Gold Coast clubs reveal their junior Little Athletics star track and field athletes
Little Athletics is booming on the Gold Coast with potential Olympians of the future shining in track and field. Discover the junior stars to watch this summer from Beaudesert to Gold Coast’s north and down to the Tweed. Find them here
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Little Athletics is booming on the Gold Coast with medals flying left, right and centre for the athletes making our region proud.
Now we’re on the hunt to reveal the best of the best.
From high jump to sprints, discus to pole vault, discover the future Olympians in our midst nominated by the clubs themselves:
Name: Will Robinson
Age: 14
Event/s: High Jump
Will has been competing in athletics since he was seven. Originally he enjoyed his throws. Over the years he discovered both a love and talent for jumping. He has completed and medalled at regional and state competitions in high jump, and has represented Qld at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships. He is also talented in 100m sprint, long jump and triple jump, as well as competing in throws. This season he has joined Queensland Athletics to compete in high jump as well as giving pole vault a go. Due to his all around nature decathlons could be in his future.
Name: Luke Holmes
Age: 14
Club: Beaudesert Little Athletics
Event/s: Discus and shot put
Luke has been competing in Little Athletics for the past five seasons. Through his life, Luke has had seven knee operations with at least one further surgery to come – he would be eligible to compete in multiclass, however Luke has chosen to push himself and compete against his peers in general competition. He has shown great determination and perseverance and achieved success in representing his club at a regional and state level for both discus and shot put.
Name: AJ Platell
Age: 14
Club: Beaudesert Little Athletics
Event/s: High jump, triple jump
AJ has represented her Little Athletics club at every State Titles since eligibility, competing in high jump and more recently triple jump. She has completed the Gold Coast Academy of Sports Future Stars Program and has recently been selected to attend the Little Athletics Queensland NZ Development Tour. She has also been very successful in school athletics, representing McAuley College at district, regional and state athletics. AJ also plays representative netball and has played soccer for 6 years. She currently holds several school and club records for high jump.
Name: Charlie Platell
Age: 12
Club: Beaudesert Little Athletics
Event/s: Long jump, high jump, discus, hurdles
Charlie has represented her Little Athletics club at every State Titles since eligibility, competing in multiple events like long jump, high jump, discus and hurdles. She has represented her primary and high schools at the zone, district, regional and state levels and holds regional records for high jump, long jump and discus. Charlie also plays representative soccer, playing in the QCSA State Titles the past two years. Charlie also loves netball and is on her netball clubs rep development squad.
Name: Isabella Carlos
Age: 13 years
Club: Beaudesert Little Athletics
Events: 100m, 200m, Discus, long jump and triple jump
Achievements:
o Made it to State Championships for little athletics in her first season (100m, 200m and Discus)
o Age champion for the club
o Senior girls champion for the club
o Most PBs for the club all in her first season.
o She made it to districts for school for the past 3 years and to the next level of regionals this
year placing just outside of the state qualification
Name: Paige Eizenberg
Age: 11 years.
Club: Beaudesert Little Athletics
Event: Long jump
2022- Paige placed 4th in Queensland
2023- Paige placed 6th in Queensland
Paige has displayed a lot of determination commitment and dedication, which has helped her progress successfully within track and field events. She is extremely proud and grateful of her achievements and support from Beaudesert Little Athletics club and community.
Name: Zarayah Williams
Age: U12 – 2022/23 season
Club: Beaudesert Little Athletics
Event/s: 80m hurdles. 100m Sprints
Zarayah competed at the Little Athletics State championships in Townsville in March 2023. In the 80M hurdles she came eighth in the State, smashing her PB with a new time of 14.60sec. Zarayah also has broken a school Record at Rivermount College for 100m sprint with a time of 13.56sec.
Charlotte Webb
U17
Club: Beaudesert Little Athletics
hurdles, 800m, high jump, long jump, triple jump.
Breaking the U17 100m Hurdles club record held by Olympian Riley Day. Competing at states.
Lauchlan Ferguson
17
Club: Beaudesert Little Athletics
Events: Javelin, high jump
Lauchlan tries really hard at all events. Loves to help others achieve their goals by encouraging them to do their best. He is a much loved member of our athletics community.
Isabella Rogers
U14
Club: Beaudesert Little Athletics
Events – high jump, 200m, 400m, javelin
Isabella has been a member of Beaudesert little athletics for six years. She has held age champion four years straight from Under-9s to Under-12s. Isabella also managed to break the school record in grade seven for high jump and got age champion at school. Isabella also enjoys doing 200 and 400m and has recently started to really get into javelin.
