The Australian Track and Field Championships serve as the selection trials for the 2022 World Athletics Under 20 Championships to be held in Colombia this August, and with significantly higher qualifying numbers than in recent years – it’s safe to say the future is bright.

Read our preview of of the Under 20 action below, including some of the key matchups that you can expect at the national championships.

Sprints:

U20 Women’s 100m:

11 Australian juniors have hit the qualifying standard for the 2022 World Athletics Under 20 Championships in Colombia with over 50 qualifying performances between them, but with only eight lanes up for grabs in the national final – the stakes are high on the big stage.

17-year-old Torrie Lewis (QLD) has not missed a beat this season and owns four times faster than her nearest rival in Taylah Cruttenden (WA), with Lewis’ runs of 11.33 (+1.5) and 11.35 (-0.5) making her the undisputed favourite to take home the title. Cruttenden enters the bout as the reigning champion and charged into form in Melbourne last week when clocking 11.50 (+1.7), just 0.01 outside of her personal best.

Queensland’s Hayley Reynolds also registered a career-best run of 11.58 (+1.7) in Melbourne, while Oliva Matzer (QLD) ran a best of 11.66 (+0.5) in January to force her name into the equation.

Other world junior qualified athletes include Olivia Inkster (11.70, NSW),  Olivia Dodds (11.78, WA), Georgia Harris (11.80, QLD), Brittany Ingr (11.85, QLD), Jordi McMillan (11.88, SA) and Paige Campbell (11.90, NSW).

U20 Men’s 100m:

Jai Gordon (QLD) looks primed for a tilt at the title of the fastest junior man in Australia after his time of 10.34 (+1.8) at last week’s Melbourne Track Classic took him to equal sixth for a junior on the Australian all-time list.

Gordon spearheads a talented list of entrants which includes Calab Law (QLD) who went 10.48 (-0.7) in March, but has since been busy running swift times over his favoured event in the 200m. The pair have raced 14 times over 100m for the ledger to be level at seven wins apiece, and what better way to pull ahead than with a national title.

New South Wales’ Connor Bond and Victoria’s Ryan Tarrant both set personal bests last week in Melbourne with times of 10.46 (+1.8) and 10.49 (+1.8) respectively, climbing their way up the Under 20 leader board and into national title contention.

Four other world junior qualified men will be in action in the event - Lachlan Kennedy (10.59, QLD), Matthew Friar (10.59, VIC) and Sebastian Sultana (10.59, NSW).

U20 Women’s 200m:

Torrie Lewis (QLD) has a personal best almost one second faster than her nearest competitor in this event, of whom seven have qualified for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships – that’s just how good she is.

Lewis’ form is proving difficult even for Open athletes to overcome, posting a personal best of 23.18 (-0.9) to only be headed this season by two of Australia’s best athletes in Riley Day and Ella Connolly – both of whom are staking strong claims on the senior international scene.

Fellow juniors Jordi McMillan (24.16, SA), Olivia Matzer (24.19, QLD) 24.19 and Olivia Rose Inkster (24.19, SW) Georgia Harris (24.23, Monique Hanlon (24.26, QLD) 24.26 (-0.9), Annie Pfeiffer (WA) 24.31 (+1.2), Lakara Stallan (SA) 24.33 (+0.6) are all qualified for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships and will contest the title.

U20 Men’s 200m:

In his current form Calab Law (QLD) will be hard to beat over 200m in the Open ranks, let alone the Under 20’s.

Law’s swift personal best of 20.67 (+0.3) is the second fastest time by an Australian this season with only Aidan Murphy (SA) running faster en route to his Under 20 national record of 20.41, but with Murphy opting to race the Open age group – this race is Law’s to lose.

Winning the Peter Norman Memorial 200m against a field worthy of an Open national final at last week’s Melbourne Track Classic in 20.50 (+2.2), Law presents in top shape to retain his Under 20 Men’s 200m title.

The 18-year-old’s wheels in the back half of the race are likely to prove too slick for his competitors, who include five world junior qualified athletes - Cooper Sherman (21.11, VIC), Connor Bond (21.20, NSW), Jai Gordon (21.32, QLD), Ryan Tarrant (21.34, VIC), Ashley Wong (21.38, QLD).

U20 Women’s 400m:

Jasmin Guthrie (NSW) will be looking to make it two from two for the Guthrie twins when she loads into the blocks for the 400m - a race in which her 53.85 best earns her narrow favouritism in a classy field.

