07.12.2007

Gregson and O'Sullivan storm home

Live results

Day 2 field report

The sky opened at Sydney Olympic Park today but this did little to deter a number of outstanding performances on the track.

In a fitting finale, Australian under-18 and 20 3000m record holder Ryan Gregson (NSW) again stamped his authority on the middle distance events at the 2007 Telstra All Schools & Youth Athletics Championships.

"I felt good, I felt fresh, but a lot of the time there were guys checking me from behind, so that threw out my rhythm. But when you’re going through at three-minute kilometre pace, it just gives you the confidence that you can kick it down a bit, that you can have a good finishing burst," Gregson said of his latest race.

In what’s been a terrific year for the young distance runner, Gregson posted a World Junior qualifier in the 1500m and smashed Andrew O’Neill’s 1500m under-18 national record at Homebush only weeks ago.

"The race was very slow. I wanted it to be slow because I’ve got the 1500m on Sunday and Zatopek next week, so I just wanted to conserve as much energy as I could," Gregson said about his time of 8.39.00, which is well below his personal best though well ahead of the rest of the field.

Expected to compete in his first national open event at the Zatopek Cassic in Melbourne on Thursday night, Gregson may have been saving his best performance for a few days' time in Victoria.

Fifteen year-old Lauren O’Sullivan (QLD) continued her recent good form today by breaking a 25 year-old meet record in the under-16 200m event.

Previously held by national champion Sue Broderick (WA), O’Sullivan cruised to victory in the comfortable time of 23.54, and in doing so, broke the meet record that had been standing since 1982, a staggering 10 years before her birth. In achieving such a time O’Sullivan also broke the under-16 Queensland age record and was fractions away from Cathy Freeman’s under-18 state record of 23.36.

The brunette Queenslander was pleased with her efforts after the race.

"I wasn’t expecting to go that fast, I was expecting high 23 seconds, so I’m really happy with the time," O'Sullivan stated shortly following the race.

Due to compete in the final of the event on Sunday, December 9, O’Sullivan is looking to win gold in style, "I’ll have others there pushing me faster so hopefully the final will be better."

With a previous personal best time of 24.20 from the 2006 All Schools event, O’Sullivan is a member of the University of Queensland Athletics Club and is coached by Luke Donatini.

Having already broken a number of Sally McLellan’s Queensland underage records, O’Sullivan is also set to contest the 100m event on Saturday morning. The final of the under-16 200m event is scheduled for 2:25pm on Sunday, December 9.

The first track medallist of the day was Brianna Beahan (WA), with a time of 14.06 in the under-17 100m hurdles ahead of Lucy Frayne (SA) in 14.25 and Nicole Terese Anskaitis (VIC) in a time of 14.33.

Western Australia’s Andrew Emsavana will no doubt be looking to pull something magical out of the bag following his performance today in the under-16 100m. The 15 year-old was 11 hundredths-of-a-second behind the meet record of 12.81 achieved in 2006 by Jarrod Smith (WA). Just behind Emsavana was Mitchell Tysoe (NSW) in 12.99 and Taylor Vogler (QLD) in 13.10. Later in the day he also competed in the under-16 200m qualifying with the fastest time in 22.16.

Equally impressive was Nicholas Hough (NSW) in the 100m under-15 hurdles. Finishing in a time of 13.36, Hough equaled the meet record achieved in 2005. James Woodgate (QLD) stopped the clock at 13.78 and Sebastian Purcell (VIC) came in third with 13.67. Woodgate, however, went on to redeem himself later in the day winning gold in the under-15 200m hurdles with an impressive time of 26.00.

Victorian Aaron Hatzipantelis would be happy with this afternoon's performance in the under-14 90m hurdles bringing him a new personal best in a time of 12.65. A member of the Oakleigh Little Athletics Club, Hatzipantelis is inspired by Carl Lewis who was a champion in sprints and long jump. Second place-getter Jake Grevsmuhl (QLD) also managed a personal best performance of 12.75. Fellow Queenslander Hamish Cathie came in third with a time of 12.96.

All-round sports performer Michael Yap (NSW) also beat his personal best today. Competing in the under-14 400m event, Yap took time out from his rugby and swimming commitments winning ahead of Zechariah Morlumbun (WA) in 55.06 and Isaac Wohlsen (QLD) in 54.35 in a time of 53.47.

New South Wales had a wonderful run in the under-15 boys 200m event, with the four fastest qualifiers all from NSW. William McNamara crossed the line first in 22.70, Matthew Lee followed only slightly with 22.77 in second place and Nicholas Hough came third in the same time as his team-mate Lee. The fourth New South Welshman to cross the line was Kurt Jenner in 23.08.

Continuing the positive performances of the New South Wales team, the under-14 1500m walk saw places 1, 2 and 3 all go to the Blues team. In an unusual finish, the fastest four qualifiers all achieved times ahead of the previous meet record of 6:47.64. Matthew Timson (NSW) finished first with 6:43.03, Steven Washburn (NSW, 6:44.08) second place and Jacob Allen (NSW, 6:44.45) in third place. Samuel Dib (WA) finished fourth with 6:46.80.

In the first of the relay events for the championships, New South Wales were victorious in the under-18 4 x 100m relay. Winning team members were Tracey Morton, Eloise Graf, Olivia Tauro and Sarah Thomson. In a time that equalled the meet record of 46.09, the NSW girls were understandably pleased with their efforts.

Tauro spoke post-race and stated that "we have a really great dynamic in the team. We are one of the fastest generations of sprinters in NSW."

Thomson was similarly pleased with the team’s efforts, "we were all focused. Before we ran we knew we were going to get the record."

In other relay results from this afternoon, Queensland took out the title of the under-16 girls 4 x 100m relay and New South Wales walked away with gold from both the under-16 and under-18 4 x 100m event. 

Other winners on the track today were:

Brianna Beahan (WA) - 100m under-17 hurdles (14.06)
Shayleigh Gould (QLD) - 100m under-18 hurdles (13.89)
Jack Conway (QLD) - 110m under-18 hurdles (14.46)
Sam Baines (VIC) - 110m under-17 hurdles (14.05)
Jake Grevsmuhl (QLD)  - 90m under-14 hurdles (12.55)
Courtney Cross (NSW) - 80m under-14 hurdles (12.45)
Amy Burren (SA) - 1500m walk under-14 (6:51.20)
Brooke Stratton (VIC) - 200m hurdles under-15 (28.80)
Annaliese Gardiner (VIC) - 200m hurdles under-16 (28.14)
James Davidson (WA) - 3000m under-15 (9:13.84)
Celia Sullohern (NSW) - 3000m under-16 (9:53.75)
Kane Grimster (VIC) - 3000m under-16 (8:57.85)
Katelyn Simpson (QLD) - 3000m Under 15 (10:08.98)
Kevin Batt (NSW) - 3000m under-17 (8:46.96)
Ashleigh Gentle (QLD) - 3000m under-17 (9:40.70)
Elise Clayon (VIC) - 3000m under-18 (9:38.25)

The 2007 Telstra Australian All Schools & Youth Championships continue until Sunday (December 9) at Sydney Olympic Park.

Individual athlete photos from 'Photos in a Flash' can be found here