Australian Championships Day 2: Erin Shaw secures World Junior selection

Published Sun 27 Mar 2022

27 March 2022

Australian Championships Day 2: Erin Shaw secures World Junior selection

Competition, importantly in the under-20 age, continued on day two of the Chemist Warehouse Australian Track and Field Championships at Homebush. A number of NSW athletes either secured selection or pushed their prospected for discretionary selection for the team to go to Columbia in July.

Erin Shaw is first auto selection for the World U20 Championships

It has been a rocky leadup to the Nationals for Erin Shaw, but she still managed to win the national under-20 high jump trial and with a qualifier already in the bank, she earned automatic selection.

She cleared 1.78m, well ahead of Queensland’s Sophie Lillicrap who jumped 1.74m. For Erin, it is her second consecutive team following her naming in the 2021 team that did not travel to the championships.

Nicola Hogg rises to the challenge in a fast U20 1500m

All under-20 events had added value with World U20 Championships places on the line. The women’s 1500m was a particularly interesting race with 14 athletes pre-championships recording a qualifier for the national junior team. But four shone – top-10 U20 Australian all-time ranked Victorians Claudia Hollingsworth and Amy Bunnage; and NSW pair of Hayley Kitching and 4:15 athlete Nicola Hogg. Not long after the gun, these four broke away from the field. Well into the last lap, Claudia Hollingsworth made a decisive move which carried her home to victory in a meet record time of 4:13.41. Nicola Hogg made the best attempt to stick with Claudia, placing second and being rewarded with a PB of 4:15.13, her third PB in three finals in 2022. Hayley Kitching also saw a best ever career time, by three seconds, clocking 4:17.17 in finishing third. Amy Bunnage was also very fast in fourth clocking 4:18.04.

Such was the quality of the race, the athletes clocked the number 1, 3, 4 & 5 fastest times in the 52-year history of the race.

Claudia is now automatically selected for the World U20 Championships, while Nicola Hogg is in the box seat to take the second team position.

Nicola was very pleased with her result.

“I’m over the moon. Going into the race there was a lot of tough competition, Claudia, Hayley and Amy and I knew it would be a difficult race. I just hung in there until about 250m to go when Claudia surged, and I thought I have to go with it.

She also spoke about her future plans, post competing her HSC in 2021.

“At the moment the focus is on training before I go to Stanford Uni. I have mixed feeling (about going) as I really love my coach and squad. Such an incredible coach and athletes in the squad. It really tears me apart to leave.”

Delta presses claims for World U20 selection

After a terrific heat time of 13.92, which trimmed 0.01 seconds from her PB, Delta Amidzovski won the under-20 100m hurdles final in a remarkable time of 13.78. She won comfortably by 0.35 seconds. The two performances were both under the standard for the World U20 Championships. As a 2006 born athlete, Delta does not satisfy the Athletics Australia criteria for automatic selection for the World U20 Championships due to her young age. Her selection is at the discretion of AA High Performance.

Trifectas for NSW in two events

In the under-16 1500m, Sienna Scahill (ASW) added the 1500m title, to the 3000m won the previous evening. Her time of 4:27.65, was a four second PB. Sienna defeated Fleur Cooper (MOS) 4:29.25 and Sarah Baker (UTN) 4:29.88. The under-14 girls in the 3000m walk went one better filling the first four positions. Maisie Mitchell (ASW) won in 15:22.08, by 15 seconds from Jessica Loring (PAR) with 15:37.54. Also on the podium was Matilda Webb (WIN) 15:48.22 with Emma Hearnden (MQH) fourth clocking 15:58.42.

Third medal for Grace Krause

Adding to her relay gold on Saturday night, Temora’s Grace Krause placed second in the under-16 100m, ahead of NSW champion Holly Rea. Grace clocked 11.99, destroying her previous PB of 12.26. Shortly after she lined up in the rain effected long jump where she won her first national individual title leaping 5.66m to win by 1cm.

In brief

Billy Blair moved up the podium from his third in the under-16 100m to take gold in the 100m hurdles in a time of 13.11.
Following her great win in the 3000m, Piper Simpson (RBH) returned to the track to win silver in the under-15 1500m
Emeric Fuamatu has made massive improvement in the under-15 shot in the last month, going from third at the State Championships with a put of 13.01m to gold at the nationals with a best of 14.90m and a series all over 14 metres.
The men’s U20 1500m was a terrific race with 10 athletes in a position to win at the bell. NSW open 1500m champion Patrick Cantlon was in the mix, placing a fantastic second in 3:49.94.
Terrific tactical running from Matthew McLachlan in the under-15 boys 3000m saw him break away from a large pace on the penultimate lap going on the seal the victory in 9:08.05 and hold off team mate Nate Ward who ran 9:08.72.
Despite the wet conditions, Ivy Boothroyd was able to clock a PB and meet record time of 55.08 in the under-16 400m.
A good day for our relays with wins by U20 women 4x100m in 46.84 and U16 boys 4x100m who clocked a meet record time of 42.44. In was the second medal for Dylan Hall and third for Billy Blair.
There was a last round win by Irini Kapsalis in the under-14 shot with a massive put of 13.95m.
A strong run by Connor Bond in the under-20 100m clocking 10.50, puts him almost certainly on the team for the World U20 Championships as a member of the 4x100m relay. The race was won by Queensland’s Jai Gordon who clocked the second fastest time in the history of junior events at the championships – 10.28.
The under-15 boys high jump was a close contest with all medallists clearing 1.81m and the colour of the medals decided on countback. NSW’s Cadel Holmes won with a near clean sheet, having only missed one attempt.