Queensland’s 38 All Schools gold medallist includes a JPC ace chasing world juniors dream
Meet Queensland’ best school age athletes who broke national or competition records at the All Schools Australia Athletics Championships. Full list of all 38 gold medallists here, including an insight into a brillant Logan runner.
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The All Schools Australia Athletics championships will be remembered forever as the place Peter Norman’s 1968 200m record was broken - by a 16-year-old schoolboy called Guot Guot.
Guot Guot, from Ipswich Grammar School, has gone viral after running his 200m on day two of the championships in 20.04 seconds - a feat which has been watched on video the world over.
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But there were 38 other Queenslanders who gold medals, some in won with national or competition record time.
Medals were still being secured over the weekend when Cedar Johnson and Helena Butler claimed top podium positions following day four 3000m action in Melbourne.
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One of the record breaking national champions was Taylor Goodwin of John Paul College whose horse power over the last 100m landed him a 1500m gold medal in U18s.
Goodwin won his event by just .07 of a seconds, with his grit, guts and finishing speed the difference between gold and silver. His time was 4:01.73 seconds.
Speed was Goodwin’s x-factor, and something he attained under his first coach, Murray Watkins, when “I did a lot of block training and I learned how to sprint properly.’’
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Now under the coaching of Clint Black, Goodwin’s medal at the championships was his fifth national medal as either a 1500m runner or as a cross country athlete.
A genuine love of the sport is what fuels 17-year-old Goodwin, who aspires to make the U20 World Championships in two years.
“Since I started running I have never stopped,’’ Goodwin said.
“Even if I got bored of it, I always come back to it.’’
Goodwin also praised his school, John Paul College, for its support of him. “When I moved to JPC, it helped me a lot with confidence and I got more opportunities there,’’ Goodwin said.
Goodwin was just one of eight Queenslanders who broke either national or competition records at the All Schools championships.
QUEENSLAND’S RECORD BREAKING GOLD MEDALLISTS
Cedar Johnson (Harristown SHS)
Johnson was a super star at both the QRSS and Queensland All Schools championships, but he raised the bar even further on Saturday with a bristling championship record at the nationals.
His season best time of 8:51.10 in the U16 3000m saw him sail past Jack Curran’s 2008 mark of 8.52:89 and land in the record books. Earlier in the championships Johnson powered to a time of 6:10.64 in his 2000m steeple event.
Seth Kennedy (Brisbane Grammar School)
Kennedy ran a competition record in the 400m U17s, storming to the winners post in a time of 47.05. His season best surge took him past the previous record held by Taylor Goodwin, featured above.
A First XV rugby player at GPS, at the Oceania championship in Fiji this year he represented Australia with distinction, including in the 200m where he ran 21.64 behind Gout.
Terrell Thorne (St Laurence’s College)
In the 200m Thorn runs in the shadow of the great Guot Guot, but his times were still so good in that event, don’t be surprised to seem him as a national team relay contender later this decade.
But it is in the 400m where his sprinting power lifts him above the pack - as it did on day No.3 when he ran 45.64 seconds - a national record.
The performance broke the previous U18 national record by Olympian Paul Greene (45.96 seconds) in 1989.
Tate Van Camp (BSHS)
Arana Little Athletics junior Van Camp was amazing in his U15 800m event when his 1:55.01 effort bettered by two seconds the previous record held by the highly respected Luke Unwin (Parklands Christian College). Van Camp was pushed along by silver medallist Matthew Turner (Nudgee College) and without Turner’s intense competition, Van Camp may not have broken the competition record. Turner (1:56.43) also ran under the old record in the 800m
Matthew Turner (Nudgee College)
As mentioned above, Turner actually broke a competition record by coming second in the 1500m - but on day No.3 he also won his own gold medal when he surged to victory in the 800m event in a time of 4:17.87, four seconds ahead of the second placed athlete.
Thewbelle Philp (PBS SHS)
Such is Philp’s trajectory, the Year 11 student from Palm Beach Currumbin SHS could be a contender for the 2028 LA Games 4x100m relay team after her competition record 11.38 second 100m dash underlined her ability.
She is also an elite 200m runner, but her explosive speed is unmatched over 100m.
