NSW All Schools Day 2 Review: McDonald 46.85 and Joseph-Riogi 54.10m

28 September 2025

NSW All Schools Day 2 Review: McDonald 46.85 and Joseph-Riogi 54.10m

Despite headwinds on day two, some hurdle records were broken, along with a few 400m bests, but the highlights were the performances by Olly McDonald, clocking the fastest 400m in the history of the championships, and javelin thrower Tallara Joseph-Riogi who smashed a record held by world championships medallist Mackenzie Little.

Tallara Joseph-Riogi smashes Mackanzie Little record

World Championships dual medallist Mackenzie Little was a good junior athlete, winning the World Youth (U18) title, so any of her records are of the highest standard. This didn’t stop Tallara Joseph-Riogi destroying one of Little’s record at the NSW All Schools. She dismantled the 16-years girls record by over three metres, throwing 54.10 and dispensing of the old mark of 50.87.

Joseph-Riogi was anxious before the competition after a disaster last week.

“It was very nerve-wracking coming in as I didn't do so well in the previous comp, the Combined High Schools, where I had three fouls,” she said.

But she overcame the nerves to send a rocket on her first attempt out to 54.10m. It added 2.41cm to her PB of 51.69m, although she had thrown 54 metres previously at a regional school carnival.

Although record breaking efforts are becoming common for Joseph-Riogi, she doesn’t focus on them or even know what the record is.

“I just come into comps not knowing records, just wanting to beat myself, I guess. And then other things like records, medals, they are just accomplishments, I guess.”

After her first big throw, Joseph-Riogi had two fouls, with the javelin landing flat. It may have seemed to the casual observer she was ‘going for it’ on those two efforts, but actually she was experimenting with a new javelin of her own.

Olly McDonald clocks the fastest 400m in NSW All Schools history

Olly McDonald arrived at the championships a 48 second 400m runner, but in one stunning performance, completed skipped the 47s to clock the sensational time of 46.85 to win the 17-years event. He smashed the record of 47.60 set by Miles Murphy in 1984 – 41-years ago, but it also was the fastest time ever recorded in the 90-year history of the meet. No other athlete has ever gone sub-47 seconds including Olympians like Danial Batman, Miles Murphy, Steve Solomon, Steve Perry and Paul Greene.

It also ranked him 15th under-18 in world in 2025.

“I wasn't expecting it at all, but I'll take it,” said McDonald. What did he thing he could run?

“I was hoping for just 47 high, you know. I would've been stoked if I saw 47 stop.

“(coach) Katie Edwards has been amazing. All my training partners have all been great.”

The Year 12 student also receives some assistance from Melinda Gainsford-Taylor who co-coaches with Katie and presented the medal to McDonald yesterday. It was 25-years to the day since she had win in the 200m final at the Sydney Olympics.

After the HSC, McDonald will focus on selection for the World U20 Championships to be held in July 2026 in Oregon in the US.

James Atkins claims gold #2

At the close of Sunday, two PBs from two starts was not a bad record for James Atkins with only half his competition program complete. After his 100m efforts on Saturday, where he missed the meet record by 0.01 seconds, it was onto the 100m hurdles on Sunday. While headwinds foiled the chance of meets records for most athletes, it didn’t stop Atkins who clocked 13.12 to comfortably take down the old standard of 13.25.

“It was decent, you know, I was getting a bit nervous because I wanted the record badly,” said Atkins. “I clipped one hurdle, but I brought it home strong and I got the record.”

Atkins’ leadup was unconventional, competing in 10 events at the recent CAS. It is all about just earning as many points as you can for the school.

400s record blitz

In addition to Olly McDonald, the quarter milers went on a blitz of the record books. Lachlan Chappell destroyed the 12-years record clocking 52.56, revising the old record of 56.90, by over four seconds. In the next age group, the 13s Cruz Monzon, took 0.07 seconds off to record a time of 52.15. There was a similar close improvement of 0.06 seconds in the 15-years by Oscar Turnbull from ran 49.33.

In the girls, four ages all ran in the 55s. 14-years Alicia Webb 55.86, 15-years Naomi Krajanic 55.28, 16-years Alice Hill 55.93 and 19-years Samara Bond 55.07.

Distance battles, led by Trinity trifecta

With windy and warm weather conditions, many of the distance events were not about fast times by close tactical battles.

In the last event of the day the 15-years boys 1500m, there was slow tactical, but high standard race. It would be a triumph for Trinity Grammar school who dominated the podium with a 1-2-3 finish. Lachlan Wheeler took the gold in 4:10.14, from Steeplechase specialists Patrick McMahon (4:12.42) and rising star Nathan Jones (4:13.58). They were largely under the guidance of coach Dani Andres who personally coaches the gold and bronze medallists and assists at school with the silver medallist.

In the 19-years boys 1500m there was a large lead pack until the bell. In the sprint over the last lap, three country athletes would fill the podium with Glen Innes High’s Kayden Elliott taking the title in 3:57.52, from Wollongong’s Moses Fowler (3:58.33) and Nowra’s Oliver Baxter (4:00.74).

Finley High’s Levi Jakeman

Overcoming more challenges than most to compete is Levi Jakeman, who lives 650 km from Sydney in the Murrumbidgee Irrigational Area town of Finley.

On Sunday he won the 12-years high jump with a clearance of 1.62m in a close competition with Vidyut Arulraj. It was his sixth State title.

Jakeman a Finley High student lives on a small 10-acre farm and can occasional access high jump bags in town for training session. He travels to Ballarat for technical coaching from Paul Cleary, a leading Australian coach - that is an eight hour round trip. In between those sessions he sends videos to the coach for feedback. On one visit to Ballarat to see coach Cleary, he met his squad which included recent world championships finalist Yual Reath. “Yeah, I met him once,” said Jakeman.

As a member of Finley Little Athletics Club, Jakeman travels all over the State to competitions during summer. The Centre is one of the first Little Athletics NSW Centres, formed in 1973 – 52-years ago.

Savannah Cox dominates 13-years hurdles

One of the most comfortable hurdle wins was by Savannah Cox who ran 12.47 to win the 13-years girls 90m hurdles by over half a second. A resident of Marsden Park, the year 7 student travels to Hills Sports High.

“I felt very confident going into the race because my heat was quite good,” she said. “I got a PB in the end with 12:47, so I was happy with that running into a headwind.

“I've been training in athletics for four years and used to play a bit of Oz tag but I've just been focusing on athletics for the last couple of years.”

How did she start in athletics?

“I think when I was younger, I just wanted to be outdoors and be active and stuff like that. And my mum thought I had a lot of potential. And then I just started training with my coach and now I'm here at state and national events.”

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Tallara Joseph-Riogi (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)