Teen athletes making their mark on state and national stage
A new generation of Toowoomba and Darling Downs track and field stars are sprinting towards the top. Meet our 20+ potential future Olympians here.
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Toowoomba and the Darling Downs has produced some true athletic superstars.
Glynis Nunn first tried her hand at athletics in Toowoomba before becoming the first ever Olympic heptathlon champion when she won gold at the 1984 Los Angles Games.
Four-time Olympian Justin Anlezark is a proud Toowoomba man and Aussie discus record holder and Diamond League winner Matt Denny hails from Allora.
Elite stars Brielle Erbacher, Patrick Tiernan, Lara Nielsen and Samantha Lenton also called the Garden City home.
Now a new generation of young stars are chasing their track and field dreams.
Meet the next generation of athletes with the Olympics in their sights.
Taylah Chapman, 14
Club: Fairholme College
Primary Discipline: Multi-class thrower and runner
Taylah was in the thick of the action at the 13-19 Years Queensland School Sport Track & Field Championships. The young star who loves the opportunity to test herself won shot put, javelin, discus and 200m gold, 100m silver and 4x 100m relay bronze.
Chelsea Gladwin
Club: Fairholme College
Primary Discipline: Steeplechase
Toowoomba has a bright future in steeplechase with athletes like Chelsea leading the charge. The younger runner won silver at the recent state championships.
Rose McLoughlin, 16
Club: Fairholme College
Primary Discipline: Hammer Throw
Coached by the legendary Graham Pitt, Rose picked up bronze at the state titles.
Grace Vanzella, 17
Club: Fairholme College
Primary Discipline: Hurdles
A sprinter with speed to burn and the technical skills to match, Grace won bronze in the 100m at the state titles.
Josiah Burstow, 14
Club: Darling Downs Athletics
Primary Discipline: High Jump
Josiah cleared 1.74m to win the 14-years Queensland School Sport Track & Field Championships title this year and has his sights set on the 1.8m mark.
Dominic Seaby, 14
Club: Darling Downs Athletics
Primary Discipline: High Jump.
Cleared 1.82m to win GPS gold against a red hot field this season, Dominic is a star on the rise.
Nicholas Denny, 16
Club: Darling Downs Athletics
Primary Discipline: Sprinting
Won 100 and 200m bronze at the Queensland School Sport Track & Field Championships and was part of the winning regional relay team with clubmate Taj Gordon.
Jake Kinsey, 15
Club: Darling Downs Athletics
Primary Discipline: Sprints and Hurdles
A very talented hard working runner who claimed silver in the 100m sprint and hurdles at the Queensland School Sport Track & Field Championships.
Lucy Dyson, 14
Club: Darling Downs Athletics
Primary Discipline: Sprinting
A promising young 100 and 200m specialist.
Taj Gordon, 17
Club: Darling Downs Athletics
Primary Discipline: Sprinting
The younger brother of sprint sensation Jai Gordon, Taj was a member of the state relay team this year and won the 100m hurdles at the state titles.
Harriet Lloyd-Jones, 18
Club: Darling Downs Athletics
Primary Discipline: Steeplechase
A star on the rise, Harriet is one of Australia’s most promising runners. She won her age group at the national steeplechase title and is also a talented Cross Country runner.
Emily Carrigan, 10
Club: Toowoomba Little Athletics
Primary Discipline: Throwing
Watch this name, Emily is a future star thrower. Emily is the current Queensland Champion in Discus and Shot Put. At just 10 years old, Emily throws over 36 metres in Discus and more than 11 metres in Shot Put.
Artie Hudson, 12
Club: Toowoomba Grammar
Primary Discipline: Discus
Artie won at Darling Downs Track and Field Championships and placed 7th at the 2023 Qld School Sport Track & Field Championships. He then placed third at the GPS Junior Track and Field Championships against some of the same boys. He is very committed, trains hard and loves the sport.
Henry Reeves, 11
Club: Toowoomba Grammar
Primary Discipline: Middle distance running
Henry won the U11 Darling Downs Cross Country, then finished a strong 5th at the Queensland Cross Country Championships and went on to finish 19th at the Australian Cross Country Championships in Canberra. He also won the GPS U11 Cross Country Championships this year. Henry has an enormous amount of natural ability and is a driven athlete with a great work ethic.
Ed Rogan, 17
Club: Toowoomba Grammar
Primary Discipline: Javelin
Ed won gold at both the recent 2023 Qld School Sport Track & Field Championships and the GPS Championships. He is a very technical thrower with a strong work ethic.
Matthew Taylor, 17
Primary Discipline: Discus
Matt is the current U17 Australian discus champion and won gold at both the recent 2023 Qld School Sport Track & Field Championships and the GPS Championships. He is a dedicated and determined athlete and hopes to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Youth Games and eventually be selected for Australian representation at international events.
Joe Mayers, 18
Club: Toowoomba Grammar
Primary Discipline: High Jump
Joe won gold at both the recent 2023 Qld School Sport Track & Field Championships and the GPS Championships. He is a natural jumper who trains hard and simply enjoys the sport.
Sam Gladwin, 18
Club: Toowoomba Grammar
Primary Discipline: Long distance running, Steeplechase
Sam won gold in the 3000m Steeplechase at the 2023 Qld School Sport Track & Field Championships. Finished 5th overall at the GPS Championships in a very tough field of runners. He runs kilometres as a form of relaxation every day and has a drive and determination when competing that makes him difficult to run down.
Judah Magarey, 10
Club: Toowoomba Little Athletics
Primary Discipline: Middle distance running
An exceptionally dedicated young runner, Judah recently won the 10 Years Boys 1500m at the Queensland School Sport Track & Field Championships in a new Qld record time of 4:50.99.
Geordie Cowdroy, 16
Toowoomba Little Athletics
Primary Discipline: High Jump
Ranked number two in Australia and recently taking out the State title in the 16 Years Boys High Jump at the Queensland School Sport Track & Field Championships, Geordie is already proving he’s got what it takes to compete on the big stage.
Xanthee Watts, 14
Club: Toowoomba Little Athletics
Primary Discipline: Sprinting and Throwing
An all-round superstar, Xanthee excels both on the track and on the field. Xanthee recently added two silver medals in the Javelin and Discus at the recent Queensland School Sport Track & Field Championships to her impressive collection of state and national medals.
Rylee Franke, 14
Club: Toowoomba Little Athletics
Primary Discipline: Middle Distance Running and High Jump
Comment: Both a strong middle distance runner and one of Australia top high jumpers, Rylee has proven she’s an all around track and field talent that can do it all. Rylee placed 4th in Australia in the U15 High Jump and 5th in Australia in the Under 15 Heptathlon at the 2023 Australian Track & Field Championships.
Jayden Graham, 13
Club: Toowoomba Little Athletics
Primary Discipline: Multi-class runner
Up and coming multi-class star, Jayden, brought home a swag of medals from the Queensland School Sport Track & Field Championships, winning gold in the multi-class 400m, 800m and 1500m, along with two silver medals in the 100m and 200m.
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