2024 Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships

Meet the 20 record breakers and watch the replays from the Australian Little Athletics Championships.

Addison Farinazzo in full cry at the championships.

The nation’s next crop of potential Olympic and Commonwealth Games next generation were glimpsed last weekend when 21 records were broken at the Australian Little Athletics Championships.

Nineteen meet records and three pending Australian little athletic records fell as youngsters aged under-13 to under-16 from across the country descended on SA Athletics Stadium in Adelaide.

WATCH THE REPLAYS: Australian Little Athletics Championships

Centenary club’s Addison Farinazzo (Queensland), Preston’s Jacob Copp (New South Wales) and the Runaway Bay’s Jalyn South (Queensland) surged to pending Australian Best Performances, while Queensland’s Ruby Hazell broke two meet records.

Jacob Copp flies down the track during one of his sprint events for NSW.

Jacob Copp (NSW)

Copp burned the field when he produced a blistering sprint performance in the under 13 100m dash. The Preston dasher flew down the track in 11.43 seconds, another pending Australian Best Performances. Cropp first started sprinting at school in Year 6 and his career has gathered momentum in just three years under the coaching of Shane Hoad at Campbelltown.

Javelin thrower Jalyn South from Runaway Bay pictured six months ago. She went on to break a national Little A record. Picture Glenn Hampson

Jalyn South (Queensland)

The Pocket dynamo from King’s Christian College on the Gold Coast was elite in winning the under-15 javelin. From the Runaway Bay Little Athletics club, she launched the javelin a jaw dropping 47.65m and then lit up the stadium with a beaming smile. It was a pending Australian Best Performance.

Addison Farinazzo pictured at the Queensland team announcement.

Addison Farinazzo (Queensland)

Originally from the Ipswich and District Athletic Club, the Centenary athlete produced a pending Australian record in the under-15 300m hurdles. She produced a whistling time of 43.69. She is no stranger to walking onto the podium and has been a consistent medallist across regional and state championships.

MEET RECORDS

Callum Martin (NSW)

A Charlestown junior ace, Martin secured back-to-back records when he came to the fore in the under-13 1500m race walk. The Hunter Sports High student’s meet record time was 6:30.11. It was an enormous achievement for a youngster who first started competing in the walk at the Adamstown New Lambton club.

Alexander Braendle (NSW)

From the Northern Districts Little Athletics club, Braendle was another high class walk performaner who, in the under-14 boys, recorded a meet record time of 6:51.64 over his 1500m event.

Alexander Braendle from NSW was among the record breakers.

Taya Clayton (Queensland)

Clayton became a gold medal winning girl from glorious Noosa when she let fly to record a stunning 12.12 seconds in winning the under-14 80m hurdles. From Good Shepherd Lutheran College, the Noosa Little Athletics young gun had warmed up for the nationals by:

+ producing a PB 100m time of 12.41 at the Queensland championships in March

+ winning the 90m hurdles in a PB and National qualifying time of 13.48.

Sophie Polkinghorneat the December Australian All Schools Athletics Championships

Sophie Polkinghorne (NSW)

It keeps raining medals for this elite race walk exponent from North Rocks Carlingford Little Athletics Centre. Polkinghorne won the under-14 1500m walk in 6:42.35, a continuation of the form which saw her win gold, silver and finish fourth at the recent Australian junior championships. NSW has a proud walking tradition - the likes of Kerry Junna-Saxby, Jane and Natalie Saville, Nick A’Hern were elite in their careers - and within her age group Polkinghorne is proudly flying the state flag.

Llywelyn Schoenborn (Victoria)

From the time honoured Box Hill Little Athletic club, Schoenborn raised his arms in triumph after winning the under-14 shot put with a meet record performance of 16.63m.

Jake Hambrook-Smith from Mt Gravatt Little A club.

