2024 WA ALL SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS | PREVIEW

Published Thu 31 Oct 2024

A record breaking 634 athletes are set to light up the WA Athletics Stadium this weekend when the State’s best high-school aged athletes go head-to-head at the WA All Schools Championships powered by Go For 2&5.

Headlined by a suite of Australian Junior Champions, the Championships will see just under half of all WA high schools represented across three massive days of competition.

The jam-packed Championship event will get underway on Friday night with athletes not only searching for a spot on the podium, but also selection in the WA team bound for Australian All School Championships in December.

Several Australian All School Champions will line up across the three days with several key head-to-head competitions bound to entertain fans.

Australian Heptathlete Champion and Record Holder Sophie Williams (Belridge Secondary College) will face off with Kate Philpott (Sacred Heart College) in the Under 16 Girls 100m, 200m and 90m Hurdles events. Philpott’s pedigree in the sprints means she has registered faster times in the 100m and 200m, with Williams the faster athlete across the hurdles. However, Williams’ ability to deliver results at Championships means Philpott’s win is anything but certain, with the Belridge student breaking a 33-year-old Australian record in Adelaide in April highlighting her growing depth.

The Under 18 Boys sprints are set to be one of the Championship’s most anticipated events with Josiah John (Shenton College), Kai Gale (Aquinas College) and Jordan Hamilton (Canning Vale College) set to go head-to-head in the 100m and 200m events. While John has registered the fastest seed times for both events, Gale and Hamilton are primed to push the Shenton College sprinter on race day.

State record holder Lauren Kelly (Australian Christian College) will be looking to defend her clean sweep for the third year in a row when she steps onto the field for the Under 17 Girls Shot Put, Javelin and Discus. Kelly has dominated the events at the 2022 and 2023 WA All Schools and is fresh off posting a State Record in Discus at the opening round of Strive. However, Kelly’s trifecta will be under pressure in the javelin with Ella Harbison (St Stephen’s College) likely to challenge for gold with less than a meter separating the athletes.

Wyatt Hill (Darling Range Sports College), Brayden Phillips (Butler College) and Harrison Stewart (Duncraig Senior High) will face off in the Under 17 Boys Discus and Javelin. Phillips and Hill collected silver and bronze respectively in Javelin at the 2023 Australian All Schools Championships, however Stewart will be looking to cause a stir and secure his first WA All Schools podium finish.

The Under 18 jumps will see a close battle unfold when Zoe Hooker (Servite College) and Kyra Pilmer (Belmont City) fight for gold in the Triple and Long Jump finals. Hooker will look to defend her 2023 WA All Schools title in the Under 18 Girls Long Jump, however Pilmer’s seed marks suggest the Servite athlete will have a fight on her hands in both finals.

Other head-to-head battles to keep an eye out for include Travarn Ackerman (Alkimos College), Brooklyn Bennett (Hedland Senior High), and Brodie Lowry (Carine Senior High) in the Under 15 Boys 200m Hurdles, as well as training partners Jamie Deane (Peter Moyes Anglican Community School) and Jonah Hanikeri (Christchurch Grammar) will battle it out in the Under 18 Boys 800m final.

Out in the field Olivia Williams (Belridge Secondary College) will be one to watch in the Under 18 Girls Javelin, while Liam Vergano-van Niekerk (Woodvale Secondary College) is expected to dominate the Under 14 Boys Discus. Other athletes to watch on the field include Jonathan Waddingham (Aquinas College) in the Under 18 Boys High Jump, Jaxon Stewart (Swan Christian College) in the Under 18 Boys Discus throw and Alyssa Hart (Methodist Ladies College) in the Under 15 Girls Discus.

While other Track athletes to keep an eye on include Ben O’Sullivan (Duncraig Senior High) in the Under 16 Boys 1500m, Rosie Connolly (Iona Presentation College) in the Under 14 Girls 1500m, powerhouse sprinter Emilia Reed (Sacred Heart College) in the Under 15 Girls 200m sprint, and Isabelle Mina Cho (Churchlands Senior High) and Tyson Khin (Willetton Senior High School) in the Under 14 sprints.

The 2024 WA All Schools Championships powered by Go For 2&5 is the qualifying event for WA athletes looking to represent the state at the Australian All Schools Championships bound for Brisbane.

The action from the 2024 WA All Schools Championships will be broadcast LIVE and FREE via the Streamer App across all three days. You can watch every minute HERE.

Athletics West are proud to deliver the 2024 All Schools Championships powered by Go For 2&5 in partnership with Heathway and their Go For 2&5 message, the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Ascend Physio, Aussies In Action, Keep On Running, Venues West, Kumon and Nova 937.