NSW All Schools Day 4 Review: Evan Rowbotham just misses Australian record

30 September 2025

NSW All Schools Day 4 Review: Evan Rowbotham just misses Australian record

We have witnessed some incredible performances over the four days of the NSW All Schools Championships, but on the final day of competition we saw arguably the performances of the meet when a 37-year-old Australian record was threatened by Evan Rowbotham. In the 15-years 800m, Rowbotham clocked 1:51.85, to just miss the record set in 1988 by Victorian Mark Holcombe.

Evan Rowbotham just missed national record

Waverley College student, Evan Rowbotham, came close to a very rare achievement – breaking an Australian record at a schools meet in September. Running solo from the bell, it turned into Rowbotham Vs the clock, as be sprinted around the track.

He passed the bell at 54.76, and clocked 57.10 for the last lap, winning by nearly five seconds in a time of 1:51.85 seconds. He just missed the national U16 record of 1:51.41, held by Victorian Mark Holcombe, who set the record at the 1988 Australian All Schools. Holcombe went on to make the final at the 1990 World Junior Championships.

No surprise Rowbotham wiped out a number of records, the meet record by nearly three seconds, the NSW record by 0.10 seconds, both held by Daniel Williams, who himself had chased the National record.

Amazingly it was Rowbotham’s second sub-1:52 800m in two weeks, having run 1:51.87 at the Combined Associated Schools meet recently.

The record had certainly been a goal for Rowbotham. He relayed his different race plans in the two recent races.

“In the earlier race, I went out with the same goal, the record, but I kind of went out a bit too slow, and then I closed pretty well. But today I kind of blew up in the last 150m.”

His 800m speed was no surprise to keen observers of the sport, as 18 months ago he won an Australian title over 800m.

“I used to do a few eights but then I kind of shifted last season. (coach) Roffy said just have a crack today.”

Third consecutive meet record for Zsombor

Csenge Zsuzsanna Zsombor maintained her undefeated pole vault record at the NSW All Schools, but more importantly, equalled the best height achieved in the history of the championships by clearing 3.60m to win the 15-years pole vault. Similarly to her brother in his pole vault competition, Zsombor took her first jump after the field had finished vaulting. She started at 3.20m, making six first attempt clearances to 3.60m. Then at 3.73m, she missed her three attempts. She smashed the 5-year-old record of 3.32m.

A two-time Australian champion last summer, she has a PB of 3.81m, set in July on the Gold Coast.

Michayla Espie in form ahead of Virtus World Athletics Championships

Kingswood High’s Michayla Espie is in good form ahead of the Virtus World Athletics Championships.

Competing at the NSW All Schools Championships she won the 19-years shot and discus events with distances of 7.81m and 29.86m respectively.

“I should have been throwing high 30s, but I ended up throwing 29, which is all right,” she said about her discus.

At the 2025 Virtus World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Brisbane, from October 8, Espie will compete in all four throwing events – shot, discus, javelin and hammer throw.

Currently competing at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi is Coco Espie. But are they related?

“We're not actually sure because we haven't done a DNA test,” said Michayla Espie.

“We think we are. I've known her since I was 13.”

“I asked here where are you from? And she said from New Zealand and England and other places. And I was like, oh, I'm from New Zealand.”

Woods walking into our future

Following the recent resurgence in NSW women’s race walking through the achievements of Allanah Pitcher and Lizzy McMillen, Abbotsleigh’s Zoe Woods is the next big hope to continued the progress. In warm conditions, mid-afternoon, she delivered the fastest 5000m race walking time in the history of the NSW All Schools Championships, although granted the fact in the Saville/Coffee/Webb era, the longest walk was 3000m.

Woods today broke McMillen’s 19-years 5000m walk record with a time of 23:18.85 – 18-seconds under the previous best mark.

“I took 10 seconds off my PB so, all considering that's a very good time.” It is the start of an important 12 months for Woods.

“I'll be aiming to qualify for the World Race Walking Teams (in March) and World Juniors (July).”

McMillen, who won the World University Games title this year, and then competed at the World Championships, is setting a pathway for athletes like Woods.