Guthrie’s best run to date this season came at the ACT State Championships, but it’s been her consistency when running in the low 54-second range that suggests she is in shape to make it back-to-back national titles at Sydney Olympic Park.

16-year-old Paige Campbell (NSW) clocked a scorching 54.00 to win the Under 17 age group at the New South Wales All Schools Championships in December, forcing herself into world junior contention – proceeding to register consecutive 54-second runs of 54.44 and 54.35 in recent weeks.

Txai Anglin (QLD) snuck under the 55.20 world junior standard with her run of 55.19, adding another factor to the race for selection to the Australian team for the championships to be help in Colombia this August.

U20 Men’s 400m:

Victoria’s Cooper Sherman is the only man qualified for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships who will bid for the Under 20 Men’s 400m national title, with his slick time of 47.20 placing him atop the field.

Sherman will also race the 200m, but his best chance may come her over one lap of the track with his nearest rival coming in the form of Jack Boulton (VIC) – the 17-year-old who has a 47.18 best but is yet to hit top gear in 2022.

While Sherman has registered two world junior qualifiers and three runs in the 47-second range, Boulton only recently started to hit his straps with a run of 48.84. Boulton is one of the biggest names in the Under 20 ranks who is yet to post a qualifier for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships, but one would be naïve to write an athlete of his calibre off – stay tuned.

Hurdles: 

U20 Women’s 100m Hurdles:

Delta Amidzvoski (NSW) leads the way for Australian juniors In the 100m hurdles with her sub 14-second run of 13.93 (+0.2) at only 15-years-old, with the versatile teenager also possessing bests of 6.25m in the long jump and 1.78m in the high jump.

Amidzvoski’s focus appears more hurdles-centric in 2022 despite also being entered in the long jump for the national championships, with the talented junior eager to secure her maiden Under 20 national title off the back of her strong season to date.

Georgia Fichardt (NSW) poses the biggest threat to Amidzovski’s campaign, having clocked the exact World Athletics Under 20 Championships of 14.20 (+1.7) earlier this month to force her name into the conversation.

Queensland’s Emelia Surch will be one to watch after knocking on the door of the world junior standard with three runs in the 14.2-range, with the coveted national title bout potentially allowing her to find the extra gear required.

U20 Men’s 110m Hurdles:

As far as junior matchups come at this year’s national championships, they don’t come much more exciting than the head-to-head of Mitchell Lightfoot (Andy Burton) up against Tayleb Willis (Peter Benifer).

Lightfoot has the wood over Willis in 2022 with his eightworld junior qualifiers all faster than the Victorian’s season’s best, but if there is one man who can find an extra gear on the big stage – it is Tayleb Willis.

Lightfoot delivered a stunning 13.51 at the ACT State Championships to defeat Willis who crossed the line in 13.75, but Willis still holds the superior personal best with his 13.48 performance last year.

Two class operators who put on a show every time they take to the track, only one thing is for certain – the Under 20 Men’s 110m Hurdles crown will go to a worthy recipient.

U20 Women’s 400m Hurdles:

Isabella Guthrie (NSW) has been a model of consistency in 2022, lowering her personal best on four occasions to find herself on the doorstep of 57-second territory with her 58.08 personal best.

Having never run under 60-seconds prior to this year, Guthrie has shattered the significant junior milestone on five occasions so far in 2022 – and she is far from done yet.

Paige Elvey (VIC) will pick up the gauntlet thrown down by Guthrie and stake her claim for a world junior berth, having clocked back-to-back qualifiers of 1:00.77 and 1:00.32 last week to peak at just the right time.  

Western Australia’s Ashley Spencer also saluted with a world junior qualifier of 1:00.89 last week to make it three women qualified in the event for the 2022 World Athletics Under 20 Championships, meaning the trio will be forced to fight for two spots on the team.

U20 Men’s 400m Hurdles:

Kyle Bennett (QLD) got the monkey off his back when delivering a clutch world junior qualifier of 53.07 at last week’s Melbourne Track Classic, allowing him to focus purely on winning at the national championships.

Bennett’s main rival comes in the form of Hugo Hanak (VIC) who has posted back-to-back 53-second runs over the sticks, with the fastest being a performance of 53.41 in February – just outside the World Athletics Under 20 Championships standard of 53.20.

With Bennett charging for the win, Hanak will have an added incentive to track down the Queenslander – refusing to give up on his world junior dream ahead of the qualification deadline on April 10. 

