Australian track and field championships 2022: Day 1-2 stories, results and world 20 qualifiers
There were tears and cheers and PB’s galore on day two of the 2022 Australian track and field championships. Best stories and top results from the opening days of the crucial Sydney meet.
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It’s one of the biggest sporting championships in the country with Olympians and talented juniors all racing at the same meet.
The focus is one young guns of the sport early in the championships with Sunday a day full of heats and important finals after a great day of action on Saturday.
We chased down some of the standouts from the weekend racing.
DAY 3 ACTION: Speedster books ticket to world juniors
WHAT A SHOT: Best pics from the Aussies so far
DAY TWO STARS, STANDOUTS AND TOP RESULTS AT THE AUSTRALIAN ATHLETICS
Nicola Hogg will be waiting with bated breath for the announcement of the Australian team heading to the world under 20 championships after a stunning silver medal performance in the U20 1500m on Sunday.
The 18-year-old from Mosman finished behind Victorian Claudia Hollingsworth 4:13.41 with a time of 4:15.13 with another Sydney athlete, Hayley Kitching, third in 4:17.17.
“It’s a PB so I am very happy,’' said Hogg whose silver puts her in the box seat for a ticket to the worlds.
“Every race has been a PB this season which is great..’’
Hogg believes being able to concentrate on sport after completing her HSC last year has been key to her recent success.
Sydney teenager Patrick Cantlon from Caringbah is in a similar situation after he also finished the men’s U20 1500m race with a silver.
Queenslander Peyton Craig won in 3:49.53 with Cantlon coming home in 3:49.94.
Cantlon won silver despite his race not going to plan.
“My plan was tot sit in and make a move late but the winner, Peyton, went early and I just tried to hang in there.’’
Cantlon said until recently he wasn’t “that competitive’’ but had more time now he has completed school.
“I was really committed to my studies before because I want to do engineering,’' he said.
Another Sydney athlete waiting for an email next month regarding the world U20 team will be Sydney schoolgirl Delta Amidzovski.
The 15-year-old was the youngest entrant in the U20 100m hurdles (. 84m) but still emerged with a gold medal and national titles with a PB and another world U20 qualifier.
Amidzovski finished in 13.78 and ahead of Alessia Wynne from Victoria in 14.13 and Queenslander Emelia Surch in 14.23.
Delta has a growth spurt in recent months which has attracted plenty of attention.
“Everyone keeps asking me if I am getting taller,’’ she said.
“This is the one I wanted to win so I am ecstatic.’’
The U16 100m hurdles was dominated by another NSW speedster with Hunters Hill athlete Billy Blair claiming a sensational gold.
Blair, who finished third in his 100m event, won in 13.11 to finish ahead of Harrison Purcell 13.56 and Sydney athlete Callum Cheung.
“This race was a target for me,’’ Blair said.
“It shows I am on the right track.’’
Queensland dominated a hotly contested U20 100 final where Sydney’s Connor Bond finished with a bronze.
The race was won by Jai Gordon 10.28 from Calab Law 10.36.
Bond ran a 10.50.
Two NSW young made the podium in the U16 100m race in Grace Krause and Holly Rea.
Queenslander Zaraung Hagan won in 11.92 from Krause 11.99 and Rea in 12.06.
In other outstanding result Ava Ross finished second in the U15 100m behind Western Australian Leah O’Brien.
In an extraordinary performance on day two of the championships NSW youngsters filled the one to four placings in the U14 3000m walk won by 12-year-old Maisie Mitchell from Bowen Mountain.
“It’s my first Australian title and I am so happy,’’ said Maisie who finished fourth in the race at the Australian championships.
“I’ve been training morning and night, so hard.
“I just pushed myself and all the other girls are just so great. We all push each other.’’
The first person to greet and congratulate Maisie was her emotional younger brothers Jack.
“We go on runs together all the time,’’ Maisie said.
“I’m so grateful to my mum and dad (Hope and Lance), they do everything for me, and my coaches Maz and Kirsty.’’
Maisie 5:22.08 finished ahead of Jessica Loring from Northmead 15:37.54 and Matilda Webb from Winston Hills 15:48.22. Emma Hearnden finished in 15.38.42
Lane Cove’s Cadel Holmes was one of the first gold medal winners on day two of the Australian track and field championships on Sunday.
The youngster, who attends St Andrew’s Cathedral School, won the under 15 high jump.
“I won in Year Five and Six as well,’’ said Holmes who competes for the North Shore club.
In another early event the U14 Triple Jump gold was won by Sophia Williams from WA 11.03m with Maiya Hewitt from NSW second 10.48m.
DAY ONE AUSTRALIAN ATHLETICS STARS AND RESULTS
Philippa Quarrell was a standout for NSW on the opening day of the Australian championships.
The youngster opened her Aussie campaign with a gold and bronze in the space of a few hours.
Quarrell won the 1500m U14 race in 4:37.43 to finish ahead of Violet Owen from Tasmania in 4:38.07 and NSW’s Eliza Lawton in 4:43.05.
She then finished third in the 3000m U15 race behind NSW’s Piper Simpson 9:55.65 and Tessa Ebert from SA 9:58.56.
In the U16 3000m walk, NSW took out a double with Zoe Woods 13:55.17 winning from Sienna Pitcher 13:59.75. Darcey Roberts from the ACT was third.
Daniel Williams produced a blinder in the 1500m U16 race (4:02.70) to win ahead of Jonah Hanikeri from WA 4:03.20 and Like Palmer from Tasmania 4:04.69.
Another NSW double was in the U15 3000m walk with Grace Beck 15:35.50 winning from Madeline Platt 15:52.36 and Milly Sharpe from Queensland 15:53.2.
In a big result, NSW won the U16 4x100m relay.
1 NSW 47.51 1) Vial, Matilda 07 2) Krause, Grace 07 3) Tattersall, Kaitlin 07 4) Rea, Holly 07 beat Queensland 47.96 1) Webb, Mikayla 07 2) Okonkwo, Ebony 07 3) Mearns, Amaya 08 4) Dyson, Lucy 08.
South Australia 48.31 1) Okiwelu, Chinonso 07 2) McAuliffe, Charlotte 07 3) Akhimienmhonan, Oseremhen 08 4) Fielder, Georgie finished third.
In the U14 4x100m Victoria took the honours (1) Froomes, Oscar 09 2) Milias, Matthew 09
3) Brancatisano, Cooper 09 4) Haider, Zulqarnain 09) from NSW 48.78 (1) Lau, Dylan 09 2) Proudford, Jack 09 3) Spadaro, Alex 09 4) Ghadiali, Kyros 09.
In other standout results Alex Goetz won in 60.87m and Dylan Hall won the U16 100m in 11.03 -1.0 from Andrew Maenda from South Australia 11.10 -1.0 and NSW’s Blair, Billy 07 NSW 11.14 -1.0.
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