NSW Junior athletics 2024: top performers, results, world qualifiers and photo gallery
There were world U20 qualifiers hit, incredible PB’s, multiple medallists and a surprise win by a rising star of rugby league. NSW junior athletics stars, standouts, results and gallery.
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There were world U20 qualifiers achieved, incredible PB’s, a surprises display from a rising star of rugby league and multiple medallists as the best junior athletes in the state hit the track and field at pace at the NSW junior athletics championships.
There were title defences in some races while others threw up surprise winners at the three days event at Sydney Olympic Park.
One of the unexpected results was achieved by young rugby league player Zavier Peacock from Bankstown Sports Athletics in the under 17s 100m final.
Part of the Canterbury Bankstown Juniors pathway and development squad he was one of the finds of the meet with his win in the hotly contested event.
Third at the NSW schools meet in 2023, the youngster came out on the weekend to beat his own personal best by half a second in the heats.
Later he snared his first U17 100m crown with a run of 10.78 seconds.
While Peacock’s result was unexpected that of Annisha Reader, 14, from Sutherland, was not.
Reader won the U15 discus title with her 39.59.
“I’ve been competing since the under nines and I just love it,” said Reader, who also picked up a medal in the U15s hammer and has dominated the discus at all her previous NSW titles bar one.
“I think I came third in the 12s,’’ Reader said.
Australian athletics rising star Sebastian Sultana was a level above his rivals at the meet with the teenager working towards making the relay at the Paris Olympics.
The Australian 100m record holder cruised to a 21.02 world U23 qualifier in his heat of the U20 200m on Sunday and then upped the ante in the final with an extraordinary 20.84.
Sultana, from Campbelltown Collegians and now studying exercise and physiology at ACU, beat Rashid Kabba from Wesfields with Knox Grammar’s Lachlan Herbert third.
“It’s pretty good because I wasn’t feeling the best,’’ said Sultana, who came off a hard training block for same race time at the NSW championship[s.
The 200m finals on Sunday threw up some sensational display.
Shari Hurdman made it a 200m, 400m double with her 24.36n win in the U18s while Dylan Hall defeated rival John McDonald for his win in the U18s men.
This reversed the result of the 400m final fought out between the pair.
Tamworth’s Cooper Wilson and Sutherland’s Tammin Lampret won the U17 racing. while Lachlan Byrnes just pipped Jack Proudfoot for victory in the 16s while Maya Taber, from the Randwick Botany Harriers, made it a 100m 200m gold medal double with her win in 2404 over UTS Norths Matilda Harrison.
In the under 14s, Campbelltown’s Jacob Copp added the 200m title to his 100m one snared earlier in the meet.
Manly Warringahs Naomi Kranjancic has plenty to race for in the under 15s 200m race after missing the 400m by accident.
And she didn't disappoint to beat St George District’s Rhema Adelaja for the gold. “I wasn't expecting that at all,’’ said the Fairlight runner who also plays Oz Tag.
“Its my first one ever.’’
Teenager Matthew Hunt, part of the Youth Commonwealth Games athletics team, won the U20 hurdles crown in fine style on Sunday.
The 17-year-old from St Pious school, impressed with his
“The goal is to try and out down some more quick times before the Australian championships,” said Hunt, who already has a world qualifying time in the bag,
Hunt beat his Queensland rival Jack Love with his winning time of 53.41.
Speedster Rashid Kabba nailed an assortment of world U20 qualifiers at the three day event.
His 13.86 seconds is the third fastest world under 23 qualifier currently in the hurdles.
It also delivered him his seventh consecutive crown in the event at the New South Wales Juniors.
The Westfield athlete also posted a 10.53 qualifier with his second in the 100m race and another qualifier in the 200m heats on Sunday.
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Izobelle Louison-Roe is used to turning heads and did it again at the NSW titles.
She also hit a world U20 championship triple jump standard of 12.90m with her mighty leap of 13.0 2M. Proving it was wasn’t a one off. She then backed up with three more jumps over 12.8 0M
Louison-Roe said she was relieved to have got the qualifier after a slow start to the year.
Another to impress was Jack Darragh in the U2 400 metre where the teenager from Maitland. Recorded four consecutive sub 48 second 400s.
He won the NSW under 400m crown in 47.75.
Sutherland athlete Telaya Blacksmith had a great championship.
The young gun put down a Paris 2024 Paralympic B qualifier in the T-20 400m.
Blacksmith, competes enable bodied races for tougher competition.
Others results included:
#Newcastle Gemma Pollard winning the under 20s 400m in a handy 53.75 seconds – the fourth fastest time of her career.
#Delta Amidzovski was a multiple champion with victories in the U20 100m hurdles and the long jump.
#Ky Garratt shocked when he improved his PB 4m with a throw of 65.8 6M in the U18 hammer throw.
#Another fast improving athlete was Isabelle Cruickshank from Hornsby who has improved over 7m in recent times and won the U20 javelin in 47.59m to be within striking distance of a world junior qualifier.
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