Mixed Relay Fortunes as Personal Bests Tumble Around the Globe | Weekend Recap
Published Mon 08 May 2023
From the Oceania Relays to the track and field action of Japan and Los Angeles, the Australian athletics contingent made their mark around the globe on a weekend of winning and personal bests.
Leading the charge at the Oceania Relays hosted at Somerset College, Australia’s Mixed 4x400m quartet of Aidan Murphy, Sarah Carli, Cameron Searle and Torrie Lewis propelled the nation to 11th place on the Road to Budapest ranking, with 16 countries to qualify for the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Clocking a time of 3:19.66 amidst a busy weekend of racing, the team featured strong legs across the board including 46.12-seconds from Searle and 52.36-seconds from Carli, while Murphy (47.56) and Lewis (53.62) added classy contributions. With the Australian B and C teams rounding out the podium in times of 3:22.72 and 3:22.79 respectively, the nation’s quarter mile stocks were bolstered by the emerging youth.
The 4x100m men and women experienced mixed fortunes but both laid down solid markers, with the men completing the circuit in 38.76-seconds and the women in a time of 43.41.
The line-up of Jake Doran, Jacob Despard, Christopher Ius and Jake Penny produced the fastest time of the weekend on Day One, before being unable to complete the course on Day Two. The quartet of Ella Connolly, Bree Masters, Kristie Edwards and Torrie Lewis continued to refine their craft after Australia finished fourth at last year’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games – clocking a series of 43.41 and 43.84 over the two-day carnival.
The results come as a culmination of the Australian relay camp held thanks to the City of Gold Coast, with more information to be found HERE.
Japan continued to be a happy hunting ground for Australians looking to kick-start their international campaigns, as the 10th Kinami Michitaka Memorial in Osaka saw Riley Day (Paul Pearce) make it four wins from four starts and Jessie Andrew (John Nicolosi) prove that she is here to stay.
Completing a perfect stint on Japanese soil, Day roared to the second fastest 100m time of her career when leaving the field in her wake en route to an 11.33 (+1.4) performance, as 18-year-old teammate Georgia Harris (Paul Pearce) made it an Australian top-two in 11.48. Narrowly outside her personal best of 11.31 set three weeks prior to the Tokyo Olympic Games, Day will be buoyed by her strong form as she builds back to her best after over one year battling injury.
Andrew backed up her Australian title run with a personal best of 52.58 in Osaka, just days after claiming the top spot in Shizuoka with a run of 52.79. Having previously never shattered 53-seconds, Andrew has now done so three times in three races yielding three wins.
Also winning in Osaka was Georgia Winkcup (Ben Liddy) with a performance of 9:50.81 in the 3000m steeplechase, while Kayla Cuba (Stacey Taurima) finished fourth in the triple jump with 13.16m (-0.3) and Annabelle Parmegiani (Michael Hamlyn Harris) set a new personal best of 13.10m (+1.3) for fifth place.
Joining in the action in Japan, 19-year-old Aiden Hinson (Chloe Stevens) posted the first international win of his career with a 16.34m (+3.4) leap to take out the triple jump at the at the Mito Invitational.
With On Running’s Track Fest in Los Angeles attracting a host of Australians, the charge was led by Leanne Pompeani (Des Proctor) and two of the nation’s rising stars, as the 18-year-old duo of Claudia Hollingsworth (Craig Mottram) and Amy Bunnage (Tim O’Shaughnessy) gave a pair of Australian Under 20 records a shake.
Placing fourth in the 10,000m with a significant personal best of 31:45.90, Pompeani strengthened her credentials over the distance after taking out December’s Australian title at Zatopek:10, with the time produced under tough circumstances. Finishing over 30-seconds behind third place yet over 30-seconds in front of fifth, the three-time World Cross Country Championships representative was forced to grit her teeth in a largely solo-showing – rewarded with the fastest time of her career when rewriting her former best of 32:20.35.
Racing in section two of the 1500m, Hollingsworth charged to victory in the second fastest time of her blossoming career, breaking the tape in 4:08.66 with a 61-second final lap that placed Georgie Clarke’s 23-year record on notice. Teammate Maudie Skyring (Craig Mottram) finished in ninth place in a time of 4:12.24, while US-based Australian Izzy Thornton-Bott (Oregon) punched in a top-five finish in section one with a career-best time of 4:08.33, continuing her rise prominence among a star-studded crop of Australian women.
Bunnage raced aggressively in section two of the 5000m, claiming fourth place in a new personal best of 15:21.76 with only her second race over the distance in her short career to date – just seconds outside Eloise Wellings’ 1999 mark of 15:18.60. Also setting a new personal best over 5000m in section one was Lauren Ryan (Lara Rogers), with the 25-year-old finishing in 13th place in a time of 15:20.98.
Rounding out the action in Los Angeles, Olympian Charlie Hunter (Pete Julian) clocked 3:39.40 for ninth place over 1500m, while Andre Waring (Steve Dineen) was the seventh man across the line over 10,000m in 28:31.10.
Adding to the international success in the NCAA, the Harvard throwing duo of Alexander Kolesnikoff and Stephanie Ratcliffe secured a pair of Ivy League titles, throwing respective marks of 19.92m in the shot put and 67.93m in the hammer throw.
Back home, the popular Lakeside 10km was won by 18-year-old Archie Noakes (Charlotte Wilson) in a swift 29:06 despite the challenging conditions, while World Championships marathoner Sarah Klein (Peter Schuwalow) was the first woman home in 33:27. Meanwhile at the Sydney 10km, Ed Goddard (Gav Burren) and Eloise Wellings (Nic Bideau) were crowned champions with performances of 29:22 and 33:15 respectively.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 8/5/2026
