A Memorable 10 | Top Performances 2022 Australian All Schools Championships

The 2022 Australian All Schools Championships at the SA Athletics Stadium in Adelaide delivered everything from Australian records to breakthrough performances. With one week until the nation’s premier school aged athletes arrive in Perth, take a look back on 10 performances that caught the attention of athletics fans around the country.

Daniel Okerenyang

Setting a new Australian record in the Under 16 Triple Jump, New South Wales’ product Daniel Okerenyang (Greg Wiencke) leapt to 14.79m (0.0) to etch his name into the history books.

The multi-talented teenager piled 24cm onto Aiden Hinson’s former mark and landed himself on the map with Australian All Schools glory, with the boy from Wagga delivering a scintillating series which also featured jumps of 14.54m and 14.51m.

Delta Amidzovski

Already a name on the world stage by her arrival to the 2022 Australian All Schools Championships, Delta Amidzovski (Roger Fabri) did not disappoint when serving up a golden double to stake her claim as one of the nation’s best school athletes.

Torching her way to a new meet record of 13.45 (-1.0) in the Under 17 Women’s 100m Hurdles, Amidzovski also eclipsed Michelle Jenneke’s state record to solidify her path to the highest level. The teenager’s hurdling brilliance backed up by her Long Jump gold the previous day when leaping to 6.10m (-1.4).

Gout Gout

Arguably the most anticipated name of the Championships at the SA Athletics Stadium, Queensland’s Gout Gout (Diane Shepherd) put on a show worthy of the wait.

Breaking the Australian Under 16 record over 200m twice in one day, Gout clocked a run of 21.15 (+1.8) in the heats before scorching his way to 21.14 (-0.1) to demolish the field in the final – setting up his trailblazing season. The 14-year-old also raced in an air of his own in the Under 16 Men’s 100m, stopping the clock in 10.71 (+0.1).

Seth Kennedy

Setting a championship record of 48.78-seconds for 400m at the age of 14, Seth Kennedy (Brett Robinson) was a man on a mission en route to gold in the Under 15 Men’s 400m.

The quarter miler roared up the inside of his rivals with an aggressive opening half, only stretching further away from the field in the home straight to get the crowd on their feet. Kennedy’s 400m gold was complemented by his 200m bronze two days earlier.

Angus Hincksman  

A rising star in the Para athletics ranks, Angus Hincksman (Simon Moran) relished the opportunity to compete in front of his home crowd in the Men’s Under 18 Para 800m, taking out the title in style in 2:02.02.

Also competing in the able-bodied ranks days earlier when finishing 10^th in the Under 18 Men’s 1500m (4:04.00), the teenager would go on to represent Australia at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships.

Matilda Webb

Surpassing Jemima Montag’s Under 14 Australian record for the 3000m Race Walk, Matilda Webb (Luke Jobson) placed herself in elite company with a walk of 14:21.15 to secure All Schools glory.

Fending off her New South Wales teammate Jessica Loring (14:39.43), the pair finished over one minute ahead of third place, with Montag’s former Australian record of 14:25.13 also coming at the All Schools Championships in 2011 – Webb putting her name to that too.

Sebastion Sultana

It was a nervous wait for sprint sensation Sebastian Sultana (Greg Smith) in the Men’s Under 18 200m, as the clock read 20.71-seconds and athletics fans eagerly awaited the wind reading.

While a wind-assisted result eventuated with a +4.5 reading, the teenager’s work was done after blazing to victory and a meet record in a quality field, also clocking the win in the 100m with a performance of 10.57 (-1.7).

Natasha Lynch

Adding over five metres to the meet record in the Women’s Under 17 Hammer Throw, Queensland’s Natasha Lynch (Matthew Symonds) launched the hammer 56.51m amidst a series of four throws in excess of 50m.

Cruising to victory, the teenager entered unchartered territory deep in the sector with her first Australian All Schools title.

Alex Arbuthnot

Rising pole vaulter Alex Arbuthnot (Howard Arbuthnot) soared to a new meet record of 4.61m in the Men’s Under 17 Pole Vault.

The Queenslander planned his peak to perfection when delivering the performance of his life at the All Schools Championships in Adelaide, locking away the win and eclipsing the meet record which had stood for 32 years. Raising the bar to 4.70m for two attempts, Arbuthnot gave a good sight for the Adelaide crowd.

Ivy Boothroyd

New South Wales’ Ivy Boothroyd (Jacinta Doyle) outlasted rival and teammate Fleur Cooper in the Women’s Under 16 800m to set a meet record of 2:05.81, as the duo raced in a league of their own at the pointy end of the field.

The two-lap performance was backed up by a brave effort over 400m to claim silver in a career-best time of 54.89-seconds, marking the 15-year-old as a name to watch in the future.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 1/12/2023