Live stream: Queenslanders flying the Maroons’ flag at Australian Little Athletics Championships
Queensland are taking a big squad to the Australian Little A’s Championships this weekend - and there is plenty of confidence in the camp. Catch the action LIVE on Saturday and Sunday on KTV.
Live Stream
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Queensland’s best junior track and field athletes head to Adelaide this weekend for the Australian Little Athletics Championships.
From Tweed to Cairns, Bundaberg to Stanthorpe and everywhere in between, these youngsters will pit their skills against the nation’s best.
And you can catch all the action from the SA Athletics Stadium LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on KommunityTV from 9am (EST) on both Saturday and Sunday.
CATCH ALL THE ACTION LIVE THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND
The squad is dominated by south east athletes, but regional athletes still make up almost a quarter of the squad. See the full lists below.
Athletes spoke of their pride in representing Queensland while emphasising how the positive environment around their respective clubs had played a role in developing them as athletics and people.
Keebra Park SHS shot putter Eziah Ferguson-Salkic said he first started in athletics at Musgrave State School before expanding his skill base courtesy of coaches at the Ashmore club.
“I enjoy the people around the sport, the goals you get to achieve. It helps your confidence,’’ said the first time Queensland representative.
Jenali Bolden, who earned a place in the Queensland team as a shot put and discus athlete from the South Burnett club, started in the under 8s. “I love meeting new people,’’ Bolden said.
Xanthee Watts (Toowoomba), a previous 400m national champion, said athletics was a great way to meet people and be introduced to sport.
Watts had worn the Maroon singlet on five previous occasions and of all the events she had done, she enjoyed discus most.
Appropriately Watts, a heptathlete, trained on Glynis Nunn-Cearns Oval in Toowoomba.
Toowoomba’s Nunn-Cearns won the heptathlete gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“That is one of the ovals we train at. It is where our club is based,’’ Watts said.
Phoenix Mackay (Algester) said she was encouraged into the sport by her father and has never looked back. “I am very proud to be representing Queensland again,’’ she said.
Ruby Campbell said she had teammates at the Maroochydore Little Athletics Club to thank for playing their role in her enjoyment of the sport.
The middle distance athlete said selection made the difficult training program worth it.
Addison Farinazzo (Centenary), who will compete in the 90m hurdles, 300m hurdles and long jump, said she loved little athletics. “I like it because you get to meet a lot of new people and get to go on tours like this which were a lot of fun.’’
Farinazzo, a previous national medal winner in hurdles, said there was a great spirit at the Centenary club which helped everyone’s performance.
McKenna Clarke (Redlands) said the sport “brought you so many different opportunities and opened doors in sport’’.
A three-time national little athletics veteran, Clarke said she had a hunger to try and medal again in walk. “All my family has done walking in the past and I like it,’’ she said.
Sprint ace Acacia Wohlsen also sung the praises of the Centenary club and thanked her medical team for the role they played in getting her back from an injury in time for the nationals. “Plus my family, my coaches and my mum,’’ she said, smiling.
Current national champion Ashley Blackman (City North) enjoyed jumps when she first started and now soars 1.69m in high jump.
Another of Queensland’s senior representatives, sprinter Valentino Ferrini Poutard from the Balmoral club, said he was aiming for PBs in the 100m, 200m and 400m events. “I am very excited to be competing for Queensland,’’ he said.
Gold Coast’s Jackson Munro, a middle distance runner from Helensvale’s club, said the friendships made around the club and at interclub meets was a highlight.
Luca Gerrard (Noosa) had been to national track and field meets five times in the past, and twice medalled. “I used to do nippers but moved into athletes,’’ he said.
Samuel Anderson (Toowong Harriers) said little athletics was a “great community’’.
The young heptathlete will compete in a gruelling seven events over two days. “It is great fun. He said while it was “hard on his body, plenty of stretching in between events and a good overnight sleep helped him recover. “It is a good challenge,’’ he said.
Blade Thompson from the Tweed was backing up after making a final at last year’s nationals. He will compete in 100m hurdles and the 300m hurdles.
