Five Gold For Tasmania on Day One in Brisbane
04 Dec 2011
It was a day on which Abbey de La Motte bettered the qualifying standard for next year's World Junior Championships, Tasmania filled the victory podium in the girls hammer final and 13 year old Russell Taib won his third national title for the year.
But it also delivered yet another national championship to Kaitin Morgan and a breakthrough victory for Hugh Nicklason, such were the achievements of the Tasmanian team on the first day of the Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships at the University of Queensland Track in Brisbane yesterday.
In all the day's medal haul was five gold, four silver and three bronze.
Putting well behind her the disqualification for a lane infringement which knocked her out of contention in the Commonwealth Youth Games earllier in the year, de la Motte streeted the field to win the under 18 girls' 400 metres by nearly 1.5 seconds, delivering a massive personal best and most significantly her first qualifier for the World Juniors.
Danni McConnell predictably won the under 18 girls' hammer with a massive heave of 66.89m with the new 3kg implement but even more impressive was the sea of Tasmanian vests on the medal dais, as Mikalya Genge (still just 15) with 60.18m and Rebecca Direen with 55.71m filled the placings behind her.
Direen also took silver in the shot put in the same age group with a best throw of 15.16m.
Taib's victory in the under 14 boys' 200 metres demonstrated that he can win in any company, adding to the national under age titles he won at 100 and 200 metres in March, his fine technique for one so young, impressing many. He also smashed the Tasmanian under 14 record for the event, lopping .82 seconds of Shane Seabrook's former mark.
Whilst it was not surprising for Tasmanian athletics followers who have been watching his recent development, national eyes were also captured by Hugh Nicklason's fine win in a time of 4.04.94 in the under 16 1500 metres. Team mate Biniyam Hagos looked to have the silver medal in his pocket before a lapse of judgment near the finish saw him relegated to bronze, but still in a smart time of 4.08.03.
The State's strength in this age group in middle distance was demonstrated by Kale Adams' silver in the 2000m steeplechase, in which he crossed the line in 6.11.62.
Sixteen year old Morgan had a big day winning not only her speciality the high jump with a world junior qualifying height of 1.83m but also taking silver in the triple jump with 12.35m.
Tasmania's final medal was delivered by Matthew Hosie who took bronze in the under 14 boys discus at 46.19m after a busy day on which he competed on five occasions also picking up fourth placings in the 90m hurdles and long jump - indicating a career in combined events may be looming.
Other impressive efforts came from Sam Alderson, fourth in the under 16 hammer (55.16m) competing up an age group; Tim Coad who came seventh in the 100m hurdles in the same age group, Claire McLenaghan, fifth in the under 16 girls' hammer (40.75m) and Rachelle Taylor who placed seventh in the under 18 girls' 5000m walk (27:42.08).
