112 Western Australian Athletes Earn Selection for National Cross Country Championship
Published Tue 11 Aug 2026
The 2026 Australian Athletics Cross Country Championships will be held in Ballarat on Saturday, 22 August, with a team of 112 Western Australian athletes selected to represent the state.
Each athlete earned their place through outstanding performances throughout the winter cross country season, reflecting the depth of talent across Western Australia. Amongst the strong team, are the 2026 Open Cross Country Champions, Amy Buckingham and Matthew Ramsden; 2025 WA State Marathon Champion, Matt Smith; and 2025 Australian U14 Girls Cross Country Champion, Fieke Potter.
“This is my first time competing in a national cross country championship since winning the under 20 title in 2016. Ten years later, my goal is the same.” – Matthew Ramsden
“I’m really looking forward to the atmosphere and the opportunity to race against such a strong field. This will be my first time competing over the open 10km distance at Nationals, so my goal is to race as competitively as I can and finish as high up in the field as possible.” – Amy Buckingham
Athletics West congratulates all selected team members and wishes them every success as they prepare to compete on the national stage.
| Athlete Name | Club/ Centre | Coach |
| Open Men | ||
| Ben Stoner | UWA Athletics Club | Ben Green |
| Matt Smith | Perth Track and Field Club | Matthew Ramsden |
| Liam Dardengo | Perth Track and Field Club | Matthew Ramsden |
| Matthew Ramsden | Perth Track and Field Club | Andreas Prem |
| Joshua Neervoort | UWA Athletics Club | Matthew Ramsden |
| Sean Owens | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Rafael Baugh |
| Open Women | ||
| Amy Buckingham | Perth Track and Field Club | Matthew Ramsden |
| Ellaby Hansen | Perth Track and Field Club | Suzi Graves |
| Sarah Knox | UWA Athletics Club | Tony Chamberlain and Tony Brain |
| Open Para | ||
| Raynor Keane | Melville Roar Athletics Club | Ross Keane |
| Under 20 Women | ||
| Lyla Stewart | UWA Athletics Club | Lenny Hughes |
| Madeline Taylor | UWA Athletics Club | Tony Chamberlain |
| Under 20 Men | ||
| Matthew Stoner | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Ben Green |
| Jacob Lundberg | Athletics West Independent | Tony Chamberlain |
| Daniel Davies | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Ben Green |
| Under 18 Women | ||
| Claudia Gnech | Perth Track and Field Club | Brenton Mizen |
| Isabella Neervoort | UWA Athletics Club | Matthew Ramsden |
| Shea Correia | Perth Track and Field Club | Brenton Mizen |
| Under 18 Men | ||
| Zain Valibhoy | UWA Athletics Club | Tony Chamberlain |
| Ben O'Sullivan | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Rafael Baugh |
| Jasper Greenwood | Ridgewood Athletics Centre | Suzi Graves |
| Oliver Stampfl-MacDonald | UWA Athletics Club | Tony Chamberlain |
| Duku Jansuk | Belmont Athletics Centre | Zander Mostert |
| Under 17 Women | ||
| Meg White | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Rafael Baugh |
| Amber Rodan | Eastern Goldfields Little Athletics Centre | |
| Lia Watters | Perth Track and Field Club | Matthew Ramsden |
| Mia Clark | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Rafael Baugh |
| Hope McHenry | UWA Athletics Club | Gina Grayson Cassey |
| Grace Lewis | Perth Track and Field Club | Brenton Mizen |
| Aija Kins | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Rafael Baugh |
| Under 17 Men | ||
| Thomas Davey | Belmont Athletics Centre | Rafael Baugh |
| James Shuck | UWA Athletics Club | Tony Chamberlain |
| Will O'Hara | Athletics West Independent | Mark Gale/Tane Hasler |
| Max Hawkins | Athletics West Independent | Rafael Baugh |
| Tighe Wynne | Ridgewood Athletics Centre | Suzi Graves |
| Under 16 Men | ||
| Matthew McNally | UWA Athletics Club | Gina Grayson-Cassey |
| Max Macdonald | Joondalup Athletics Centre | |
| Daniel Nikraz | Athletics West Independent | |
| Liam Domoney | UWA Athletics Club | Matthew Ramsden |
| Under 16 Women | ||
| Fiona Hao | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Rafael Baugh |
| Grace Richter | Perth Track and Field Club | Brenton Mizen |
| Saoirse Fowler | Perth Track and Field Club | Brenton Mizen |