Middle-distance:

U20 Men’s 800m:

Charlie Jeffreson (NSW) has established himself as the cream of the crop when it comes to Australian junior 800m running, running a 1:47.60 on two occasions at only 17-years-old.

Possessing a 400m personal best of 48.65, Jeffreson’s competitors can’t afford to set off at a slow pace if they want to secure the Under 20 national title, but Jeffreson has proven time and time again that he can win regardless of the circumstances.

Hayden Todd (1:50.40, ACT) Luke Boyes (1:50.62, NSW)and Cameron Myers (1:50.82, ACT) are three men who have qualified for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships and will be determined to deny the premier 800m-man the crown – but they have a mountain of work ahead of them.

Tom March (NSW), Kane Shields (NSW) and Mitchel Langborne (VIC) have danced all around the 1:51.00 qualification standard, and what better time and place to stake their claims than with a world junior qualifier on the big stage at the national championships.

U20 Women’s 800m:

17-year-old Hayley Kitching (NSW) punched in a significant personal best of 2:03.87 at the Sydney Track Classic to climb her way up the national Under 20 leader board – now holding the fastest time excluding Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC) who has opted to race the Open 800m.

Kitching’s main challenge will be shaking Montana Monk (NSW) who set a new best of 2:04.70 at the Sydney Track Classic, but with both athletes entered to run the 1500m prior to their pet event – the race looms as a war of attrition.  

Nicola Hogg (NSW) is renowned as renowned for her work over the metric mile but remains qualified for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships with her mark of 2:08.00, along with Sayla Donnelly (QLD) who has a time of 2:08.38 to her name.

U20 Men’s 1500m:

16-year-old triathlete Peyton Craig (QLD) headlines a list of six world junior qualified men in the Under 20 Men’s 1500m, with his scorching time of 3:44.07 leading the way for the talented group.

Craig steps up in age group to take on the nation’s best middle-distance men after taking home last year’s Under 17 crown in emphatic fashion, looking to inflict his punishing finishing speed on the field in this encounter – with his style perfectly suited to championship racing.

Patrick Cantlon (NSW) has dabbled in a range of events in 2022 but has found his calling in the 1500m with his time of 3:45.30 placing him in strong contention for the national title, along with 16-year-old Cameron Myers (ACT) who clocked 3:46.30 in March and has shown 800m strength.

Daniel Kelly (NSW) has been up and down in 2022 but his best of 3:46.77 suggests he can be a factor here, while the ever-consistent Adam Goddard (SA) 3:47.26 has the advantage of experience over his younger competitors. 17-year-old Bailey Habler (NSW) rounds out the world junior qualifiers with his mark of 3:47.90.

U20 Women’s 1500m:

Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC) may only be 16-years-old but with over one year of experience under her belt in mixing it with the best open athletes in the country, she presents as ready to win her maiden national title in the Women’s U20 1500m – before eyeing the Open 800m crown.  

Hollingsworth is a prodigious talent and fierce competitor who holds best of 4:12.13, placing her on top of the seedings in what is set to be a slick field that features no less than 11 athletes who have qualified for the 2022 World Athletics Under 20 Championships - with her main rivals coming in the form of Nicola Hogg (NSW) and Amy Bunnage (VIC).

Hogg clocked a swift 4:15.35 on a blustery night at the Melbourne Track Classic to emerge as a contender for the title, with Bunnage hot on her heals in 4:16.64 – forming a formidable trio that will be tough to track down out in front of the national final.

Fellow athletes who have hit the world junior standard include Hayley Kitching (4:20.06, NSW), Isabella Harte (4:23.54, QLD), Sayla Donnelly (4:23.74, QLD), Sarah Schiffman (4:24.74, NSW), Lucinda Rourke (4:25.57, VIC), Montana Monk (4:27.90, NSW), Laura Roderick (4:28.29, NSW) and Keria Moore (4:28.43, QLD).

U20 Men’s 3000m:

Thomas Diamond (VIC) will be the man to beat in the Under 20 Men’s 3000m, ticking all the boxes with his 7:57.13 personal best over the distance and opting to focus on this event for the whole championships.

The 17-year-old has proven that he can run fast but his most impressive trait is his ability to win, demonstrating his tactical prowess en route to victory on multiple occasions this season. Diamond possesses a punishing kick that is suited to championship-style racing and is certainly good enough if his competitors choose to make it fast from the gun.

