Masters and Apprentices Shine | Weekend Review

It was a complete weekend of track and field action to begin the year of 2022 on the Australian athletics scene, with several world junior qualifiers on the track and strong displays in the field.  

Queensland’s Bree Masters (Ryan Hoffman) showed no signs of off-season rust at her season debut, blasting out of the blocks to clock a personal best double of 11.36 (+1.5) and 23.25 (+0.7) in the 100m and 200m respectively. 

Masters battled with injury early in 2021 before clinching silver in the 100m at the national championships, proceeding to become an integral member of the women’s 4x100m quartet – a team that will only be bolstered by Masters’ rise in 2022. 

Prodigious South Australian junior Aidan Murphy (Peter Fitzgerald) picked up where he left off in late 2021, registering a scorching 20.62 over 200m to set a new South Australian U20 record – a world junior qualifier that places Bruce Frayne’s 1980 Open state record of 20.59 well within reach. 

The 18-year-old could be one of the most exciting young prospects of 2022, with the World Athletics U20 Championships on the horizon and a handy 46.31 over 400m to his name placing him in contention for senior teams. 

Fellow 18-year-old Jasmin Guthrie (Angus McEntyre) kicked off her season with a world junior qualifying 54.88 in the 400m at the ACT Festival of Athletics, doubling up with a run of 12.48 in the 100m. Guthrie’s season opener is her fourth fastest career time, with her 54.21 personal best under threat based on early season form. 

Isabella Guthrie (Angus McEntyre) made it a set of world junior qualifiers for the twin sisters when running 1:00.09 for the 400m hurdles - getting her season off to a flying start with a personal best in her first race of 2022. 

16-year-old Canberra local Max Berry (Faye Todd) completed a double of his own, clocking 7.16 to win the 60m before stopping the clock in 11.21 (-1.1) to finish behind New Zealand’s Edward Osei-Nketia. 

Cameron McEntyre (Angus McEntyre) opened 2022 with a bang when launching the javelin 79.67m to take out the event in the ACT, with the throw trumping his 2021 best by over three metres and closing in on his personal best of 81.51m. Teammate Kiarna Wolley-Blain (Angus McEntyre) managed to throw 49.32m, making it a successful day for Angus McEntyre’s squad. 

Paralympic long jumper Sarah Walsh (Matt Beckenham) took off down the runway and leapt 5.16m in the long jump T64 – showing no signs of a Paralympic hangover as she looks to build momentum as the high performance circuit approaches. 

In Victoria, it was high jumper Joel Baden (Sandro Bisetto) who returned to competition in emphatic fashion – clearing 2.26m before registering three attempts at a new personal best of 2.31m. Baden’s flying start to 2022 will add to the domestic season as showdowns with Australian record holder Brandon Starc (Alex Stewart) await. 

18-year-old Cooper Sherman fell just short of his second world junior qualifier of the season when clocking 47.77 over 400m, despite already having a legal 21.11 run over 200m locked away from December.  With Murphy and Sherman both firing, the Australian sprinting scene will be one to watch in the coming years. 

Meanwhile in Victoria, Tayleb Willis (Peter Benifer) clocked a world junior qualifier of his own in the 110m hurdles when clearing the barriers in a time of 13.92 as he warms into his season - with his intention to bring home gold at the championships no secret.

Celeste Mucci (Darren Clark) began her season with an 11.65 (+0.2) 100m and 13.28 (+1.2) in her pet event of the 100m hurdles, whilst Jake Penny (Mandi Cole) remained consistent with a 10.38 (+1.1) performance in the 100m. 

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 10/01/2022