Jake Hambrook-Smith (Queensland)

Hambrook-Smith has been a real sporting all-rounder as a child, but he seems to have found his sport after breaking two meet records at the nationals. The Redlands’ rocket threw 51.52m in the under-14 discus, and then leapt 1.81m in the high jump. All this from a youngster who originally showed promise as a tennis player. A Sheldon College student, he represented the Mt Gravatt Little Athletics club at the championships.

Darcy Coote (NSW)

What a performance it was from Coote, the Westfields Athletics Club athlete who stormed to victory in the under-14 100m sprint in a meet record time of just 11.37. Now that’s motoring.

Darcy Parker at last year’s nationals.

Darcy Parker (Victoria)

An Essendon ace, Parker was another multi-skilled athlete who excelled at the nationals by winning the under-14 400m in 51.84. Cricket, footy and now athletics - there is no keeping Parker down.

Harry Keats (NSW)

The Wollongong Athletics Club product was in golden form, literally, at the championships. In the gruelling 800m under-14 event, he recorded a meet record 2:01.75. It was another milestone for Keats, who already has international experience having competed in New York last year.

Chloe Taylor (Queensland)

Here’s a name for the little black book of athletics. Ashmore’s Taylor won the under-14 high jump, with the Gold Coast athlete soaring 1.63m in a record effort. She also placed fourth in the highly competitive 1500m final.

Kevin De Silva (Victoria)

A St Peters Lutheran College student, Kevin De Silva hit the winners post in a brisk 22.99m after being fired away by the starters gun in the under-14 200m sprint.

Kevin De Silva (Victoria) was in record breaking form.

Lachlan Wheeler (NSW)

There were mighty athletics to come out of the Sutherland Shiie and one of the more promising juniors is Wheeler, the St John Bosco student who was so courageous in winning the 14 years 1500m in 4:18.85.

Lachlan Wheeler, right from Sutherland, with Harry Keates, left. Picture: Julian Andrews

Allegra Little (NSW)

From Port Hacking Little Athletics Centre, Little had her teammates on the edge of their seats during a gold medal, record breaking performance in the long jump. She jumped 5.45m

Ruby Hazell (Queensland)

Hazell was at her best in producing a record breaking performance in the 14 years 1500m. From sporting-rich Logan City, south of Brisbane, the Springwood LA middle distance runner skirted the stadium in just 4:37.03.

Springwood Little Athletic's Ruby Hazell, left, is well positioned.

Annisha Reader (NSW)

From western Sydney, the Girraween Little Athletics Centre athlete was switched on and ready for action when she hurled the discus 40.59, a captivating performance in the under-14 girls.

Annisha Reader (NSW) from western Sydney, the Girraween Little Athletics Centre

Jade Strahl (NSW)

Endeavour Sports High jumps specialist Stadhl hit the bullseye with a stunning 11.48m effort in the under-14 triple jump.

Young Sportsperson of the Year Makayla Moller at the Fraser Coast Australia Day Awards this year.

Makayla Moller (Queensland)

From the beautiful Fraser Coast district, Maryborough’s Moller did her home town proud with a wonderful performance in the under-14 javelin. A previous state medallist, Moller found a meet record mark of 45.29m. It was a performance to be proud of for the girl from regional Queensland.

Record breaking Runaway Bay athlete Jalyn, second from the right, with some of her Queensland under-15 teammates - Matilda Campling, left, Lyla van der Breggen, Ruby Campbell, Jenali Bolden and Phoenix Mackay, far right.

CEO of Coles Little Athletics Australia, Myles Foreman said the national competition’s focus was on “family fun and fitness’’.

“With an increase in the number of athletes participating this year more little athletes than ever had an opportunity to participate in the fun or a teams based national event while pursuing personal bests,” Foreman said.

Jade Strahl (NSW) Endeavour Sports High in action.

Foreman added: “Open to Multi-Class athletes, those with physical or cognitive disability, across the three age championships, Coles Little Athletics Australia is committed to ensuring sporting events are inclusive and can be enjoyed by all.’’