18.02.2010

Juniors on track in 2010

Adding young talent to an already outstanding start list in Hobart at the weekend were members of Athletics Australia’s Under 19 Talent Squad, who travelled south to compete at one of the many meets hosted on the Apple Isle across a bumper three days of action.

Coming together for a five-day camp that included competition against some of the nation’s best, the Under 19 squad is the flagship youth development program run by Athletics Australia and this year features 30 of Australia's best emerging athletes.

“The Hobart camp allows the newly selected squad a chance to get to know each other, the National Youth Event Coaches and the mentors that will provide them with support and guidance in the coming months," said Athletics Australia Youth High Performance Manager Sara Mulkearns.

“The chance to compete against some internationally renowned athletes at one of the many meets in Hobart across the weekend was the ideal hit-out the squad needed to begin its charge for selection to the world junior championships in Canada in July.”

Under Mulkearns' guidance, the camp featured a number of activities aimed at developing the mental and physical capabilities required by athletes to achieve success well into the future, including:

- Athlete development programs led by a team of mentors

- Training with Athletics Australia's National Youth Event Coaches

- Sports psychology sessions

- Medical screening

- Media training

Across the weekend eight members of the squad turned on world junior championships qualifying performances:

- Mathew Turk (200m, 21.27)

- Alex Rowe (800m, 1:49.58)

- Jordan Williamsz (1500m, 3:44.27)

- Kane Grimster (1500m, 3:45.80)

- Dane Bird-Smith (10km walk, 43:17)

- Sean Fitzsimons (10km walk, 43:32)

- Beth Alexander (10km walk, 49:03)

- Amy Pejkovic (High jump, 1.84m)

Grimster was one of a number of athletes to post a personal best performance and notch his first world junior championships qualifier for the year.

“I’ve just run a new PB of more than two seconds and it’s my first world junior qualifier for the year so I’m really happy with that,” the Victorian said.

“Tonight was the first real race for me this year, I’ve had school competitions but tonight I’ve come up against a great field and been able to deliver a good time so I’m stoked.

“Fingers crossed the run here will help me secure a spot at the Melbourne meet (IAAF Melbourne Track Classic), putting me up against another quality start list so hopefully my time will improve further.”

In what was a big weekend for junior athletics in Tasmania, former Athletics Australia Under 19 Talent Squad members Regan Lamble (10km walk, 48:12), Brett Robinson (1500m, 3:46.46) and Sasha Alexeenko (400m hurdles, 52.22) joined the growing list of athletes with world junior championships qualifiers alongside Kevin Batt of New South Wales.

Eighteen-year-old Batt, the housemate of Australian Flame athlete Ryan Gregson, ran 14:04.77 in the men’s 5000m to post his qualifying time only weeks after being selected to compete in the men’s Under 20 event at the upcoming world cross country championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

The theme of athlete development continues this weekend with a squad of 20- and 21-year-old athletes this week departing our shores for New Zealand.

Providing a link between elite junior representation and international open-age competition, athletes selected for the squad will this week take part in a five-day program culminating in a day of competition against our cross-Tasman rivals on Saturday.

Under the guidance of mentors Charlene Rendina, Maxine Corcoran, Peter Bourke and Bruce Frayne, planned activities provide opportunities for emerging young athletes to learn about managing the rigors of travel, maintaining performance and, most importantly, international competition.

“Competing in Auckland will provide the squad the chance to learn about competing in an international arena,” Mulkearns said.

“The mentors chosen have an outstanding resume of national representation and their teachings at the camp and in competition will be invaluable to some of our brightest hopes for future Australian teams."

In what has been a big month for Athletics Australia's national development programs, the Target 2012 squad participated in a camp run in conjunction with the Brisbane Athletics Classic.

The 21s Squad five-day camp culminates with competition in Auckland this Saturday, February 20.

The Under 19 Talent Squad will next compete at the Australian Junior Championships in Sydney from March 11-14.

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