Juniors at #AAC17 - Highlights so far

There have been stellar performances in the last three days of competition by the juniors at the Australian Athletics Championships with underage world records, meet records and national team qualifiers achieved.

Holt, Mucci and Willis shine on day three in Sydney

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games medallist, Isis Holt (Vic), confirmed the girl’s under 20 para-athletics sprint double on day three of the 2017 Australian Athletics Championships.

Stopping the clock at 14.01 (w: -0.6) to win the 100m this evening, Holt was victorious in the 200m in a time of 28.97 (w: +0.9) yesterday start her week of racing at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre.

Celeste Mucci (Vic) also set the track alight as she looks to open heptathlon in the coming days, clocking 13.58 (w: -0.6) to take victory in the girl’s under 20 100m hurdles from Danielle Shaw (Vic, second, 13.70) and Tyler Lima (Qld, third, 14.29).

In the girl’s under 18 race, Lateisha Willis (Vic) delivered a fifth Commonwealth Youth Games qualifier with her 13.50 (w: -0.7) run, while Sasha Zhoya (WA) won a second championships gold medal in the boy’s under 17 110m hurdles. He ran a meet record time of 13.60 (w: -1.9).

In other results from day three of the 2017 Australian Athletics Championships:
-          Soaring to a new personal best of 2.22m, Joseph Baldwin (Vic) qualified for the World University Games in the high jump and won gold in the boy’s under 20 event.
-          Imogen Stewart (NSW) clocked a meet record of 9:47.32 to win the girl’s under 15 3000m timed final. The first past the post in the second of two races, she shared the dais with Nicola Hogg (Vic, second, 9:54.93) and Lauren Carey (NSW, third, 10:04.95).
-          Improving the Tasmanian record in the process, Matt Hosie (Tas) cleared 4.80m to win the Australian under 20 championship in the pole vault.
-          Ned Weatherly (Vic), won the boy’s under 20 hammer throw with a best mark of 69.81m.
-          Neil Janse (Qld, 77.57m, PB) and Oscar Sullivan (Qld, 72.19m, PB) qualified for the CYG after their performances in the boy’s under 18 javelin throw final, taking home gold and silver in the process.

Day and Connolly knock of meet records on day two

The rising stars of Australian sprinting shone on day two, with Riley Day (Qld) and Ella Connolly (Qld) cruising to meet records at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.

Taking to the start line for the girl’s under 18 100m, Day was strong out of the blocks and never looked back, clocking 11.59 (w: +0.5) to take line honours from the also CYG qualified Mia Gross(Vic, second, 11.88) and Kristie Edwards (NSW, third, 11.91).

In the boys under 16 pole vault it was gold for Sasha Zhoya (WA), with the 14-year-old soaring over 4.92m to improve both the Australian record and the world best for athletes of his age.

He was joined on the dais today by Jack Downey (SA, second, 4.35m) and Nikolai Simmons (NSW, third, 4.10m).

In other results on day two of the 2017 Australian Athletics Championships:
-          Alex Roberts (Qld) threw 53.67m to win the girl’s under 18 javelin throw and qualify for the CYG, with the silver medallist, Ellie Bowyer (Qld), also staking her claim for nomination with a 53.59m throw.
-          The winner of the boy’s under 16 ambulant 200m, Sam Walker (Tas) qualified for the World Junior Para-Athletics Championships with his time of 12.48, with fellow cerebral palsy athlete Nathan Donaldson (Qld, 18.67) joining him.
-          Liam Richardson (Vic, 29.98) and Erin Garbler (Vic, 35.08), who have cerebral palsy, qualified for the World Junior Para-Athletics Championships via their medal winning results in the boy’s and girl’s under 20 ambulant 200m.
-          Tamsin Colley (NSW, 16.17), Rhiannon Clarke (WA, 14.00) and Alissa Jordan (NSW, 14.13) placed second, third and fifth respectively in the girl’s under 16 ambulant 100m.
-          Colley also improved the world record in the T36 ambulant 800m, a non-Championship event for athletes with cerebral palsy, running 3:06.22 to win gold
-          Luke Young (NSW) improved the meet record in the boy’s under 17 1500m, crossing the line in 3:52.58 to win gold from Kiran Tibbals (WA, second, 3:57.18) and Luke Shaw (WA, third, 3:57.65).
-          Jake Doran (Qld) ran 10.47 (w: +2.0) in the heat of the boy’s under 18 100m to qualify for the CYG, while Edward Osei-Nketia (ACT) stopped the clock at 10.56 (w+1.5) to qualify with his win.

Roper and Whelan win gold on opening day

Darcy Roper (Qld) has capped off his impressive junior career with victory in the boy’s under 20 long jump as the championships launched on day one at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.

Soaring to 7.79m (w: +0.4) in the second round, Roper’s national crown today sits alongside his silver (2015) and gold (2016) medals from previous instalments of the championships.

In other results on day one of the Australian Athletics Championships:
-          Bendere Oboya (NSW) sent a commanding message to her rivals in the first round of the girl’s under 18 400m, clocking 54.43 to record a Commonwealth Youth Games qualifier ahead of the round-of-eight.
-          Samuel Walker (Tas), and Tamsin Colley (NSW) clocked 25.62 (w: +1.6) and 33.94 (w: +0.5) respectively to win gold in the boy’s and girl's under 16 ambulant 200m to record a qualifier for the World Junior Para-Athletics Championships.
-          Boasting two qualifiers for the CYG at the commencement of competition, Emily Whelan (NSW) won the girl’s under 18 high jump with a leap of 1.75m to stake her claim for selection to Nassau 2017.