 100m and 200m Little Athletics events and certainly one to watch across the sprints, and also long jump and the Div A relay.
Charlotte Wallace 12 years: The 2022 QGSSSA Cross Country Champion for the 12 Years race, Wallace will be racing in the middle distance events this week. She has had recent wins in the Met West Regional Track and Field Events, and is showing great form coming into this weeks Championships.
Allira Takau 15 years: Takau is a two-time national shot-put champion and is on an elite athlete pathway for future Olympic Games representation. Takau holds the QGSSSA 14 years Shot Put Div A Record with a distance of 14.00m.
Zoe Chester 16 years: A newcomer to the QGSSSA competition, Chester is a promising sprinter and jumper. A boarder at St Peters, hailing from Townsville, Chester picked up a national silver medal in under 17 long jump (5.49m) at the nationals, and gold in under 17 triple jump with a distance of 12.51m. Chester also recently competed for Australia at the Oceania championships, and won gold in the under 18 Triple Jump (12.45m).
Tayden Tomich 17 years: A quick hurdler, Tomich is also a versatile multi-event athlete. She donned the Australian tracksuit at the Pacific Mini-Games in Saipan this year and will one to watch across hurdles, sprints and jumps at QGSSSA.
Toby Stolberg 16 years: The youngster is coming off an experience of a lifetime representing Australia at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Cali, Columbia earlier this month, where she jumped to an incredible eight place in the world.
The QGSSSA track and field championships will take place on September 15 at the Queensland State Athletics Facility.
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