WA’S YOUNG GUNS MAKE THEIR MARK IN MALAYSIA
Published Thu 18 Jul 2024
WA’s younger athletes have distinguished themselves as a leading force at the 29th Annual International Tour, claiming an astonishing 55 medals in Malaysia.
The two-day competition seen 33 of the best of WA’s young athletes compete in several events against the Singapore Sports School Council (SSSC) and Ministry of Education of Malaysia (MSSM), bringing home 13 gold, 11 silver and 31 bronze medals from the competition.
Athletics West Little Athlete of the Year Sophie Williams (Ridgewood Athletics Centre) raised the bar in the Under 15 Girls competition, claiming an impressive five gold medals and one silver and taking out the Under 15 Girls Best Athlete. Williams raced to her first gold medal in the Under 15 Girls 100m, crossing the line first in 12.74 (+0.5) only 0.05 seconds in front of Malaysia’s Felicia Yap Zhi Thong.
Williams launched her way to the top of the podium in the Under 15 Girls Javelin with a throw of 41.39m and rounded out day one with another gold in the Under 15 Girls Long Jump with an impressive 5.53m jump.
Backing it up on day two, Williams dominated the field in the Under 15 Girls Triple Jump by almost one meter, leaping to 11.29m before going on to claim her fifth gold medal in the Under 15 Girls High Jump clearing 1.58m. Rounding out a slew of impressive performances, Williams secured silver in the Under 15 Girls 100m Hurdles crossing the line in 15.33 (+0.9) for another close finish between first and second place.
Alyssa Hart (UWA Athletics Club) dominated the throws in the Under 14 Girls competition, claiming gold and a new competition record in the Javelin with a huge throw of 39.66m while also securing silver in Shot Put with 12.38m on day one. Backing it up on day two, Hart claimed her second gold medal with an impressive throw of 34.75m in Discus crowning her the Under 14 Girls Best Athlete.
Leon Boonzaaier (Joondalup Athletics) was announced Under 15 Boys Best Athlete with a gold medal performance in the Under 15 Boys High Jump, leaping to 1.90m while Brookyln Bennett (Port Hedland) claimed Under 14 Boys Best Athlete with three impressive performances on the track, claiming silver in the 400m with 52.43 and bronze in the 100m and 200m, crossing the line in 11.68 (+0.02) and 23.77 (+0.1) respectively.
Tristan Wilson (Belmont Athletics Centre) added four new medals to his athletics resume, claiming gold in the Under 15 Boys Javelin with a huge throw of 48.90m. Wilson also took third place in the Under 15 Boys Discus, throwing 46.22m and secured bronze in the Under 15 Boys Shot Put with 13.11m and the 100m Hurdles crossing the finish line in 14.51 (+1.5).
Rocco Parlongo (Hamersley Athletics Centre) and Olivia Scheepers (Bunbury Districts Athletics Centre) rounded out the gold medals in field events, with Parlongo taking out the top spot in the Under 14 Boys Javelin with an impressive 46.58m while Scheepers threw 12.56m in the Under 14 Girls Shot Put to secure first place.
On the track Mia Shelley (Ridgewood Athletics Centre) dominated the Under 14 Girls 200m Hurdles securing her first gold medal clocking in at 29.47 (+0.2) before backing up with another gold in the 400m, finishing in an impressive 62.07.
Trent D’Alessio (Gosnells LAC), Katica Borsic (Gosnells LAC) and Trinity Doulis (Belmont Athletics Centre) added to WA’s medal haul, all claiming silver in their 1500m Race Walk events, while Oliver Reynolds (Inglewood Athletics), Acacia Redman (Cockburn LAC) and Molly Brayshaw (Kingsway LAC) all secured silver in Long Jump. Chilli Broughton (Joondalup Athletics Centre) and Ashley Pike (Cockburn LAC) rounded out the silver medals in the field, with Broughton throwing an impressive 28.78m in the Under 14 Girls Discus and Pike launching into second place with 32.66m in the Under 15 Girls Javelin.
It was raining bronze medals for WA in Malaysia, with the likes of Gracie-lee Briggs (Cockburn LAC), Michael Passeretto (Southern Districts LAC) and Caitlin O’Connell (Joondalup Athletics Centre) all placing third in the 200m Hurdles while Evan John Jimmy (UWA Athletics Centre) also claimed bronze in the 200m event.
Back out on the field, Chilli Broughton (Joondalup Athletics Centre), Alan Thomas (Kwinana Little Athletics) and Isabelle Curtis (Ridgewood Athletics Centre) brought home bronze in the Javelin, while Brodie Lowry (Hamersley Athletics Centre) claimed bronze in the Under 14 Boys High Jump at 1.75m and Travarn Ackerman (Ridgewood Athletics Centre) claimed bronze in the Under 14 Boys Long Jump with 6.16m.
WA wrapped up a spectacular team performance in Malaysia, claiming a quartet of bronze medals in the 4 x 100m relay’s and replicating the results in the 4 x 400m relay event.
The complete results from the 29th Annual International Tour can be found HERE.
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By Imogen McDonald (Athletics West)
Posted 18 July 2024