Country Queenslanders representing the Maroons will be Riley Simpson (Townsville Central), Estah Muller (Glasshouse District), Taj Appleby (Marlin Coast MC), Matthew Green (Ross River), Jacob Last (West Bundaberg), Benji Lipsett (South Burnett), Riley Simpson (Townsville Central), Kade Wilson (Jimboomba), Charli Cox (Ross River), Makayla Moller (Maryborough), Bethany Moore-Kirkland (Warwick), Jayden Graham (Toowoomba), Koby Irvine (West Bundaberg), Ethan Kent (Granite Belt), Riley Mason (West Bundaberg), Lachlan Roach (Highfields), Jenali Bolden (South Burnett), Hayleigh Kennedy (Burrum District), Xanthee Watts (Toowoomba).
QUEENSLAND TEAM
Under 13 girls
Imarni-Rose Ault (University of the Sunshine Coast)
Competing: 80m Hurdles, 200m Hurdles, 4x100m, Swedish Relay (300m)
Clara Best (Sunnybank)
Competing: High Jump
Abbey Crocker (Ipswich)
Competing: Discus, Shot Put, Javelin
Sienna De Young (Aspley)
Competing: 100m, 200m, Long Jump, Triple Jump, 4x100m
Ellie Durrington (Tweed)
Competing: 1500m
Jessica Heap (Deception Bay)
Competing: Shot Put
Summer Livingston (Caloundra)
Competing: 400m, 800m, Swedish Relay (400m)
Mila Mabb (Balmoral)
Competing: High Jump
Cassia McLean (Gold Coast)
Competing: 100m, 200m, Long Jump, Triple Jump, 4x100m
Cara McQuaid (Mudgeeraba)
Competing: Javelin
Estah Muller (Glasshouse District)
Competing: Discus
Zoe Renton (Toowong Harriers)
Competing: 1500m, Walk
Emilia Schulze (Arana)
Competing: 400m, 800m, Swedish Relay (300m)
Abigail Steele (Aspley)
Competing: 80m Hurdles, 200m Hurdles, 4x100m, Swedish Relay (200m)
Kiara Waterman (Deception Bay)
Competing: Walk
Under 13 boys
Taj Appleby (Marlin Coast MC)
Competing: Discus, Shot Put, 200m
Sebastian Bryan (City North)
Competing: High Jump
Ezra Devine (Wynnum Manly)
Competing: 100m, 200m, 4x100m, Swedish Relay (300m)
Eziah Ferguson-Salkic (Ashmore)
Competing: Shot Put
Hayden Huang (The Gap)
Competing: 400m, 800m, 1500m
Marcus Jones (University of the Sunshine Coast)
Competing: Long Jump
Tyler Komarzynski (Bracken Ridge)
Competing: High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump
Cory Lockwood (Mudgeeraba)
Competing: Walk
Blake Michael (Redlands)
Competing: 200m, 400m, Swedish Relay (400m)
Teddy Mills (City North)
Competing: 80m Hurdles, 200m Hurdles, 4x100m
Lachlan Moore (Redlands)
Competing: Walk
Daniel Phillips (Ipswich)
Competing: MC 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, Discus
Harsith Rameshkumar (Centenary)
Competing: 80m Hurdles, Triple Jump, 4x100m
Dilpreet Sharma (Aspley)
Competing: Discus
Riley Simpson (Townsville Central)
Competing: 800m, 1500m
Jeriah Slade-Su’emai (Bracken Ridge)
Competing: Shot Put, Discus, Javelin
Ned Waters (Arana)
Competing: Javelin, Swedish Relay (200m)
Kade Wilson (Jimboomba)
Competing: 100m, 200m Hurdles, 4x100m, Swedish Relay, (100m)
Under 14 girls:
Ruby Bohen (Ipswich)
Competing: Discus, Javelin
Taya Clayton (Noosa)
Competing: 100m, 80m Hurdles, 200m Hurdles
Charli Cox (Ross River)
Competing: 100m, 200m
Ruby Hazell (Springwood)
Competing: 800m, 1500m
Eliza Kelly (Deception Bay)
Competing: 1500m Walk
Mia Kertesz (Ipswich)
Competing: MC Discus, 100m, 200m, 400m
Natalie Lang (Centenary)
Competing: 400m
Matilda Langley (Browns Plains)
Competing: 200m, 400m, 800m