Tia Murray
Age: 13
Club: Helensvale Little Athletics
Event/s: Hurdles, discus, triple jump, long jump, high jump, javelin, 100m and 200m
In the past 12 months Tia has won all events at her school athletics carnival, claimed gold at the district championships for 80m and 200m hurdles, discus, triple jump, long jump, high jump and javelin. She also placed second at districts in the 100m and 200m. Tia then won the regional 200m hurdles while placing second in the long jump. She received the year 8 athlete of the year at the Gold Coast Academy of Sports awards and received a full sports scholarship at U.C.S. Tia recently took up pole vault and was awarded club captain of Helensvale Little Athletics. She won discus, javelin and the 80m hurdles at the Little Athletics regionals.
Name: Asher Whitaker
Age: 11
Club: Gold Coast Little Athletics
Events: 100m, 200m, triple jump and High Jump
Major Achievements: Bronze medal in the 100m South Coast Regional Trial in 2022. Asher then went on to win a gold medal in the 4 x 100m at the 2022 Queensland School Sport Championships. At the Little Athletics Queensland 2023 South Coast Regional Championships Asher got gold medal s in Triple Jump, 200m and also a silver in 100m sprint. Asher then went on to the 2023 Little Athletics State Championships in Townsville and won a silver medal in the 200m. In the 2023 School Sport South Coast Regional Trial, Asher got a gold medal in the High Jump, breaking the record at 156 cm, surpassing his own personal best. At the 2023 Queensland School Sport Championships, Asher received a silver medal on a countback despite having a personal best higher than the gold medal winner. Asher has also won medals in the Regional and State Relays with his teammates from Gold Coast Athletics. He is hoping he can go on to win gold at the School Sport Australia Track and Field Championships in Launceston in November. Asher started at Gold Coast Little Athletics in 2022.
Name: Cassia McLean
Age: 12
Club: Gold Coast Little Athletics
Events: 100m, 200m, high jump, long jump, triple jump
Major achievements: Gold medals in the 100m, Long jump and 4x100m relay at the 2023 Queensland Schools Athletics Championships. Gold in the 100m, 200m, high jump, and long jump at the 2023 South Coast Schools Regional Athletics Championships. Cassia broke the regional high jump record (U/12 girls) at the 2023 South Coast Schools Regional Athletics Championships (1.60m). She also won gold medals in the 100m and triple jump, silver in long jump, and bronze in the high jump at the 2023 Queensland Little Athletics Championship and placed sixth in the 100m final at the 2022 Australian Schools Athletics Championships. Cassia has been doing Little Athletics since U6s. She will be representing Queensland in a few weeks at the Australian Schools Athletics Championships (10-12yrs) in Launceston in the 100m, long jump and 4x100m relay. She would like to be a professional athlete when she’s older.
Name: Olivia Boulton
Age: 14
Club: Gold Coast Little Athletics
Event/s: Race walking
Major achievements: gold medal at the 2023 Queensland State School Championships for the 3000m race walk, 7th at the 2023 Australian championships in the 3000m Race walk, and 1st QLD to finish. A qualifying time for the 2024 Australian championships in Adelaide for the 3000m race walk. Liv has been doing little athletics since she was U8’s and developed a love for race walking, she also enjoys running middle to long distances. Olivia also is a joint Club Captain for Gold Coast Athletics.
Alyssa McDonald
Age: 14
Club: Sports Credentials
Won gold medals in the 90m and 200m hurdles, silver in 200m sprint and long jump.
Dean Brackpool
Age: 15
Club: Sports Credentials
Won a silver medal in the Qld School Sport Championships in October.
Name: Harry Osborne
Age: 14
Club: Gold Coast Little Athletics
Events: Hurdles, High jump, Long jump, Triple jump, heptathlon
Major Achievements: gold medal in Triple Jump, long jump and 90m hurdles and silver medal in high jump at the 2023 QLD Schools State Championships. Gold medal in high jump and triple jump and silver medal in the 90m hurdles at the 2023 Australian Track and Field Championships. Silver medal in the triple jump at the 2023 Australian Little Athletics Championships. Harry also won gold medals in the Long Jump, triple jump and 200m hurdles and a silver medal in the 80m hurdles at the 2023 Little Athletics Queensland State Championships.
