Perth Poised for Schools Finale | National Schools Challenge Final Preview

The nation’s top juniors will swap state team colours for school uniforms as the 2023 Chemist Warehouse National Schools Challenge Final arrives in Perth today, with the fast and fun format set to crown Australia’s powerhouse school athletics programs as champions on the national stage.

Qualifying through state pathways, teams will post line-ups across three categories for both boys and girls, headed by the Senior (U19) Division and filtering down through the Intermediate (U17) and Junior (U15) ranks.

Vying for valuable points for their school, some athletes will contest specialist events, while others such as Siena Farrell (Caulfield Grammar) will flex their versatility, with the former heptathlete taking to the Senior Girls 200m, 400m, High Jump and Medley Relay to cap off her All Schools campaign.

Athletics fans will watch with keen interest as Zara Hagan (St Aidan’s AGS) gets her long-awaited chance at the WA Athletics Stadium, with the 16-year-old approaching the Intermediate Girls 100m in hot form off the back of a recent 11.60 (+1.5) personal best.

Backing up his 2024 World Under 20 qualifier on the third and final day of the 2023 Chemist Warehouse Australian All Schools Athletics Championships, Caleb Kilpatrick (Geelong) will return to the fray for the National Schools Challenge Final, fresh off a new 400m personal best of 47.54.

Also securing a World Under 20 qualifier on Day Three in Perth, Rose Acklin (St Rita’s) will look to add polish to her shiny weekend when competing in the Intermediate Girls 100m and 400m – demonstrating her range after also winning 800m gold in the All Schools Championships. The St Rita’s product will be tough to beat if she can go near her shiny new best of 54.98 over 400m.

Gabriella Taylor (Pymble) will be a key cog in Pymble’s bid for back-to-back titles in the Senior Girls competition, with the reigning champion set to return to the National stage in both the 100m and 200m – an event in which she has rich pedigree as the daughter of Australian record holder Melinda Gainsford-Taylor.

Rising hurdler Hudson McKay (Wesley) will remove the barriers and race the flat 100m in the U17 Intermediate competition, while also tackling the long jump as the Victorian powerhouse looks to rise above its third place finish in the 2022 edition, complemented by 400m star Austin Fernando (Wesley) who owns a 49.04 best.

A star of the 2022 Chemist Warehouse Australian All Schools Athletics Championships, Gout Gout (Ipswich Grammar) is no stranger to the National stage and will coil into the blocks for the 100m, 200m and Medley Relay in the Intermediate competition – set to warm into his 2024 campaign in Perth.  

World Under 20 finalist Toby Stolberg (St Peters Lutheran College) will be out to bounce back after claiming bronze in the Under 18 High Jump at the All Schools Championships, with the 17-year-old earning another opportunity to build on her early-season form and 1.82m credentials, while also letting loose in the javelin. Teammate Zoe Chester (St Peters Lutheran College) claimed Under 18 Triple Jump gold and Long Jump silver in the All Schools Championships and appears ready to snatch crucial points for the reigning Intermediate champions.

For full start lists, timetable and live results - CLICK HERE.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 11/12/2023