He will take on fellow sub eight-minute man Charlie Sprott (QLD) who will have a 5000m race in his legs but is determined to attempt the double at the national championships, with the lightly raced Queenslander improving with every run on the track and more than capable of asking Diamond questions over 7.5 laps.

Archie Noakes (VIC) is entered to contest the bout as well as the 5000m and 3000m steeplechase events, and whilst his personal best of 8:10.05 is significantly slower than that of Diamond and Sprott - the tough junior has done enough this season to suggest he can mix it with them on the national stage. 

Other athletes who have met the world junior standard include Jack Partige (QLD) 8:11.19, Doug Buckeridge (VIC) 8:11.35, Logan Janetzki (VIC) 8:12.94 and Patrick Cantlon (NSW) 8:14.29.

U20 Women’s 3000m:

The smooth-moving Amy Bunnage (VIC) is ready to step up to the Under 20 ranks after a dominant double as an Under 17 athlete in 2021, with the 17-year-old eager to lock away her spot on the Australian team for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships.

Bunnage holds the fastest field time in the field with the 9:17.40 she ran in the national 3000m final at the Sydney Track Classic, with Queensland’s Isabelle Harte hot in pursuit in a time of 9:19.60. Despite both women also achieving the world junior standard in the 1500m, it’s Bunnage who possesses the greater 1500m speed with her best of 4:14.62 – but don’t expect her to leave the race for the national title to chance in a kick-down finish.

Fellow world junior qualified athletes in the 3000m include Lucinda Rourke (9:26.14, VIC) and Aspen Anderson (9:31.16, QLD).

U20 Men’s 3000m Steeplechase:

Archie Noakes (VIC) is the sole Australian world junior qualifier in the 3000m steeplechase for the men, with his times of 8:57.60 and 8:57.97 well under the 9:08.00 standard required to be qualify for the 2022 World Athletics Under 20 Championships.

Noakes looks well placed to cruise to an automatic selection for his Australian debut, although Daniel Kelly (NSW) clocked 9:40.35 to win the New South Wales State Championships and is certainly capable of better – hopeful to keep Noakes company out in front. 

U20 Women’s 3000m Steeplechase:

Emily Morden (VIC) is the only Australian woman to have qualified for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships in the 3000m steeplechase, with her run of 10:31.78 in February meeting the 10:36.00 standard. 

The 18-year-old's steeplechase personal best stands out amongst the times she has clocked across various other distances, finding a home over the barriers in what is one of athletics' more challenging events. Morden will be challenged by Queensland's Laura McKillop who has a best of 10:39.75, along with Victroia's Abigail Thomas who has clocked 10:42.27. 

U20 Men’s 5000m:

Archie Noakes (VIC) and Charlie Sprott (QLD) are set to put on a show over 12.5 laps, with both men having world junior qualifiers tucked away in their back pocket.

Sprott had lead the charge with his time of 14:06.10 from the Adelaide Invitational serving as the only world junior qualifier in the event, before Noakes punched in a 14:05.90 in less than ideal conditions earlier this month to meet the qualification standard.

Noakes has proven to be a force in the Under 20 ranks with world junior qualifiers in the 3000m (8:10.05), 5000m (14:05.91), 3000m steeplechase (8:57.60) and narrowly missing in the 1500m (3:49.77). A gutsy runner who isn’t afraid to do it the hard way, the 17-year-old Victorian will be a prominent figure at this year’s national championships.

Sprott hails from a cross country background in which he built his aerobic foundation, now testing himself on the track – setting up an enthralling head-to-head with Noakes.

U20 Women’s 5000m:

Laura Roderick (NSW) obliterated the 16:40.00 World Under 20 Championships qualifying standard with a run of 16:16.11 in February, making her the only Australian woman qualified for the event ahead of the April 10 deadline. 

Roderick will also contest the 1500m in a loaded field, but the 19-year-old looks head and shoulders above the rest in this encounter and therefore a strong chance to take hom the Under 20 title. The only other woman in the field to have broken the 17-minute barrier is Queensland's Gabrielle Schmidt with her run of 16:57.60. 

Women’s 10,000m Walk:

It’s a stacked field for the Women’s Under 20 10,000m walk, with the duo Alanna Peart (SA) and Allanah Pitcher (NSW) that formed two of the three women who won silver at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Oman last month toeing the line as competitors at Sydney Olympic Park.

Peart has a best of 48:18.90 to her name in the event whilst Pitcher's career-best walk stands at 49:17.70, but it was Pitcher who demonstrated her strong form in Oman when finishing in fourth place ahead of Peart in 13th - setting up an outstanding battle over 25-laps at this year's national championships. 

