AUS LITTLE ATHLETICS CHAMPS RECAP | WA DELIVER STELLAR RESULTS

WA has emerged as a dominant force at the 2024 Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships after a powerhouse team of 53 athletes delivered in Adelaide. Closing out the 2023-24 Summer Season, WA claimed two Little Athletics Australia trophies, three state Little Athletics records, and 20 national medals.  

WA’s youngest state athletes were unfazed stepping onto the national stage with the Under 13 team collecting the Alan Triscott Trophy after two days of tough competition. Placing fourth overall, WA achieved the highest adjusted points score in the Under 13 age group to walk away with the trophy.

Captains Sophie Williams (Ridgewood) and Tristian Wilson (Belmont) led by example to secure WA the Life Members Trophy for their performance in the U15 Heptathlon. Awarded to the highest overall points score in the U15 Combined Events competition, Williams and Wilson produced a sensational collection of results. Williams once again shined in Adelaide to collect the Little Athletics title with a state record performance of 5,171 points to win gold, while Wilson was able to fend off Victoria’s Kai Norton to secure bronze with 4,477 points.

Up-and-coming sprinter Kate Philpott (Hamersley) delivered an outstanding performance at the Championships securing silver in the Under 15 200m with a state record performance of 24.62. Philpott was unlucky to not claim gold, with only 0.01 seconds of the difference. Backing it up on Day Two, Philpott left it all out on the track to win gold in the Under 15 100m final in 12.06.

Liam Domoney (Gosnells) also added his name to the record books with a strong performance in the Under 13 1500m Walks. Bettering his bronze from the Australian Championships the week before, Domoney crossed the line in 6:46.71 to set a WA Little Athletics record and collect silver.

Continuing WA’s success on the track, Michael Passeretto (Southern Districts) claimed silver with 26.86 in the Under 14 200m Hurdles, Hudson Christides (Hamersley) collected silver with 12.71 in the Boys Under 13 80m Hurdles, while Zoe Daby (Cockburn) also finished her season off by claiming silver in the Girls Under 13 200m Hurdles in 29.10.

Abeerah Ali (Southern Districts) delivered a masterclass in the middle-distance finals with the Southern Districts athlete collecting silver in both the Girls Under 13 800m and 1500m. Stopping the clock at 2:20.95 in the 800m, Ali backed up her efforts with a 4:52.73 in the Girl's 1500m final.

WA’s silver haul continued with a solid performance in the Girls Under 14 Shot Put from Alyssa Hart (UWA). Hart delivered a best effort of 12.28m to clinch second. While in the Boys U15 High Jump, Jack Douglas (Joondalup) claimed silver with a clearance of 1.87m and Mackenzie Ryan (Hamersley) won silver in the Girls Under 15 Long Jump with a leap of 5.28m.

Out on the track, Keenan Munro (Ridgewood) claimed bronze in 7:08.41 in the Boys Under 14 1500m Walk, while Katica Borsic (Gosnells) claimed bronze in the Girls Under 15 1500m Walk in 7:35.99. Kamil Lawal (Kingsway) added to the medal tally with a bronze in the Boy’s Under 13 200,  crossing the line in 25.86.

WA wrapped up its individual medals with a solid series of field results. Morgan Hill (Bunbury) won bronze in the Under 15 Shot Put mustering an 11.16m effort, while Liam Vergano-van Niekerk (Joondalup) threw 37.73m in the Under 13 Javelin to also collect bronze.

The collective effort of our Under 13 relay teams secured the state an additional two medals The speedy combination of Zoe Daby, Martha McClements (Cockburn), Chloe Valikovs (Southern Districts) and Miia Velthuysen (Kingsway) saw WA claim bronze in 50.88 in the Girl’s 4x100m. Day Two was capped off with Kamil Lawal, Blair Polain (Baldivis), Heinrich Stander (Cockburn) and Kieran Cutress (Inglewood) delivering a strong performance in the Under 13 Medley performance to cross the line in 2:19.42 and win silver.

The complete results from the 2024 Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships can be found HERE.

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By David Smith and Imogen McDonald (Athletics West) 

Photo Credit: Rachel Trent 

Posted by 29 April 2024