Amaya Mearns (St Peters)
Samford’s Amaya Mearns (U17 200m) was also sensational, with her competition record breaking performance in 23.15 seconds. That time placed Mearns in the world top six U18 female 200m runners this year. Mearns’ time compare with Paris Olympian Torrie Lewis at the same age and ironically Mearns is coached by Lewis’ Brisbane mentor, Andrew Iselin.
Seasons best gold medallists
Helena Butler (Robina SHS)
The Gold Coast middle distance ace peaked at the right time with a season best 3000m performance in 10:04.03 during the U16 race last Saturday.
Butler peeled 14 seconds off her time at the All Schools Queensland championships just weeks before to claim another gold medal for Queensland.
Earlier in the championships Butler (U16 steeplechase) ran a season best 7:01.61 all the way to a gold medal.
Harry Osbourne (Emmanuel College) won a remarkable three gold medals and was one of Queensland’s athletes of the tournament.
He soared to a season best 13.26 in his gold medal winning performance in the U15 triple jump, and also a season best mark (25.64 seconds) in the U15 hurdles. Osborne also won the long jump.
Ullrich Muller also won three events in the T38, F38 category, including a season best U20 long jump distance of 5.29m.
Hudson Severinsen, a Ipswich and District Athletic Club junior, claimed gold in the U14 hammer (52.14m).
The performance of Oliver Corcoran (Emmanuel College) to win his U18 400m hurdles was lost during all the drama around Guot Guot’s 200m win on day No.2, but it must be recorded that he delivered in spades to produce a season best performance in his 400m race.
Ashton Hercules-Kron (John Paul College) claimed a season best effort in the U17 high jump (2.02m).
Abbey Crocker (Ipswich Athletics) in the U14 shot put (12.56m)
Simeon Anstey (Ipswich Grammar School) 48.87m in his event
Milla Roberts (St Peters) was a powerhouse in the U18, 800m final, running herself to the point of exhaustion on her way to a season best 2:07.85.
Sadie Dowden (St Peters) whose 2.95m height carried her to a season best gold medal in the U15 pole vault.
Jason Koullas threw a season best 57.03m to win in the U17 discus.
Alikana Malish (Yeronga SHS) soared to a season best height of 1.88m in the U14 high jump.
Diva Ejemb was special in the U14 high jump (1.68m) on her way to gold.
Ethan Gration (BSHS) lived up to his reputation in the U16 high jump, with the City North Little Athletics junior soaring 2m.
Jonty Murdoch (U18 discus) represented St Luke’s Anglican, Bundaberg, with distinction on his way to winning with a season best 58.84m.
Cash Glavish (Canterbury, 50.41m) brought out a big performance in the U14 javelin.
U14 pole vaulter Archie Watt (Canterbury) found 4m flat in his U16 pole vault.
Zara Hagan (St Aidan’s) whistled to a big win in the U18 100m final with a season best effort of 11.43 seconds.
Connor Hopgood (Coomera Christian College) was elite in a big win in his U17 hammer throw, rising to a mark of 67.23m.
Luke Sahlqvist (T47, F46) was tremendous in his U17 para discus performance, rising to a mark of 42.24m.
Sheldon College’s Jake Hambrook-Smith (U15 high jump), who is always among the medals at state and national championships, was at the near peak of his powers with a season best distance of 1.92m in the U15 high jump.
Richayllan Wihone-Mackay (Windaroo Valley SHS) won the U18 javelin by 6m - an extraordinary performance by this wonderful athlete who generated a season best distance of 48.29m.
Ipswich Grammar School’s Harrison Purcell was magnificent in his U18, 100m gold medal winning performance, racing to a season best 13.51 seconds.
Nahkiyha Mullins-Walit (Clontarf Beach SHS) launched the javelin 46.32m in the U17 girls competition - a season best distance by her.
Other golden girls, and boys, of the championships
Jayden Graham (T20, F20, para U15)
Nick Kane (T38, F38, para, U18)
Rose Acklin (St Rita’s, U17 800m, 54.25 seconds)
Archie Tennant (BBC, U16 long jump)
Emma Fryga (Somerville House, U16 1500m)
Makayla Elcoate (T44, F44) won the U15 long jump
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