The race to be crowned Australia’s fastest school-aged athletes has been run and won at Lakeside Stadium, with Townsville’s Uwezo Lubenda and Randwick’s Maya Taber piling the pace onto the nation’s sprinting resurgence at the 2025 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics All Schools Championships.
Turning heads at 16-years-old, Uwezo Lubenda (NQ) lived up to the hype in the Under 17 Boys 100m when racing to 10.52 (+0.7) to be crowned Australia’s fastest schoolboy. Executing an electric start, the Townsville teenager defeated Epeosi Ugbomhe (NSW) who secured silver in a personal best time of 10.76-seconds.
“I made sure my start was right and I made sure to hold my composure, and that my arms were pumping. I’m happy with the time, it doesn’t matter – I got the win and that was the main goal,” Lubenda said.
“I’ve never been in that sort of situation before, it’s been quite amazing.”
While narrowly missing the 2026 World Athletics Under 20 Championships qualifying time by 0.02-seconds, Lubenda ran faster than the field in the age group above him, as Zavier Peacock (NSW) took gold for the Under 18 Boys in 10.64 (-1.2) when defeating Oliver Facer (NSW) and Jonathan Kasiano (QLD) in 10.72 and 10.78-seconds respectively.
Rising sprinter Maya Taber (NSW) lit up the straight in one of the standout performances of the day, stopping the clock at 11.55 (-0.2) in the Under 17 Girls 100m to take the title of Australia’s fastest schoolgirl.
Mirroring last year’s title winner Thewbelle Philp, Taber didn’t just dominate her own age group with her qualifying time for the World Under 20 Championships, she also outpaced the Under 18 Girls field – underlining her rise as one of the next sprinters to watch.
“I have been working hard in training and trying to put my shapes into the race. I have got some of my friends here, so it’s nice to have the comfort of people I train with,” Taber said.
In the Under 18 ranks, Victorian Grace Crowe ended her All Schools career with a triple victory – a gold medal, personal best and World Under 20 qualifying time – racing to 11.68 (+1.0) to obliterate her personal best.
Lauren Kelly (WA) delivered a commanding performance to take out the Under 18 Girls Discus with a 52.29m effort, securing yet another World Under 20 qualifying mark and reaffirming her status as one of the nation’s brightest talents. In the Under 18 Boys Discus Throw, it was Jason Koullas (QLD) that claimed the title with a clutch last-round throw of 56.85m.
Also on the field, Karla Boras (Victoria) won third consecutive national title, leaping to 12.62m (+1.0) in the Under 18 Girls Triple Jump, while Cseenge Zsuzsanna Zsombor (NSW) soared to 3.80m in the Under 16 Girls Pole Vault, claiming the title by 55cm.
Paralympian Telaya Blacksmith (NSW, T20) made it back-to-back wins in the Under 20 Girls Para 100m at the championships, taking line honours and the win in 12.69 (0.0) when achieving 93.85 points on the BASELINE system. Blacksmith finished ahead of the Northern Territory’s Briseis Brittain (T38) in 13.59-seconds – a personal best and score of 91.09.
Adding to the sprinting action, World Para Athletics Championships representative Samuel Allen (QLD, T37) blazed the field in the Under 20 Boys Para 100m, cruising down the straight in 12.25 (-0.3) for a score of 90.20 on the BASELINE system.
The first round of an Under 16 Girls sprint battle saw 15-year-old Rhema Adelaja (NSW) take down Australian Under 16 record holder Emilia Reed (WA) in the 200m, with the 100m still to come. Both teenagers raced well under the World Under 20 qualification standard, with Adelaja crossing the line in 23.60 (-0.3) and Reed following in 23.89, unable to catch her rival on the home straight.
Fresh off breaking the U16 800m record, 15-year-old Tate Van Camp (QLD) roared home in the Under 16 Boys 800m, racing to a new meet record of 1:51.43. Showing off his strength over two-laps in a dominant front-running display.
A proven big stage performer, World Para Athletics Championships silver medallist Kirra Wright (VIC) won gold in style in the Under 20 Girls Para Shot Put, throwing 8.41m for a new personal best and to win with a 71.33 point score on the BASELINE system.
Day Three of the Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics All Schools Championships continues tomorrow from 9am AEDT, with the livestream beginning at 10am via Sideline Sports.
By Sascha Ryner and Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 5/12/2025
