The 2023 GPS track and field championship and the athletes who will lead the charge

Here’s 70 top gun athletes to watch at Friday’s GPS track and field championships including Australia’s most exciting teen sprint prospect and scores of national track and field medallists.

Brisbane Boys College middle distance champion Seth Mahoney.

The time honoured GPS track and field championships were nearly upon, with the juniors and seniors to be held on Friday.

Will Ipswich Grammar School, with sprint sensation Gout Gout leading the charge, win back-to-back senior championships and how fast will Gout Gout run after his withering 10.76 in the rain 12 months ago?

GPS FIRST XV RUGBY TEAM OF THE SEASON

RELIVE LAST YEAR’S DRAMATIC CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE HERE

Last year’s senior championship was a drama charged night which came down the final relay - with IGS pipping Nudgee by just five points. This was a remarkable evening of sport which included a 110m open hurdles dead heat between Rory Easton and Zane Eldridge (TSS). Easton has now graduated, but Eldridge will be competing again.

Gout Gout became Australia’s fastest ever boy over 200m running a time of 20.87-seconds at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships at Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre. Photo - Casey Sims

Gout Gout was front and centre last year, and will again be a headline act on Friday, along with Seth Maloney (BBC), Jack Love (Churchie), Lachlan Buckman (IGS), Taj Gordon (TGS), Ethan Grimshaw (Nudgee), Vince Faulkner (Terrace) and Jo Saunders (BSHS).

But who will some of the others be?

The www.couriermail.com.au reveals all below ahead of our coverage on Friday.

Action from the 2022 GPS track and field championships. Picture, John Gass

Ipswich Grammar School

Lachlan Buckman: Buckman, the IGS captain, will compete in the javelin. He is an under 18 Oceania Champion, state and national champion.

Gout Gout: Blink and you will miss him. He will run in the 16 years 100m and 200m as the national champion - his national 200m time is a blazing 20.87s in 200m and his 100m time is a quicksilver 10.43.

Archer Crowley: Second in the Australia track and field under 13 long jump (5.45m), Crowley was also third at the nationals in javelin.

Simeon Anstey: Anstey is another national medallist, finishing second in the under 14 age group in the 400m (51.74s).

GPS track and field championship action from the junior and senior carnival. Friday October 21, 2022. Picture, John Gass

Jon Kasiano: Gout Gout takes the sprint spotlight, but also put a watch on this under 15 national medallist (11.21s) on the runway. Kasiano was also a bronze medal winner in triple jump at the Australian track and field championships.

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St Joseph’s Nudgee College

Dylan Manley: This exciting sprinter will run in the under 13100m and 200m after coming off two medal winning performances at this year’s nationals. He was second in the 100m dash and third in the 200m.

Roman Jones: A national bronze medallist, Nudgee will be in good hands when Jones steps up in the under 14 shot put and javelin.

GPS track and field championship supporters last year. Picture, John Gass

Alex Wain: Wain is always around a podium finish and that will be the case again in the under 14 800m and 1500m events. He was a middle distance silver medallist (1500m) and a bronze medallist (800m) at this year’s Australian track and field championships.

Last year’s championships. Picture, John Gass

Sean Putra-Susilo: He will feature strongly as the under 15 state hurdles champion, but also watch for Putra-Susilo in the long jump and triple jump.

Ethan Grimshaw: Grimshaw has speed and plenty of it. A Dolphins NRL academy signing, he will put his foot down as a national champion in both the under 15 100m and 200m events.

Nudgee will again have fire power in the middle distance where Ned Curran (under 16s, 800m and 1500m) is a 3000m bronze medallist while Will Curran (All Age) is a national 3000m champion.

Jacob Turner is another national medal winner (bronze) and will be a danger in the open javelin.

Also watch for field specialist Max Molloy (under 15 discus and shot put).

GPS track and field championship action from the junior and senior carnival. Friday October 21, 2022. Picture, John Gass

Toowoomba Grammar School

TGS always punch above their weight and that will be the case again when Taj Gordon and Nick Kenny spearhead the sprints and hurdles. Also watch for Ed Rogan (throws and 4x100m), Sam Gladwin (3000m), Joseph Mayers (high jump), Matt Taylor (throws), Bailey Mann (400m and 4x100m) and Erik Sheppard (hurdles).

Rory Easton was utterly amazing last year - who will shine on Friday? Picture, John Gass

Churchie

Charlie Moore: A boy with a plenty of horsepower under the bonnet, Moore is a open 1500m and 3000m young gun who was third at the Australian Cross Country meet and second in the 3000m at the state titles. He has plenty of fuel in the tank.

GPS track and field championship last year. Picture, John Gass

Zac and Lachlan Moore: And there will be more Moore’s competing at the championships, with Zac running in the under 14s 1500m and Lachlan in the under 15 1500m.

