While the weather didn’t bring its A-game to Sydney, Athletics Essendon athletes certainly did at the Australian Track and Field Championships. Nine jam-packed days of track and field action saw some amazing performances across the board. Getting the qualifier to compete at the championships is a great achievement in itself and we’re incredibly proud of every Essendon athlete who put themselves in the mix.

Essendon athletes came away with 20 medals, three world junior qualifiers, five new club records and one new Victorian record. 

The junior athletes shot out of the gate with medals flying left right and centre for the first half of the championships. Special mention to Jamison Towers for taking home the set and Lily-Bella Hilli for breaking her own record for the second time in under a month.

Two quality runs from Archie Noakes in the U20 3000m steeplechase (8:59:98) and U20 5000m (14:15:73) saw him take home a pair of gold medals and a World Junior Qualifier in the steeplechase. A welcome addition to the bag of qualifiers he had already collected earlier in the season across the 3000m and 5000m and 3000m steeplechase. In both finals, Noakes proved too strong for the talented field, kicking late with a burst of speed that went unmatched by his competitors as he savoured the moment down the victory straight both times gliding to a duo of national championship. 

Ryan Tarrant had himself an impressive championship week notching a World Junior Qualifier in both the 100m and 200m. Having conquered the qualifying time in the heats, he ran another qualifier a day later in the final of the U20 200m with a time of 21.15, that dubbed a bronze medal around his neck. In the U20 100m he was pipped on the line to finish fourth in the final, but a very impressive time of 10.57 landed him a second World Junior Qualifier.    

With twin 16.64m jumps in the first two rounds of the competition, Ayo Ore asked the question of his competitors early. It was a quality field with six competitors breaking the 16meter barrier, but no one could match Ore, taking out the competition with a jump 28cm further than the next best. 

Chris Mitrevski put the pressure on early with his 8.26m jump coming in round one. From there he was a class above. Mitrevski put together a magnificent series with all six of his jumps over 8 meters, made all the more impressive by the fact that no one else in the competition jumped over 8 meters. It didn’t all go his way though, with his best wind legal jump of 8.21m agonisingly close to the World Championships and Commonwealth Games automatic qualifier 8.22m. 

RESULTS SUMMARY

World Junior Qualifiers

• Archie Noakes 3000m Steeplechase (8:59.98)
• Ryan Tarrant 100m (10.57) and 200m (21.11)

Victorian Record:

• Ryan Tarrant – U19 200m (21.11)

Club Records

• Lily-Bella Hilli – U16 200m Hurdles (28.99)
• Ryan Tarrant – U18 200m (21.11)
• Sukhnoor Rangi – U15-18 Pole Vault and equal U20 (3.40m)
• Jonathan Neethling – U14 3000m (9:18.42)
• Chris Mitrevski – Open Long Jump (8.21m)

Australian Champions (Gold Medals)

Archie Noakes – U20 5000m (14:15.73)
Archie Noakes – U20 3000m Steeplechase (8:59.98)
Sukhnoor Rangi – U16 Pole Vault (3.40m)
Jamison Towers – U15 Long Jump (5.35m)
Lily-Bella Hilli – U16 200m Hurdles 28.99
Ayo Ore – Open Triple Jump (16.64m)
Chris Mitrevski – Open Long Jump (8.26m)

Silver

Khushnoor Rangi – U16 Pole Vault (3.20m)
Brodie Hicks – U20 400m (48.16)
Jamison Towers – U15 90m Hurdles (13.22)
Arden Stevens – U16 Triple Jump (13.73m)
Josh Djatschenko – U15 200m (23.15)
Maria Strong – Seated Shot Put (6.10m)
Mackenzie Leith – U17 Discus (49.54m)

Bronze

Josh Djatschenko – U16 4x100m Relay (44.54)
Jamison Towers – U15 200m Hurdles (29.40)
Zoe Edwards – U20 Triple Jump (12.15m)
Ryan Tarrant – U20 200m (21.15)
Linden Hall – Open 1500m (4:12.44)
Jack Hale – Open 100m (10.20)

Full results