Harry is aiming to qualify in the Heptathlon, high jump, long jump, triple jump, 100m hurdles and 200m hurdles at the 2024 Australian Track and Field Championships in Adelaide.
Name: Summer Carkeet
Age: 15
Club: Gold Coast Little Athletics
Events: Heptathlon
Summer has competed in Little Athletics since she was 5 years old and this is her 11th season. In U11’s Summer got a gold medal at the Qld Championships for the 400m but has since competed in Heptathlons and received a Gold, silver and bronze at the State Combined Events in U11,12,13. This year Summer represented Little Athletics Queensland at the Australian Championships in the Heptathlon achieving several Personal Bests and breaking Club Records. Summer has also received various State Medals for Relay teams. Summer enjoys the sociable side of Athletics and all the friends she has made.
Name: Daniel Frey
Age: 16
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: Discus, Shot Put
Queensland Little Athletics 2023 Under 16 boys champion in both shot put and discus, NSW junior athletics champion 2023 in U/17 men's shot put, NSW combined high schools 2023 16 years men’s shot put champion and represented NSW at the 2023 Australian Track and Field Championships, winning a bronze medal in the U17 men’s shot put. Daniel is a senior club captain at Tweed Little Athletics.
Name: Mikayla Frey
Age: 14 years
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: Long Jump, Triple Jump
Queensland Little Athletics 2023 Under 14 girls triple jump champion, silver medallist in U14 girls long jump, NSW junior athletics 2023 Under 14 women‘s silver medallist in triple jump, NSW combined high schools 2023 14 years women silver medallist in long jump and triple jump and represented NSW at the Australian Track and Field Championships 2023 in triple jump and long jump. Mikayla won silver in triple jump at the recent NSW All Schools Athletics Champs in Sydney and has been selected to represent NSW at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in Perth in December.
Name: Macey France
Age: 14
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: Long jump, hurdles and AFL
Macey is a vibrant athlete who competes consistently at a high standard of athletics, particularly excelling in long jump. She won gold at the 2021 and 2022 NSW All School Championships and at the 2023 NSW combined high schools championships, as well as at the 2023 Little Athletics State Championships. At a national level, Macey placed third in long jump at the Australian Athletics Championships in 2021 and second at the Australia Little Athletics 2021. She also earned various medals at state level in sprinting and hurdles. She is developing her hurdles form and more recently came second at the NSW combined high schools competition and in the Little Athletics State carnival. Macey is also an avid AFL player, selected into school level and AFLQ academies over the years. She gives her all every time she trains and competes, is a positive competitor and loves being a part of her athletics and AFL squads.
Name: Erin Lanyon
Age: 14
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: triple jump and Long Jump
• Competed at NSW 2023 Country Championships placing first triple jump, second in long jump and 90m
hurdles and third in high jump.
• Selected for the QLD State Little Athletics team to compete at Australian Little Athletics Championships
in Melbourne for triple jump.
• Competed at the NSW All Schools Athletics, placing second in long jump and third in triple jump and will head to the Australian All Schools Athletics in Perth in December.
Name: Amali Moore
Age: 16 years
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: 800m, 1500m
Holds multiple bronze medals at State Little Athletics. Amali trains hard and gives it her best in everything she does. Amali’s love of running has also led to being a representative for Cross Country. Amali’s success in track and field has been in unison with holding down a job and keeping her grades up in school.
Name: Rory Mackay
Age: 12
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: 100m and 80m hurdles
Major achievements:
Queensland Athletics: U13 Queensland State Championships 2023 first place in the 100m and U13 Australian Athletics Championships 2023 seventh place in the 100m.
NSW Combined High Schools 2023: fourth in the 80m hurdles and fifth in the 100m.
NSW All Schools Athletics Championships: Fourth place in the 80m hurdles and sixth in the 100m.
Name: Chloe Martin
Age: 16
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: 400m hurdles
Chloe is a highly motivated and committed individual who has a large passion for athletics. She began running the 400m hurdles in January this year and has won numerous state medals since, including silver at the Queensland Athletics Championships, bronze at the NSW All Schools Championships and gold in the 300m hurdles at the Little Athletics Queensland State Championships. Chloe also competed at the Australian Athletics Championships earlier this year and has qualified for them again next year. Her main goal is to represent Australia at an international level and is looking to qualify for the 2026 World U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon in the 400m hurdles.
