NATIONALS IN ADELAIDE, 11-19 April 2024
Some fantastic results at the SA Athletics Stadium for the 101st running of the Australian Track & Field Championships & some great medal finishes by our AE athletes, proudly representing the blue & white V of Team Vic! Of course, it’s not always about podium finishes, sometimes an end of season, hard fought PB or qualifying for that elusive final is just what an athlete & their coaching team are looking for. Unfortunately, occasionally, it’s a season result that doesn’t showcase the months of hard work that has been put in….lucky we can all look forward to Perth Nationals in 2025 to bring it all again! Here are the results from Adelaide….
GOLD
Chris Mitrevski – Open Men’s LJ – 8.32m – PB & OLYMPIC QUALIFIER!
Kevin Healy – U20 Men’s Hammer – 66.41m
Sophia Gregorivec – U20 Women’s 4 x 400 Relay – CH’SHIP RECORD
Charles Barrett – U18 Men’s 3000m – 8:27
Sukhnoor Rangi – U18 Women’s PV – 3.75m – equal PB
Darcy Parker – U15 Men’s LJ – 6.36m
Molly Bremner – U15 Women’s 2k Steeple – 7:11.76 (16sec PB!)
Ela Uzun – U14 Women’s 3k Walk – 13:48 – CH’SHIP RECORD & BACK TO BACK AUS CHAMP
SILVER
Mikeala Selaidinakios – Open Women’s 400m – 53.33
Maria Strong – Open Women’s Para SP – 6.69 – PB
Sukhnoor Rangi – U20 Women’s PV – 3.70m
Sophia Gregorevic – U20 Women’s 400m – 53.78 – PB
Khushnoor Rangi – U18 Women’s PV – 3.65m
Finley Symons – U18 Men’s 3000m – 8:29
Raveen Alwis – U18 Men’s LJ – 6.98m
Will Hurt – U18 Men’s 4 x 100 Relay – 42.19
Ella Leith – U16 Women’s Heptathlon – 4942 points – PB
Gillie Lumby – U15 Men’s Para 800m – 3:06.69
BRONZE
Linden Hall – Open Women’s 1500m – 4:05.03
Jonty Neethling – U17 Men’s 2k Steeple – 6:02.17
Sienna Gec – U15 Women’s 200mh – 30.52 – PB
Gillie Lumby – U15 Men’s 1500m – 6:42.81
Darcy Parker – U15 Men’s 400m – 52.04
Zara Smith – U13 Women’s 800 – 2:21.76
Other results to celebrate
Havana Ali – U14 3k Walk – 4th, 15:36 – PB
Amelia Ashton – U20 HT – 11th, 44.66 – PB
Olivia Evagelistis – U17 PV – 12th, 2.60m
Charles Barrett – U20 3k Steeple – 5th, 9:39.53 & 3000m – 21st, 8:34.89
Alexander Carroll U15 200mh – 10th, 30.26
James Cruse – U20 5000m – 25th, 15:24.72
Finn Dooley – U17 HJ – 7th, 1.80m
Sarah Fitzpatrick – U17 2k Steeple – 6th, 7:36.09
Alicia Gec – U17 400mh – 13th, 1:11.93 – PB
Sienna Gec – U15 Heptathlon – 6th, 4015 points – PB & JT – NM
Tesia Haggai – U20 TJ – 9th, 11.10m
Lucas Harris – U16 2k Steeple – 12th, 6:29.46
Will Hurt – U17 100 – 6th, 11.43 & 200 – 5th, 22.59
Avery Hutchison – U15 TJ – 10th, 10.63m
Charlotte Jackson – U20 3k Steeple – 14th, 12:18.49 & 3000m – 30th
Ella Leith – U16 JT – 6th, 38.15m
Macca Leith – U20 Decathlon – 4th, 6339 points (PB) & Discus – 6th, 47.73m
Oscar Lichter – U17 2k Steeple – 15th, 6:33.42
Jesse Lumby – U17 800 – 21st, 2:00.15 & 2k Steeple – 12th, 6:28.77
Armani Mauriohooho – U16 Heptathlon – 5th, 4383 points, HJ – 11th, 1.54m & 90mh – 10th, 13.66
Sam Meehan – U16 800m – 14th, 2:04.89
Sebastian Moore U15 800 – DQ
Jonty Neethling – U17 1500 – 23rd, 4:16.22 & 3000m – 13th, 8:58.96
Darcy Parker – U15 800 – 8th, 2:06.21
Zara Smith U13 400 – 6th, 1:02.33
Noah Tarallo – U16 2k Steeple – 15th, 6:41.66
Jamison Towers – U17 Heptathlon – 7th, 4094 points
Lesley Mendekia – U18 100 – 7th, 11.21 & 200 – 8th, 22.46
Xavier Walsh U14 800 – 11th, 2:13.62
Sebastian Weickhardt – U20 TJ – 12th, 13.35 – PB
Amanda Wrout – U20 100 – 26th, 12.34, 200 – 24th, 2607 & LJ – 5.28m, Open 100 – 27th, 12.44
Oluwapemi Akin Ojelabi – Open TJ – 7th, 14.99m
Montana Djatschenko – Open TJ – 6th, 6.07m – PB
Zoe Edwards – Open TJ – 6th, 12.67m
Liam Glew – Open TJ – 6th, 15.25m
Linden Hall – Open 3000m – 4th, 8:40.59 – PB
Kevin Healy – Open Hammer – 6th, 56.90m
Anna Kasapis – Open 1500 – 20th, 4:39.73
Zara Keca – Open TJ – 14th, 11.69m
Nina Lawson – Open 100 – 21st, 12.34 & 200 – 35th, 25.52
Michael Mayne – Open LJ, Ambulant – 5th, 5.57m – PB
Harrison Williams – Open LJ – 12th, 7.41m
Benan Oztorun – Open LJ – 18th, 7.21m
Bianca Puglisi – Open 5000m – 17th, 16:30.60
Melissa Foster – Open LJ – 16th, 5.62 & TJ – 13th, 11.91 (our highly decorated Masters athlete who broke the world masters record to qualify)
Ryan Tarrant – Open 200m – 20th, 21.92
Angus Wood – Open TJ – 14th, 14.31m
Congratulations to each & every athlete on your incredible results – we here at Essendon are extremely proud of you all!! A pat on the back to all the AE Coaches who travelled over to support their competing athletes & helped them to achieve amazing results & also to the tireless efforts of all parents, family, friends & supporters who without their help, many of these athletes would be nowhere near competing at a national level – take a bow one & all!!
