2025 AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS | PREVIEW

For the first time since 2015, the next generation of Australian stars will unleash in Perth for the Australian Athletics Junior Championships. Set to deliver five days of Championship action, more than 375 of the state’s best athletes will battle the nation’s top track and field athletes at the WA Athletics Stadium, capping off an incredible domestic season of athletics.   

Taking full advantage of a home National Championships, WA are set to boast an enviable crop of rising stars across the disciplines. Headlined by recently crowned Australian Record Holders Emilia Reed (Perth Track & Field), Sophie Williams (West Track), Emma Wilmott (Danny Kevan) and Lauren Kelly (Luke Cann), WA’s top athletes are set to go for gold.  

Fresh off breaking Torrie Lewis’ Under 16 100m Australian Record last month, sprint star Emilia Reed will look to better her times in 100m and 200m when she launches her campaign on Sunday. Building on her record-breaking season, the Perth Track and Field athlete has delivered masterclass performances throughout the 2025 Season and will be one to watch on the track.  

Lauren Kelly has delivered an incredible suite of accomplishments over the last six months claiming her first Australian Shot Put Record, three WA State Records and two Australian All Schools titles. Looking to collect the throws triple crown in the Under 18 competition, Kelly will lead WA’s ever-growing depth in the throws. 

No stranger to delivering on the national stage, Sophie Williams will once again boast one of the busiest schedules at the Australian Championships. After putting on a masterclass performance in Adelaide last year, where she set an Australian Under 16 record in the heptathlon– surpassing Olympian Jane Jamieson’s 33-year national record with a score of 5515 points, Williams is primed to make the most of her home field advantage when she launches her campaign.    

The state’s growing Para Athletics depth will be on full display across the five days of athletics action with Australian record holder Emma Wilmott leading the way. Wilmott has enjoyed a string of key successes over 2025 and will open her campaign with the Under 17 Para Long Jump, before switching to the track. Wilmott has both the Under 17 T60 200m and 400m record, with the West Australian looking to better her mark for both in Perth.   

The up-and-coming Ehioghae siblings will be looking to put on a show in front of a fierce home crowd with all three taking on the 100m and 200m events. Charlotte Ehioghae (Gregg Knott) will be looking to take home both titles in the Under 15 Girl’s events, after securing a dominant gold in the 200m last year but narrowly missing out on the top spot in an epic showdown with NSW athlete Divine Chukwudi over the 100m.  

Luke Weber (Karl Weber, Ebony Talbert) will once again go head-to-head with WA teammate Edward Wallis (Aaron Bresland) over the Under 14 Boy’s 200m and 400m distances. The pair delivered an exciting campaign over the distances in last year's event, with Wallis collecting the National 200m bronze and Weber coming out on top in the 400m with a gold medal run.  

Fresh off the back of a record-breaking Shot-Put performance at the WA Junior State Championships, Kingsway athlete Ethan Harbison (Janno Van Der Linde) will be on the hunt for another title when he takes to the field. Harbison will line up against an impressive field of Under 14 Boy’s in the Shot Put and Discus, including teammates Jayden Fenn and Haaris Rizvi (Allana Wignall), as all three athletes go for gold.  

WA’s medals chances continue in the field with Luca Prokscha looking to defend his Australian Title in the Under 16 Boy’s Shot Put when he steps into the throwing circle. Prokscha delivered an impressive final throw of 15.12m to secure the title last year, with a back-to-back Australian Championship title fresh on his mind. 

WA’s depth and size will undoubtedly see the state’s best rise to challenge with the Championships set to run from the 4th to 8th April at the WA Athletics Stadium. The Senior Championships will get underway on the 9th of April and conclude on the 12th of April. 

The 2025 Australian Athletics Championships is the final stop of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series and is supported by the WA Government through Tourism Western Australia, Venues West and Athletics West. 

Tickets can be purchased HERE. 

You can follow all the athletics action from the 2025 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships via Athletics West’s Facebook and Instagram pages.  

For more information about how you can get started in athletics, contact Athletics West on 08 6272 0480 or email admin@athleticswest.com.au 

By Imogen McDonald and David Smith

Published 3 April 2025