Woodberry’s gritty win sets up nationals to remember for Tassie

Not even picking up an injury late could stop Jack Woodberry producing a gritty come-from-behind win at last week’s national junior athletics championships. Read who claimed gold in Brisbane.

Hobart’s Jack Woodberry showed determination to win under-16 3000m gold at the national junior championships in Brisbane last week. Picture: Supplied

ATHLETICS Tasmania’s state team manager Yvette Edward hailed Jack Woodberry’s gutsy 3000m win at last week’s junior national championships as the inspiration for a meet to remember.

Tasmania racked up 30 medals overall and a host of golds as several rising stars showed in Brisbane they may have the potential to compete in the same city at an Olympics in 2032.

Woodberry, who won the schools national triathlon championships last year, showed tremendous resolve to overtake Victoria’s gold medal favourite Bart Leeton in the dying stages.

His time of 8:32.17 beat his previous 3000m personal best by nine seconds, and was enough to hold off Leeton by (8:33.28) by just over a second.

Woodberry pressed himself so hard he injured his calf in the final metres and was unable to compete in the 1500m, which Leeton won easily.

Violet Owen won the under-15 1500m.

“It set the scene for Tassie really, an inspirational effort to get over the Victorian who was the gold medal favourite,” Edward said.

“Within about 300m to go something clicked, and he was slowly closing. He just dug deep and in the last 60 metres he overtook and battled right to the line.

“It’s just his heart and determination that is something special. He put himself in a whole lot of hurt, and did his calf with about 50 metres to go.”

Hammer thrower Arielle Cannell also stamped herself as a future star by claiming the under-16 and under-18 double.

Still just 15, the Eastern Suburbs Athletics club member broke the 60-metre barrier (60.95) for the first time in the under-18 competition.

Arielle Cannell claimed two hammer throw gold medals.

North Launceston’s Izzy Wing also had a strong meet, with the highlight a gold in the under-17 heptathlon.

Sandy Bay Harrier’s Violet Owen consistent meet was capped by a win in the under-15 1500m, while Clarence’s Jemima Geappen (5.30m) beat her nearest rival by a comfortable 19cm in the under-14 long jump.

Newstead’s Alex Wojcik claimed victory in the under-18 decathlon, while Northern Suburbs Athletics Club’s Jessica Smith and Sandy Bay Harrier’s Will Pereira took out their respective under-16 steeplechase events.

Jessica Smith

Unfortunately injury cruelled the hopes of North West Athletics Club sprinter Chelsea Scolyer for the second straight year at nationals level.

A hamstring issue prevented her from running in the 100m events, where she was rated a strong medal hope.

The Tasmanian Institute of Sport (TIS) announced a ‘Talent ID for 2023’ initiative this week, where they would ask young athletes aged 12 to 22 to attend testing sessions across the state next month.

Jemima Geappen

It is designed to find potential athletes who could represent their country at the Olympic and Paralympic Games at Brisbane in nine years’ time.

“It’s providing an opportunity to do testing with TIS and get some markers so they can say ‘you could be good at high jump because you’ve got a nice leap’ and things like that,” Edward said.