Queensland’s top 12 under 20 athletes revealed

Revealed: Queensland’s next generation of international athletes named in Australia’s under 20 team

Sprint sensation Torrie Lewis heads a list of 12 Queenslanders selected in the Australian under 20 athletics team.

The 49 strong squad was announced after Australia withdrew from having its athletes attend the world under 20 championships in Kenya during August due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

They will compete at an Oceania Athletics Invitational series on the Gold Coast, June 2-13.

Lewis, former Balmoral LA junior Reece Holder (400m), St Edmund’s College old boy Jude Thomas (800m-5km), Morayfield SHS student Caleb Law (100mm 200m), Commonwealth Games representative Ellie Beer (400m) and Marsden SHS alumni Lyvante Su-emai (field athlete) had also produced world junior qualifying times.

Ashley Wong has been rewarded for all his hard work.(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Churchie old boy Ky Robinson, decathlete Liam Gilbert, Olivia Matzer and sprint powerhouses Ashley Wong and Jai Gordon were also in the team alongside the Mark Ladbrook-coached Tyson Bonney (200m and 400m).

St Peters Lutheran College student Lewis, who is coached by Gerrard Keating, stunned onlookers at the all age national with her times into a strong wind last month.

Her 100m PB time of 11.55 seconds has positioned her as a contender to represent Australia at next year’s Commonwealth Games.

“Torrie, only being 16, to make both sprints is outstanding,’’ Keating said.

He said while the world juniors being cancelled was unfortunate, “Athletics Australia has made the correct call and their plan B is great and still a great opportunity for them’’.

St Peters Lutheran College student Torrie Lewis.(Image/Josh Woning)

Robinson and Thomas have big motors.

Thomas is a sensation in the 800m, 1500m and 3km space, while Robinson is a whiz in the gruelling 3000m steeplechase and 5km.

Wong, from St Joseph’s Nudgee College, showed great fortitude to gather himself at last month’s nationals following disqualification which took him out of the under 20 200m race.

Running into a brutal head wind, Wong made a triumphant return to claim the 100m in 10.82 (-2.5).

Lyvante Su'emai is proud of where she has come from.

Su’emai, a discus, hammer shot put exponent, is the second young athlete from working class Logan to earn Australian representation this year following the selection of decathlete Ashley Moloney onto the Olympic team. In 2018 Moloney used Australian under 20 selection as a springboard to the world and competing at the highest level of also an ambition of Su’emai.

“Competing at the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics is definitely the goal,’’ said Su’emai, who is deeply proud to represent her Logan community and Polynesian heritage.

“Quite frankly, I would love to have the opportunity to showcase everything I represent – family, community and culture – to the world.

“I want to leave my legacy somehow. Hopefully competing on the world-stage will be one of the outlets in which I achieve my goal.’’

Caleb Law winning at the nationals. Pic Michael Thomas

Caleb Law, from the Morayfield-Caboolture district, has been a steady achiever according to his coach Andrew Iselin of Mayne Harriers.

“I would have to say the key to Calab’s success since joining me about three years ago has been his slow progression in regards to training volumes and intensities,’’ Iselin said.

“One might think someone that is running the sort of times Calab has been running must be doing a lot of training but the reality is he only does two track sessions and one gym session a week and he has slowly become more consistent and put more effort in over time.

“People try to push kids too hard and that is why people drop out of our sport.

Ipswich athlete Jude Thomas positions himself. Picture: Michael Thomas Photography

“I knew Calab was capable of being a great athlete when I first saw him at 11-years-old at a State Little Athletics championships.

“I saw this little kid that was beating kids twice his size and I thought to myself ‘I want to train this kid one day’.

“Before Calab came to train with me, he had about two years where he didn’t train due to ongoing shin and heel pain.

“As a coach I knew that the more confident he could become in himself, the better he’d get.’’