It will be a race within a race due to the contest being a mixed event, but keep your eyes on some of Australia’s best junior talent.  

Field:

U20 Women’s Pole Vault:

Cassidy Bradshaw (VIC) is the only woman to have qualified for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships in the pole vault, but with eight qualifiers to her name over the 4.05m standard – the consistent Bradshaw is a reliable candidate with a best of 4.10m.

17-year-old Georgia Tayler (VIC) has gone clear at 4.00m once this year but is still eluded by the world junior standard to date. With two spots available in the event for the championships to be held in Colombia, Tayler could lodge her case with a personal best at the national championships on the eve of the qualification deadline.

U20 Men’s Pole Vault:

A brilliant three-way battle awaits in the Under 20 Men’s Pole Vault battle, with Wilson Cram (VIC) coming up against Liam Georgilopoulos (QLD) and James Woods (VIC).

Both men have qualified for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships having cleared marks of 5.15m and 5.05m respectively to surpass the 5.05m standard, with Cram achieving the feat on two separate occasions.

Cram and Georgilopoulos filled the first two placings of this event at the 2021 Australian Track and Field Championships with Cram taking the win by 10cm, but both men have made solid inroads since then and Georgilopoulos will be eager to even the ledger on the runway come tomorrow’s straight final.

Woods produced a world junior qualifier of 5.05m earlier this week to take part of the first part of the job, meaning he can now focus on defeating his competitors to strengthen his world junior campaign. 

All three men are also entered to contest Thursday’s Open Paul Vault qualification round.

U20 Women’s High Jump:

Queensland’s Toby Stolberg headlines the action in the Under 20 Women's High Jump, where she will be looking to muster the form of her 1.82m career-best jump. Whilst Erin Shaw (NSW) leads the way in the junior ranks with her personal best of 1.84m, the 17-year-old will not take to this year's national championships due to injury - leaving the door wide open for the 16-year-old Stolberg to take home the title. 

U20 Women’s Discus:

16-year-old Marley Raikiwasa (SA) has built on the momentum that saw her selected to represent Australia at Under 20 level in 2021, throwing a series of world junior qualifiers to begin 2022 – including a 52.59m personal best.

Raikiwasa has been granted several opportunities to compete against the nation’s best discus throwers over the last 12 months and will be the beneficiary of that experience as she eyes her maiden Under 20 national title.

Laylani Va’ai (QLD) looms as the main danger to Raikiwasa, with Va’ai throwing 48.74m earlier this year to qualify herself for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships. While the two athletes look set to be teammates later this year, they will remain rivals in the cage for this year’s national championships.

U20 Men’s Discus:

Little separates Australia’s two world junior qualifiers of Darcy Miller (SA) and Etienne Rousseau (WA) in the Under 20 Men’s Discus bout, with the two throwing personal bests of 58.66m and 58.29m respectively this season.

Rosseau has piled on over five-metres to his career-best mark already this season to edge closer to the 60-metre barrier, while Miller has built on a strong foundation which saw him win the Under 20 title last year at just 16-years-old.

Miller enters in slightly better form having thrown 56.38m at the Sydney Track Classic, but the duo will be looking to push each other into the 60m-range as they compete for the automatic berth for this year’s World Athletics Under 20 Championships to be held in Colombia.

Both men will also contest the shot put.

U20 Women's Long Jump:

Katie Gunn (NSW) has two wolrd junior qualifiers to her name with leaps of 6.21m and 6.17m in the long jump, meaning that if she can bring home the Under 20 title she will have all but punched her ticket to Colombia in August. 

If she is to do so, she will have to overcome Delta Amidzvoski (NSW) who has established herself as the nation's leading Under 20 100m hurdler, but also holds a long jump best of 6.25m. At only 15-years-old, Amidzvoski is on a rapid rise and has a windy 6.12m (+3.7) to her name this year - suggesting she can be competitive here. 

U20 Women's Triple Jump:

Tiana Boras (VIC) will take to the runway in the Under 20 Women's Long Jump as the only women to have registered a world junior qualifier on the board, earning her favourtism in the event. 

Boras' distance of 13.10m in February to crush the 12.85m world junior standard at only 17-years-old, with Queensland's Zoe Chester leading the charge in pursuit of Boras with her leap of 12.72m. On current form, Boras will be hard to deny the Under 20 crown as she looks to book her ticket to Colombia. 

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 25/03/2022