It's with great pride that we share the exceptional performances of our athletes at the recent Open National Championships. Our club made a tremendous impact across multiple events, securing an impressive medal haul and numerous top ten finishes against Australia's elite competitors.

GOLD MEDAL PERFORMANCES

Thomas Hunt defends his national title to dominate the 400m Hurdles, claiming gold in a time of 50.05 in the final after qualifying with 51.38 in his heat.

Desleigh Owusu, coached by Andrew Murphy, delivered a clutch performance in the Triple Jump, winning gold with a leap of 13.75m in the final after qualifying with 13.74m. Her consistency at the highest level proved decisive in securing the championship and a new Club and New South Wales Open record.

Bronte Pickering and Gabriella Taylor both contributed to a dominant gold medal performance in the 4x100m relay, powering the team to victory with a time of 45.79. Gabriella also impressed in her individual events, recording fast times in both the 100m (11.71) and 200m (24.25).

SILVER MEDALS

Kristie Edwards, under Andrew Murphy's coaching, secured silver in the 200m final with a blazing 22.81, showcasing her speed and technical proficiency. Kristie also went on to break one of the clubs long standing records previously held by Jenny Lamy in 22.88s. This record was set 56 years ago at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Timothy Heyes, coached by Peter Farmer, claimed silver in the Hammer with a throw of 64.66m, continuing to establish himself as one of Australia's premier throwers.

BRONZE MEDALS

Luke Boyes has a habit of delivering breakthrough performances in the National 800m, claiming bronze with a time of 1:45.50 in the final after progressing through rounds with consistent improvement (1:49.42 in heats, 1:47.73 in semis). Luke also breaks his own club record and gains a valuable World Championship Qualifier. It took a Championship and National record from Peter Bol to take down Luke’s achievement.

Mali Lovell secured double bronze and double National Records in the para events, finishing third in both the 100m (14.22w) and 200m (29.64). Her 100m heat time of 14.24 was the record effort highlighting her continued development under coach Katie Edwards.

Luke van Ratingen, coached by Ben Liddy, stumbled out the blocks in the final but composed himself and powered to bronze in the 400m with a time of 45.64 in the final after qualifying with 46.25 in his heat.

Alice Dixon and Ashton Hanna both contributed to the bronze medal-winning 4x400m Mixed relay team (3:25.37), with Alice also impressing in her individual 400m heat (54.59) and Ashton showing strength in the 800m heats (1:50.73). U20 stand out Samara Bond was the third clubman in the squad and the club would have had a new record if it was not for the recent transfer of Jye Perrott (USYD) who is furthering his studies.

TOP 10 FINISHES

Several athletes secured impressive top 10 finishes against elite national competition:

• Isabella Guthrie: 4th in 400m Hurdles (57.44)
• Carley Thomas: 4th in 800m (2:02.65)
• Jasmin Guthrie: 5th in 400m (53.32)
• Edward Parker: 6th in 400m (52.64)
• Mason Cohen: 6th in 800m (1:46.40)
• Olivia Rose Inkster: 6th in 200m (23.60) and 9th in 100m (11.53)
• Olivia Dimech: 7th in Triple Jump (12.26m)
• Dominic Panozzo: 7th in 400m Hurdles (52.22)
• Connor Bond: 8th in 100m (10.29)
• Lauren Clark: 9th in Hammer (50.60m)
• Matilda Ryan: 9th in 800m (2:06.0)
• Sybella Warton: 9th in 100m (14.50w) and 8th in 200m (31.52)
• Georgia Winkcup: 9th in 1500m (4:20.01)
• Bronte Oates: 10th in 5000m (15:52.53 Club Record)
• Brianna Worsfold: 10th in Discus (40.43m)

*Some heat times were quicker than the final due to the strategy and race management adopted in title events. Check out the links to Roster App or attached pdf for a breakdown of qualifying rounds.

U20 National Championships Division

GOLD MEDAL PERFORMANCES

Matthew Hunt delivered a spectacular performance in the 400m Hurdles, claiming the national title with a time of 52.93 in the final after qualifying with 54.77 in his heat. Matthew has worked conservatively throughout his return from injury this season and was able to deliver the win with limited exposure to hurdling this season.

Samara Bond contributed to a dominant gold medal performance in the Open 4x400m relay, helping the team clock an impressive 3:43.15. Samara's competitive spirit was on full display throughout the championships running in four quarter laps including a heat and three finals to secure a bronze medal to her collection in the Open 4x400m Mixed relay (3:25.37) and secured silver in the U20 400m final with a time of 55.12.

SILVER & BRONZE MEDALS

Brenton Kerr secured an impressive silver medal as part of the 4x400m relay team (3:13.20). Brenton, who is self-coached, also delivered a strong individual performance in the 400m final, finishing 5th with a time of 48.09.

Fleur Cooper, coached by Ben Liddy, claimed bronze in the 800m with a time of 2:06.23 in the final, improving significantly from her heat time of 2:09.29. Fleur also competed valiantly in the 1500m, finishing 9th in the final.

MULTI-EVENT EXCELLENCE

Our heptathletes put on a remarkable display of versatility and determination:

Tara Hollyoak finished 4th overall with 4530 points under the guidance of her coaching team Amanda Coombe, Ryan Dowling, and James Tizzard.

Sarah Lovell, coached by Ryan Dowling and Ashley McMahon secured 5th place with 4400 points.

Both athletes demonstrated exceptional mental fortitude across all seven disciplines, truly embodying the all-around athlete spirit.

FINALISTS & HEAT PERFORMANCES

Alexander Ayre reached the final in Triple Jump, placing 11th with a jump of 13.43m after competing in the Open competition qualifying round and leaping out to 14.04m.

Olivia Gorman completed the challenging 3000m Steeplechase in 13:53.54, gaining valuable championship experience.

Several athletes delivered strong performances in their heats:

• Phoebe Berglund: 100m (12.57), 200m (25.91)
• Ava Garnys: 800m (2:14.28), 1500m (4:39.19)
• Scarlett O'Connor: Hammer (38.29m)
• Barnabas Ronto: 100m (10.94), 200m (22.36)
• Jasper Scamps-Magro: 800m (1:53.55), 1500m (4:01.03)
• Sarah Baker: 1500m (4:34.68)

COACHING EXCELLENCE

The depth and quality of our member coaches was evident throughout these championships. Our diverse group of coaches demonstrated their ability to prepare athletes across all event groups for peak performance at the national level.

For more information about club coaches you can visit our website, https://www.utsnorthsath.com.au/about/club-coaches

LOOKING AHEAD

For some athletes this is the end of their season and most likely have a few days break before having conversations about winter programming. Some of the students in the club will head to the Gold Coast and contest the UniSport Nationals to obtain World University qualifications and then onto World Championship qualification rounds at various destinations around the world.

Wherever the road takes you we wish you good health and safe travels as we continue to follow your progress in 2025.