“I've seen her progress to winning World Unis, it's been phenomenal to watch her.“

Next year Woods in thinking of studying journalism part time at UTS.

Harry hunts down 800m record

In the 19-years half mile, Newington’s Harry Halleen nailed the record with a time of 1:50.88, the second fastest time in the history of the championships. He broke Ben O’Connor’s old mark of 1:51.76 set in 2006.

His leadup form, 1:50.69, at the recent GPS, gave him hope.

“I ran a PB last week at the GPS, to break Lachlan Renshaw’s record.

“I saw the record, I looked at it and I was like, it's doable after last week so yeah that was definitely a goal but I suppose it would have been nice to also get a PB today,” Halleen said.

A member of Run Crew, Halleen has had the opportunity to see up close the preparation of Luke Boyes, who just raced the 800m at the world championships.

“I’m good friends with him. We've been training together for like seven or eight years now.”

Aliyah Bennett wins middle-distance double

Against high quality competition, Aliyah Bennett was able to claim a middle-distance double in the 15-years. After a surprise 1500m win (first across the line was ACT athlete Olivia Galang), on Tuesday she claimed her speciality, the 800m in 2:12.35.

How did she assess her overall performance at the championships?

“I honestly think I've gone really well considering the times I've been running,” Bennett said. She was recently down in confidence, but her coach (Shannon Lum) was key to supporting her.

Last summer Bennett won two Australian 800m titles. She reflected on her career which started in the under-6s.

“I only started proper training three years ago.” It was after the Australian cross country and was a turning point where she considered she could be competitive.

Patrick McMahon

Trinity’s Patrick McMahon cruised to a win in the 15-years 2000m steeplechase in a time of 6:09.62. He is coming off an amazing 2024/25 season where he broke the Australian under-16 record at the nationals in Perth, running 5:54.22. Today he stepped up to a new height, 84cm barriers and was unfazed taking the win.

How did he get involved in the steeplechase?

“I always liked the event, when I was young I used to watch people do it all the time. I kind of wanted to start doing it and then yeah, just got pretty good at it over time. I’ve been doing it for a few years now.

In Brief

-Courtesy of our outstanding photo finish team, every athletes is provided with split times in ever event over 400 metres. Check them out on the Athletics Live results page.

-After winning the 3000m on day one, Annabelle Vella was back on the top step of the podium winning the 15-years 2000m steeplechase in a meet record time of 6:54.60. She sliced five seconds off Alexia Kalamvokis’ record set in 2020.

-It is tough when you are chasing records held by a World U18 Champion like Jana Pittman. The 16-years 400m hurdles record of 60.96 is such. Wollongong’s Maiya Hewitt ran 61.52, to just fall short of the record, but she did clock the sixth fastest ever time at the championships.

-There was a comfortable win in the 15-years 200m hurdles by Max Farrugia, who took down the old record with a time of 24.58.

-The second fastest 2000m steeplechase time of the day was recorded in the youngest age division, by 14-year-old Jacqueline Bugg, clocking an outstanding 7:10.52.

-In a herculean effort in the afternoon heat, Newcastle’s Callum Martin won two gold medals in long distance events in less than two hours.

At 12:52 he started off in the 14-years steeplechase, and it was obvious he was trying to conserve his energy. He won in a solid time of 6:34.23. At 14:48, Martin was back on the track in his speciality, the 14-years 3000m walk, clocking 13:59.25 for a very comfortable 90 seconds victory.

-The 4th place getter at the Australian junior championships last April, 3000m steeplechaser Macleay Kesby was back in action comfortably winning the 19-years 3000m steeplechase title in a solid time of 10:02.66.

-There was a thrilling boys 14-years triple jump between James Mikan and Alexander Song. After round one Mikan led 12.13m to 12.05m, Song took the lead in round two 12.23 to 12.13. By round three Mikan had seized back the lead, 12.38m to 12.23m. In the last round Song improved to 12.35m, to fall just 3cm short of the win.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Evan Rowbotham in the 800m (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)