Name: Melina Greenup
Age: 12 years old
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Events: Long jump and 200m
At the State Athletics Championships in Sydney this year she came fifth in long jump and ninth in the 200m. At the 2022 State Athletics Championships in Sydney she came tenth in the 200m. This year she was awarded as her school’s Athletics Champion for the senior girls, Tweed District PSSA Senior Girls Athletics Champion and the Far North Coast PSSA Senior Girls Athletics Age Champion. Athletics isn’t Melina’s only sport. Her school netball team won the North Coast Knockout Finals this year and are now second in the State, while her school touch football team won the North Coast Knockout Finals this year and are now fifth in the State. Melina made the North Coast touch football team in both 2022 and 2023. She always strives to do her best, has determination and aspires to be an Olympian one day. Being a member of Little Athletics has given her this aspiration.
Name: Tilly Ojiako-Pettit
Age: 12
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: 100m, 200m, High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump, hurdles
Tilly is a sprinter and a jumper. She recently returned from representing North Coast at the NSW PSSA Athletics Championships, and despite carrying a knee injury came 10th in long jump, 12th in high jump, 15th in 100m, and limped to the finish line in the 200m with a time of 29.92. This year while representing Tweed Little Athletics in Townsville, Tilly won gold in the 12 year girls long jump with a jump of 4.74m. She was unfortunate in her heat of the 80m hurdles, where after leading by a couple of lengths she tripped at the last hurdle. While devastated at the time, it has only made her more determined to succeed. In another incident at the championships, Tilly missed out on placing in the 100m after birds flew into her lane. Tilly has had great success in previous seasons by representing her school, district and region at the Australian Athletics Championships where she competed in long jump and the 800m Sprint Medley relay. Her relay team broke the national record and walked away with gold. Tilly also represented Tweed Little Athletics in 2022 in Brisbane, placing first in the 100m. Tilly loves Little Athletics, the events, competitions and friends she has made. She dreams of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic dreams and of being a coach one day so she can help kids like her reach their potential.
Name: Blade Thompson
Age: 14
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: 100m hurdles, 200m hurdles, long jump
Blade has been with Tweed Little Athletics for three years. He has since medalled at state level and been selected to compete at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships. Blade has also been selected to compete in New Zealand in January 2024. Blade continues to strive to achieve PBs and improve on his form and results with great dedication.
Name: Elke Knapp
Age: 12
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: 100, 200, 400, 80 hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, discus, 4x100 relay
School Age Champion in 2021, 2022 and 2023. This year, Elke was runner up age champion at the NSW NCIS in Coffs Harbour and qualified to compete at CIS in Sydney where she placed top 10 in the 100m and 200m. Elke says the best part about athletics is making friends and getting a personal best at every competition.
Name: Maddison Hargreaves
Age: 11
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: Triple jump, Shot Put, High Jump, 80m hurdles, 1500m
Little Athletics has given Maddison a lot of self confidence and she strives to improve her skills and PBs every week. She has represented her school at state athletics in the junior relay and has received numerous ribbons and trophies in different sports. Her journey in Little athletics has helped her achieve these goals.
Name: Harper Mayes
Age: 10
Club: Tweed Little Athletics
Event/s: 100m, 200m, hurdles
2022 LAQ South Coast Regional Championships: First place 70m, 100m and 60m hurdles. Bronze at LAQ State Championships in the 70m and sixth place in the 100m. Qualified and raced in the 100m at the NSW PSSA State Championships in Sydney Homebush. Tweed LA Track Age Champion and Field Runner up Age Champion. 2023 LAQ South Coast Regional Championships: First 70m, second 100m, third 200m. Qualified and participated in 70m, 100m, 200m and 60m hurdles at LAQ State Championships in Townsville. Qualified for the 100m and 200m at the NSW PSSA State Championships in Sydney Homebush and was one of just two athletes to qualify from her primary school – Pottsville Beach Public School. Harper’s love for sprinting extends to other sports including soccer and oztag. Her goal is to play for the Matildas.
Sienna Bush
Age: 15yrs
Club: Gold Coast Running Academy
Current Qld State Track Champion 1500m, 3000m and 2km Steeple
Summer Murray
Age: 12yrs
Club: Gold Coast Running Academy
Current Qld State 800m Champion
Abbi O’Shea
Age: 16yrs
Club: Gold Coast Running Academy
Current Qld 2km Steeple Champion and runner up in the 1500m and 3000m.
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