Leah Leembruggen (Algester)
Competing: 80m Hurdles, 200m Hurdles
Makayla Moller (Maryborough)
Competing: Shot Put, Javelin
Bethany Moore-Kirkland (Warwick)
Competing: 1500m Walk
Tahnee Phillips (Arana)
Competing: High Jump
Zoe St John (Ashmore)
Competing: 1500m
Chloe Taylor (Ashmore)
Competing: High Jump, Long Jump
Hayley Windolf (Ipswich)
Competing: Shot Put, Discus
Under 14 boys
Ned Amorsen (Strathpine)
Competing: 100m, 200m
Marlon Andrews (Noosa)
Competing: 100m, 200m, 400m
Luka Brown (Runaway Bay)
Competing: 1500m
Cruz Collins (Balmoral)
Competing: Triple Jump
Archer Crowley (Providence)
Competing: Long Jump, 90m Hurdles
Travis Germishuys (Wynnum Manly)
Competing: 800m
Jayden Graham (Toowoomba)
Competing: MC 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m
Jake Hambrook-Smith (Mt Gravatt)
Competing: High Jump, Shot Put, Discus
Koby Irvine (West Bundaberg)
Competing: 1500m Walk
Ethan Kent (Granite Belt)
Competing: Javelin
Riley Mason (West Bundaberg)
Competing: Triple Jump
Logan McDiarmid (Balmoral)
Competing: 90m Hurdles, 200m Hurdles
Brock Miller (Strathpine)
Competing: 800m
Kanay Miller (Tweed)
Competing: Long Jump
Jordan Munro (Springwood)
Competing: High Jump
Eli Richards (South Burnett)
Competing: Discus
Lachlan Roach (Highfields)
Competing: 200m Hurdles
Thomas Scott (Toowong Harriers)
Competing: Javelin
Finn Sorpassa (Arana)
Competing: 400m, 1500m
Tau Tamaariki (Strathpine)
Competing: Shot Put
Under 15 girls
Ashley Blackman (City North)
Competing: High Jump
Jenali Bolden (South Burnett)
Competing: Shot Put, Discus
Olivia Boulton (Gold Coast)
Competing: 1500m Walk
Ruby Campbell (Maroochy)
Competing: 800m, 1500m
Matilda Campling (University of the Sunshine Coast)
Competing: MC 100m, 400m, 800m, Long Jump
Makenna Clarke (Redlands)
Competing: 1500m Walk
Addison Farinazzo (Centenary)
Competing: 90m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles, Long Jump
Isla Hiscock (Springwood)
Competing: 300m Hurdles
Hayleigh Kennedy (Burrum District)
Competing: MC Discus, Shot Put, 400m
Phoenix Mackay (Algester)
Competing: Javelin
Jalyn South (Runaway Bay)
Competing: Javelin
Lyla van der Breggen (Maroochy)
Competing: 400m, 800m,
Xanthee Watts (Toowoomba)
Competing: 100m, 200m, 400m, Discus
Mia Wise (Aspley)
Competing: 1500m
Acacia Wohlsen (Centenary) 100m, 200m
Under 15 boys:
Jack Alcorn (Bracken Ridge)
Competing: MC Discus, Shot Put, Javelin
Samuel Anderson (Toowong Harriers)
Competing: Combined Event
Mitchell Byrn (Wynnum Manly)
Competing: Discus
Connor Campbell (Arana)
Competing: 300m Hurdles
Valentino Ferrini Poutard (Balmoral)
Competing: 100m, 200m, 400m
Thomas Froget Penaranda (Toowong Harriers)
Competing: Long Jump
Luca Gerrard (Noosa)
Competing: Long Jump, Triple Jump
Ethan Gration (City North)
Competing: High Jump, Javelin
Matthew Green (Ross River)
Competing: Triple Jump
Jacob Last (West Bundaberg)
Competing: MC Discus, Shot Put, Javelin
Benji Lipsett (South Burnett)
Competing: 100m
Jackson Munro (Helensvale)
Competing: 200m, 400m, 800m
Matthew Reed (University of the Sunshine Coast)
Competing: 100m Hurdles
Blade Thompson (Tweed)
Competing: 100m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles
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