PREVIEW | Australian Track and Field Championships - Day 3

The Australian Track and Field Championships roll into Day 3 today with more junior action, headlined by some of the most talented U20 athletes in the land. You can tune in live and free from 11:15am on the Athletics Australia Facebook and YouTube channels, or via the 7plus app. 

Men’s U20 200m Prelims and Final:
Queensland’s Caleb Law will be looking to complete the elusive sprint double after taking out the Men’s U20 100m final in emphatic fashion earlier in the week. Fresh off a 21.18 performance over the trip at the Queensland Track Classic, the feat is more than achievable. If he is to do so he will have to fend off fellow Queenslander Ashley Wong, who ran a windy 20.89 at the Queensland State Championships and will be looking to convert that performance to a legal World U20 qualifier here. 

Women’s U20 200m Prelims and Final: 
Taylah Cruttenden has developed a reputation as being one of the nation’s best down the straight in the Open age group this season, let alone Under 20’s. Don’t expect the added bend to trouble the prodigious talent from Western Australia, with her class set to shine through as she looks to complete the 100m/200m double. Cruttenden is yet to clock a 200m World U20 qualifier this season after registering one in early 2020, with the time an added incentive to the double gold. New South Wales’ Caitlyn Ferrier possesses the fastest time in the field this season – a 23.84 run at the Illawong High Velocity Meet. In that same race, fellow New South Wales athlete Jessica Laurence clocked 24.05. 

Men’s U20 800m Prelims: 
Charlie Jeffreson. If you are yet to hear the name, this week’s championships might just be the turning point. The 16-year-old has been turning heads this season, and with a blistering new personal best of 1:47.93 from the Sydney Track Classic, it comes as no surprise. Expect Jeffreson to coast through the preliminary finals and save something for tomorrow’s big dance – where something special could be on the cards for the young talent from Canberra. New South Wales’ Joshua Atkinson will back up after clocking a world junior qualifier in the U20 400m yesterday, with his personal best of 1:50.06 indicating he will be more than competitive here. 

Women’s U20 800m Prelims: 
Victoria’s Gigi MacCagnini has posted a series of swift times over 800m this season and her 2:04.81 personal best from the Canberra Track Classic last month makes her the deserving favourite to be crowned the fastest Under 20 woman in the land over 800m. Bound for the University of Southern California, MacCagnini will have her work cut out for her when taking on New South Wales trio of Jaylah Hancock-Cameron (2:05.96), Nicola Hogg (2:07.26) and Matilda Ryan (2:05.07). Sidney Burrell will also try her luck over the two-lap journey, having secured a World U20 qualifier in in the 400m. Expect all five to make their presence known in their respective preliminary finals, before featuring prominently in the final. 

Women’s U20 Discus Final: 
The Australian Track and Field Championships looms as a golden week for Queensland’s Lyvante Su’emai. After winning the Women’s U20 Shot Put yesterday with a performance over two meters farther than her nearest competitor (15.46m), Su’emai will be looking to repeat the dose with the disc in hand. The talented junior is the resounding favourite to take out yet another gold with her personal best standing at 53.80m, and is only warming into a busy week which includes appearances in both events in the Open age group. 
 

By Lachlan Moorhouse
Posted: 14/4/2021