WE REALLY NEED YOU!! Call out for 2 helpers 24/25 AVSL season
Athletics Essendon needs you! With only 3 or possibly 4 rounds of AVSL being conducted at MVAC next season, we desperately require 2 volunteers to assist with the oversight of set up (11am-1pm) & pack up (4.30pm – 6pm) – one for each end of the day. This role comes with hands-on training, a written set of simple notes, club support from John Cooper & of course, endless gratitude!! Put simply, if you are not scared to give directions & can get along with a small but enthusiastic crew then this job can be managed by anyone over 18 & just may be for you!
Please contact John on 0414 373 157 or email john.cooper3041@gmail.com for any further questions.
BILL BURKE CLASSIC, 13 April
On the morning of Saturday 13/4/24, a total of 19 competitors took part in the annual Bill Burke Classic, starting at 9am. This was the 18th running of the event which has taken place every year since Bill sadly passed away in 2006. We were joined by Renus & Chris Burke on behalf of Bill’s family.
Matt Goodger was the first runner to embark upon the 4km journey, with Thanh Nguyen starting 90 seconds behind. They were followed closely by the experienced, David Jones, with a group of three, Darran Hill, Lisa Cox & Luk Wong being the next runners to start. Defending champion & AE stalwart, was a further minute back, with Tess Barrett, Jeff Jones & Brian Anderson about a minute behind John.
As we got closer to the back markers, Chris Wootton & Mel Lodi were the next to go, followed by training partners, Alex Smith & yours truly, Danny Hawkesworth, Phil Barrett & Jannik Ernst were next, with Anna Kasapis, Damien Bruneau & James Fitzgerald rounding out the field as the fastest seeds.
There was not much positional change in the first lap & Goodger held most of his lead over Nguyen, with Hill moving clear of those just behind him. Wong made up the gap to Cox, while Kasapis, fresh off her 1500m race at Nationals, swiftly closed the gap on Ernst & Barrett.
It was on the second lap where some of the positions started to change. Smith was extending his lead on Hawkesworth, but could he maintain this speed in the second lap? Hawkesworth got to Anderson, but as soon as he did, he was passed by Barrett & Ernst, with Kasapis also making up the gap. She then passed the pair in front of her, causing Ernst to move out from sitting in Barrett’s slipstream & try to stick with the pace Kasapis was setting. The three back markers quickly passed Kodi, while Fitzgerald & Bruneau were starting to make up ground.
Further up on the course, Cooper had caught up to Jones, but couldn’t get on terms with the trio immediately in front of him. Smith eventually caught 9 athletes in front of him, but could not quite make it into the top 3.
It was to be a day for the frontmarkers, with Goodger taking out his second title in 5 years. The Beveridge Battler in Hill, held on for second place, while Nguyen finished 3rd, holding off Smith by 5 seconds.
Kodi once again held of Hawkesworth in the home straight, deja vu from a Little Athletics race in 1994, while the pair were teenagers competing for Newport & Williamstown respectively (no hard feelings of course… much!)
Kasapis showed no signs of fatigue after her Adelaide run, clocking the equal fastest time for the 4k course (13:35) along with back marker, James Fitzgerald. Our youngest competitior on the day was 11yo, Tess Barrett, currently competing with Essendon LAC & I’m tipping this is a name to watch out for in the future!
Thanks to all our officials who helped out with this event, timing & photographs – Duncan Knox, Trevor Hawkesworth & Sarah Blackwell. We will be back again in 2025 to continue this honourable club tradition so watch this space 🙂
BY DANNY HAWKESWORTH
MIKEALA SELAIDINAKOS
World Athletics Relay Championships, Bahamas, 4 & 5 May
What an incredible season for our very own Mikeala Selaidinakos (Steve Gaffney) who has been selected to race in the Australian Women’s 4 x 400m relay team in the Bahamas on the weekend of May 4 & 5, 2024 at the World Relay Championships!
This rounds out a stellar season for Mikki, having won the Sydney Track Classic in March, medalling at the Australian Champs & Vic Champs & now selected to race in her first international team.
Congratulations Mikki & coach, Gaff on this magnificent achievement & GOOD LUCK!
REACH OUT
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there is anything we missed, by sending our secretary Rebecca an email at secretary@athleticsessendon.org.au.
