The 2021 Australian Track & Field Championships will get underway at Sydney Olympic Park from Monday. A remarkable thirty-three Athletics Wollongong club members have qualified for the NSW team contesting the event.
The foremost challenger among these is Delta Amidzovski. The supremely talented U16 athlete is top-ranked in the country in each of the four individual events she is contesting: the 90m Hurdles, 200m Hurdles, Long Jump and High Jump. Amidzovski holds the State titles from last month’s NSW Championships, and now hopes to repeat the feat on the National stage. A berth in the NSW 4x100m relay team is likely to also add to her medal tally.
High Jumper Rosie Tozer hopes to win her way on to the Australian team for the World Junior Championships. Having previously cleared the qualifying height of 1.82m, victory in the U20 division here will guarantee her a spot on the plane to Nairobi. Tozer will also contest the Open High Jump Championship, full of confidence after her recent second placing at the Queensland Track Classic to Commonwealth Games medallist Nicola McDermott.
Discus thrower Chelsy Wayne goes into her U16 event in good form and with the furthest recent throw among the entrants. Ashleigh Goncalves similarly looks to be the leading chance in the U18 400m, then will aim to back up her individual performance in the 4x400m relay.
U15 sprinter Holly Rea appears a strong hope to finish on the podium in the 100m, while Tayissa Buchanan will be tough to beat in the U16 800m and 1500m.
Athletics Wollongong’s para contingent will also do battle across the week of competition. Isabelle Hampton will continue her hunt for a Paralympic Qualifier in the F12 Javelin, after only being 10cm short of the required distance last season. Visually-impaired sprinter Karlee Symonds will be hoping to make some waves after breaking the Australian record for her classification at the recent NSW Championships. Fellow State title holders, Charlize Colwell and Rosie Boyland, are also strong chances to find their way onto the podium in the 800m and Shot Put respectively.
Developing sprinter Mitchell O’Neill will hope his meteoric rise continues. Taking out the 100m-200m double at the NSW Country titles earlier this year, then winning a bronze at the State Championships, has seen him rewarded with a leg in the Open 4x100m relay team.
Sam Zustovich, has been on a similar trajectory. New to athletics from a beach sprinting background, he took out the State 60m Championship earlier this season. Both he and Tierney Dunne have also made their respective NSW U20 4x100m teams and will no doubt threaten the medals.
The Athletics Wollongong Members selected:
- Ashleigh Goncalves - U/18 200, 400, 4x400
- Charlize Colwell - U/15 Para 100, 200, 400, 800
- Chelsy Wayne - U/15 DT
- Delta Amidzovski - U/16 LJ, HJ, 90H, 200H, 4x100m, 4x200 (2nd Res)
- Eleanor Tozer - U/18 100, 200
- Genevieve Bosker - U/17 HJ
- Holly Rea - U/15 100
- Isabelle Hampton - Para Amb Open DT, JT, SP
- Jamaya Wayne - U/16 DT
- James Mcpaul - Open 400
- Jett Link - U/20 110H
- Jude Basnet - U/18 HT
- Kailee Moore - U/18 100, 100H,200
- Karlee Symonds Para - U/20 Amb 100, Para Open Amb 100
- Keegan Whitten - U/16 HJ
- Kirra Lockett - Para Open Amb DT, SP
- Lara Check - U/20 HEPT
- Lucas Campbell - U/16 200H, 100
- Mitchell O'Neill - Open 200, 4x100m
- Naomi Gibson - U/16 PV
- Nat Carroll - U/16 100
- Olivia Sivills - U/18 2000S, 3000
- Patrick Mitchell - Para Open Amb 100, 200
- Rosie Boyland - Para Open Amb DT, SP
- Rosie Tozer - U/20 HJ, Open HJ
- Sam Zustovich - U/20 100, 4x100m
- Susie Seitaridis - Open 400H
- Tayissa Buchanan - U/16 800, 1500
- Thomas Noakes - U/20 SP, JT
- Tierney Dunne - U/20 100, 200, 4x100 (1st Res)
- William Willis - U/15 HT
- Zoe Daniels - U/17 DT, U/20 DT