Jack Love: The Australian 400m hurdles champions, Love has been there, done that, winning at this championship before. Now in the open class, Love will have a busy meet in the 200m,

Adam Bierers: Watch for Adam to push hard, very hard for top billing in the under 16 400m. He will also sprint in the 100m and 200m.

Noah Tyne will compete in the under 16 800m and 1500m events.

Kyle Boland: A third place winner at the state titles this year, Boland will wind up and go like the wind in the 100m sprint.

GPS track and field championship action from the junior and senior carnival. Friday October 21, 2022. Picture, John Gass

Josh Kwan: Kwan will be a strong contender in the 100m and 200m while Cruz Collins is showing great signs in the long jump and triple jump.

Churchie’s history of fielding outstanding middle distance competitors stretches down to the under 13s where Caleb Watson will compete in the 400m and 800m.

GPS track and field championship action from the junior and senior carnival. Friday October 21, 2022. Picture, John Gass

Brisbane Grammar School

Keep your eyes peeled when Archie Austin (open 1500m and 800m), Tristan Knudsen (open shot put), Andrew McLeod (open high jump), Doug Phillips (13 years hurdles), Seth Kennedy (15 years 200m and 400m) and Ethan Huang (14 years 800m and 1500m) hit the track and field arena.

St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace

Vince Faulkner: This fellow really flies. The under 14 200m champion and 100m national finalist, Faulker will also compete in the 400m.

Max Van Balen: Van Balen is another national finalist (100m) who will let rip with everything he has got in the open 100m, 200m and 400m. He has runs on the board - being a national finalist in the 100m.

Others leading the way for Terrace will be Ona Olarinde (long jump, 4x100), Charlie Gough (under 15 triple jump, high jump and 200m), Will Reilly (under 14 800m and 1500m), Bernie King (under 16 shot put, javelin) and Jerome Meili (under 13 800m and 1500m) Meili was also 19th at State Cross Country and 12th at Queensland track and field championships in the 800m.

GPS track and field championship action from the junior and senior carnival. Friday October 21, 2022. Picture, John Gass

Brisbane State High School

Never short of elite sporting talent, BSHS will be spearhead by:

+ Elijah Sa’U who is the open state medallist in discus and shot put

+ Kyle Mienart who, as a state medallist, has a high jump PB of 2.05m

+ Jo Saunders, a renowned middle distance runner who has growing up running the hills of the western suburbs. He is the reigning 3000m champion.

The TSS cheer squad at the GPS track and field championship, 2022. Picture, John Gass

The Southport School

Jesse Flynn: Jesse will be a busy boy, earning his Weet-Bix when he completes in the under 13 100m, 200m, high jump, long jump and triple jump

Aden Webber is an under 14 field specialist in the discus, shot put and javelin.

Jackson Frost will be very competitive in the under 14 hurdles, the 100m and 200m

Dylan Terblanche is a multi-talented under 15 year sprinter (100m, 200) who also has a spring in his step - he will compete in long jump and triple jump as well.

Also watch for this rising jumper, Indy Cotton, in the under 16 high jump

Kingsley Uys made our GPS First XV rugby Team of the Season as a prop and here he is again, competing in the under 16 shot put and discus

First XV winger Max Durrington can run and he has the runs on the board. Watch for the son of ex-Major League baseballer Trent Durrington in the 400m, 800m - an event he won last year.

Max Durrington is a promising winger and sprinter.

Zane Eldridge claimed a dead heat finish in last year’s hurdles but will be looking to win the event all on his own this season. He will also compete in the opens 100m, 200m and long jump

Harry Bouwmeester had a ding-dong battle last year in the 800m and 1500m events, and will be a strong challenger again? Bouwmeester certainly has a strong finishing burst in him.

GPS track and field championship action from the junior and senior carnival. Friday October 21, 2022. Picture, John Gass

Brisbane Boys College

Seth Mahony: The ever reliable Mahoney is one to watch in the open 1500m and 3000m, events where won Australian Under 18 silver medals.

Lachlan Rayner will burst around the open 800m track: He is an Australian Under 18 800m fourth place finisher.

Clay Andrews: In the 16 years state finalist Andrews will let fly in the 100m and 200m.

Sean Majendie is another sprinter (15 years) to watch. He is a 100m, 200m and 400m Queensland representative.

Tom Nealon (14 years) has a big motor and will put it to good use in the 800m and 1500m events. He is a Queensland silver medallist in both.

RECENT WINNERS

Juniors: 2022 - Nudgee, 2021 - Nudgee, 2020 - Nudgee, 2019 - Nudgee, 2018 - Churchie

Seniors: 2022 - IGS, 2021 - Nudgee, 2020 - IGS, 2019 - IGS, 2018 - BBC