2025 AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS | TRACK RECAP

Published Tue 15 Apr 2025

The future looks bright for WA’s track stars after a historic collection of performances stole the headlines at the 2025 Australian Junior Athletics Championships.

Leah O’Brien and Emilia Reed have rewritten the history books with era defining races at the WA Athletics Stadium, leading a flurry of State and Championship records set by WA’s best.

The state’s next generation of athletics superstars collected an impressive 94 medals across the five-day championships, with 58 of those on the track, proving the depth of track talent in WA is on the rise.

Sprinting sensation Leah O’Brien (Braiden Clarke) stole the spotlight with a show stopping performance in the Under 18 Women’s 100m final on the last day of the Championships. Saving the best for last, O’Brien produced a mind-blowing run of 11.14 (+1.7) to eclipse Raelene Boyle’s long-standing Australian Under 18 Record. Breaking the 57-year-old Under 18 Record of 11.20, set at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, O’Brien announced herself to the world in spectacular fashion.

The 17-year-old's performance places her as the ninth fastest Under 18 100m runner in history, the fourth fastest Australian women ever and WA’s fastest ever woman. O’Brien’s name is now etched beside the Under 18, Under 20 and Open State record, as well as the Under 18 and Under 20 State All Comers 100m records.

The win also secured O’Brien the sprint double, after taking out the Under 18 Women’s 200m title earlier in the Championships. O’Brien crossed the line in 23.37 (-1.1) to take the title and snatch the Under 18 and Under 20 State and State All Comers 200m records from Reed.

Emilia Reed (Aaron Bresland) is a name on the rise. Unmatched in her 100m and 200m, the young West Australian bettered her own Under 16 100m Australian Record to 11.45 (+1.3). The impressive performance from the 15-year-old landed her the Under 16, Under 18 and Under 20 State Records but it was only a matter of time before O’Brien’s 11.14 effort re-wrote them the next day. Reed closed out her junior's campaign with a win in the Under 16 Women’s 200m final securing her the 100m-200m double in a time of 23.22 (+2.4).

The 400m talent in WA will be one to keep an eye on with Billie Richardson (Lenny Hughes) and Luke Weber (Karl Weber / Ebony Talbert) showcasing the state’s depth. Weber added to WA’s record haul with a blistering performance in the Under 14 Men’s 400m. Weber delivered an all class performance of 51.13 to claim gold while also securing a new Championship and State record. Weber then pulled out a wind assisted best of 23.73 (-2.6) in the Under 14 Men’s 200m to claim a second Australian title. Richardson bettered her own Under 14 Women’s 400m State Record by 0.04 seconds with a new time of 55.14, before backing it up with a 2:10.79 in the Under 14 Women’s 800m to win the gold and improve her own State Record.

14-year-old London Rakanui (Paul Edmiston) impressed across the competition, collecting a gold, two silver and a State Record during her Championship campaign. The up-and-coming sprinter raised the bar in the Under 15 Women’s 400m with a record time of 55.26 to claim the Australian title, while also adding silverware to her collection as part of the WA Under 16 Women’s 4x100m and Under 18 4x400m teams.

Jessica Hanney (Brian Pozzi), Kate Philpott (Russell Mathanda), Sophie Williams (Ben Catley/Kim Bodini) and Leah O’Brien continued WA’s team success with an impressive race in the Under 18 Women’s 4x100m, besting a 46-year-old State Record by 0.46 seconds. The team delivered a blistering 44.84 seconds to stamp their names next to the Under 18, Under 20 and Open State Records set last year, and the Under 18 and Under 20 State All Comers records set in 1979.

The records kept falling with Fieke Potter (Raf Baugh) making her mark in the Under 14 Women’s 1500m final. Potter rounded out a record-breaking weekend for WA, delivering a personal best of 4:31.89 over the middle distance to better the State Record by a whopping 2.41 seconds.

The Ehioghae sisters delivered a 1-2 punch with Charlotte Ehioghae (Greg Knott) defending her National Championship title in the Under 15 Women’s 100m in 11.36 (+2.5) while the youngest of the family, Emmanuella Ehioghae (Greg Knott) took the title in the Under 13 Women’s 200m in a personal best time of 25.98 (-2.5).

Travarn Ackerman (Julie Daines) added to the gold haul with two stellar performances in the Under 16 Men’s 100m and 200m Hurdles. Ackerman produced a personal best of 13.03 (-2.1) in the 100m Hurdles, before backing it up with a 24.58 (+1.3) in the 200m Hurdles, to proclaim himself as the state’s Hurdle Hero.

The Under 15 Men’s 200m Hurdles Australian title now belongs to Jayden Crosby (Suzanne Beck) after crossing the line first with a time of 26.84 (+2.6) while Mia Shelley (Ben Catley) secured gold in 1:00.87 to claim the Under 18 Girls 400m Hurdles crown.

Edward Wallis fought a light tailwind but still managed to produce a personal best in the Under 14 Men’s 100, running 11.85 (-0.9) to secure gold and the National title.

The future looks bright for WA, with track youngsters rounding out an era defining week of sport for the state. Maddyson Dick claimed gold in the Under 13 Women’s 400m in a Championship Record time of 58.28, while Bless Jo (Carlito Antony) also picked up gold over the 400m distance, to secure the Under 15 Men’s Australian title with a personal best of 51.54. Jo proved too quick for the other competitors once again, this time over the 200m distance to collect his second gold in 22.62 (+2.4).