| Matilda Skuse | Perth Track and Field Club | Brenton Mizen |
| Sophie Correia | Perth Track and Field Club | Brenton Mizen |
| Quinn Bandarage | UWA Athletics Club | Matthew Ramsden |
| Hannah Maslen | Belmont Athletics Centre | Mark Maslen |
| Mia Watters | Perth Track and Field Club | Brenton Mizen |
| Under 15 Men | ||
| Lachlan Alder | UWA Little Athletics Centre | |
| Harry Skuse | Athletics West Independent | Brenton Mizen |
| Riley Kerr | Athletics West Independent | |
| Mogga Jansuk | Belmont Athletics Centre | Frank Bowyer |
| Ashton Gunn | Athletics West Independent | |
| Banjo Laurie | Athletics West Independent | Gina Grayson Cassey |
| Under 15 Women | ||
| Fieke Potter | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Rafael Baugh |
| Rosie Connolly | Perth Track and Field Club | Brenton Mizen |
| Billie McHenry | UWA Athletics Club | Gina Grayson Cassey |
| Jane Drinkwater | Athletics West Independent | Chris De Boer |
| Mia Cahill | Athletics West Independent | Rafael Baugh |
| Under 14 Men | ||
| Patrick King | Athletics West Independent | Brenton Mizen |
| Isaac Williamson | Melville Roar Athletics Club | |
| Dante Catalan | Athletics West Independent | |
| Zachary McNally | UWA Little Athletics Centre | Gina Grayson-Cassey |
| Atticus Gallen | Joondalup Athletics Centre | Iann Pitout |
| George Cowan | Bunbury & Districts Little Athletics Centre | |
| Henry Dalgleish | Belmont Athletics Centre | Matt Davey |
| Samuel O'Brien | Belmont Athletics Centre | |
| Joel Murphy | Swan Valley Athletics Centre | |
| Rohan Shephard | Athletics West Independent | Jai Thomas |
| Benjamin King | Baldivis Athletics Centre | Ben Catley |
| Under 14 Women | ||
| Millie Aloi | Hamersley Athletics Centre | |
| Pippa Stefanelli | Canning Districts Athletic Club | Rafael Baugh |
| Evie Commons | Kwinana Athletics Centre | |
| Katie Williams | Kingsway Athletics | Lloyd Williams |
| Summer Abbott-Vidler | Hamersley Athletics Centre | Frank Bowyer |
| Lucy Phillips | UWA Little Athletics Centre | Chris de Boer and Michael Barton |
| Under 13 Boys | ||
| Oscar Dickinson | Hamersley Athletics Centre | Emmett Fenlon |
| Thomas James | Northam & Districts Little Athletics Centre | Benjamin Catley |
| Matthew Dyett | Athletics West Independent | |
| Ethan Ojogwu | Joondalup Athletics Centre | |
| Under 13 Girls | ||
| Everlee Tyler | Dale Athletics Centre | |
| Olivia Toffoli | Athletics West Independent | |
| Harper Adrian | Baldivis Athletics Centre | Joe-Anne Dannenberg |
| Simone Etsebeth | Swan Valley Athletics Centre | Kosie Etsebeth |
| Georgia Eldridge | UWA Little Athletics Centre | |
| Julia Wong | Athletics West Independent | |
| Under 12 Boys | ||
| Nathan Ayres | Peel Districts Athletics Centre | |
| Harry Hall | Kwinana Athletics Centre | Shayne Dimmer and Lewis Chu |
| Isaac Hainsworth | Hamersley Athletics Centre | Emmett Fenlon |
| Toby Hall | Dale Athletics Centre | Rafael Baugh |
| Alex Newton | Dale Athletics Centre | |
| Lucas Turnbull | Joondalup Athletics Centre | |
| Zach Sibenaler | Athletics West Independent | |
| Under 12 Girls | ||
| Isabelle Parsons | Ridgewood Athletics Centre | Suzi Graves |
| Mya Richards | Joondalup Athletics Centre | |
| Lakey Handgraaf | Bunbury & Districts Little Athletics Centre | |
| Lyla Gilhome | Joondalup Athletics Centre | |
| Zara Romano | UWA Little Athletics Centre | |
| Blair Bartlett | Hamersley Athletics Centre | Emmett Fenlon |
| Grace Noble | UWA Little Athletics Centre | |
| Anna Russell | Dale Athletics Centre | Daniel Krebs |
| Under 11 Boys | ||
| Harrison O'Hara | Hamersley Athletics Centre | |
| Oliver Urquhart | Joondalup Athletics Centre | Robert Kay |
| Noah Hayward | Ridgewood Athletics Centre | |
| Tibor Meszaros | Melville Roar Athletics Club | Kardinya Primary School |
| Joel Lim | Southern Districts Little Athletics Centre | Ross Keane |
| Riley Martin | Melville Roar Athletics Club | |
| Austin Krebs | Dale Athletics Centre | |
| Under 11 Girls | ||
| Harper Western | Baldivis Athletics Centre | |
| Aily Ojogwu | Joondalup Athletics Centre | |
| Maya Forster | Hamersley Athletics Centre | |
| Harlow Adams | Belmont Athletics Centre | |
| Vanessa Raynor | Gosnells & Districts Little Athletics Centre |
