Juniors shine in Sydney

Photos courtesy of Fred Etter and Michael Thomas.

The next generation of Australian athletics looks bright if results from Junior events at the Australian Championships is anything to go by.

Despite often wet conditions, sensational performances were recorded by athletes in the Under 20 age group in Sydney. For many the World Junior Championships in Santiago de Cali, Columbia beckons as the next step in their career.

Here’s a look at the Top 10 performances recorded across the meet, as assessed against the IAAF Scoring Tables.*

#1 – Calab Law – 200m

The Queenslander sped to a meet record 20.64 seconds with the aid of a 0.7 m/s tailwind. He’s one of the favourites for the open event later in the program and at 18, would be the youngest ever national champion over the distance.

#2 – Jai Gordon – 100m

A fast 10.28 seconds (+0.7) personal best to claim the blue ribband event ahead of Law.

#3 – Claudia Hollingsworth – 1500m

The Victorian controlled a fast 1500m final where the top eight all ran world junior qualifiers. Hollingsworth’s 4:13.41 was the second fastest time of her burgeoning career.

#4 – Torrie Lewis – 200m

The Queensland speedster focused on the junior events ahead of the possibility of open success, taking out the sprint double. Her 23.46 second win in the 200m came in wet conditions, into a slight 0.2 m/s headwind.

#5 – Nicola Hogg – 1500m

Runner-up in the 1500m behind Hollingsworth, the Stanford bound NSW athlete ran a new personal best of 4:15.13.

#6 – Calab Law – 100m

Runner-up behind Gordon in the 100m, in a new personal best of 10.36 seconds (-0.7).

#7 – Amy Bunnage – 3000m

The Victorian bounced back from a fourth place finish in the 1500m to front run a 9:06.93 3000m, just two-hundredths of a second outside the meet record held by Suzy Walsham.

#8 – Torrie Lewis – 100m

A close race with West Australia’s Taylah Cruttenden, taking victory in 11.59 seconds (-0.9).

#9 – Hayley Kitching – 800m

A new personal best of 2:04.80 for a convincing victory over two laps, following a third place finish over 1500m.

#10 – Taylah Cruttenden – 100m

Just three-hundredths of a second shy of victory behind Torrie Lewis over the short sprint.

*Notable – 110m hurdles (0.99m) – Mitchell Lightfoot and Tayleb Willis

There’s no direct comparison that can be made for the junior men’s sprint hurdles, which are run at 99.1cm rather than the 106.7cm open height, but Mitchell Lightfoot’s 13.59 and Tayleb Willis’ 13.61 were classy performances.

Congratulations to all National Junior Champions!

A great collection of photos from each day of the Australian Championships is available, courtesy of Fred Etter. Please subscribe to our mailing list for download access.

Recent posts:

• 
  Australia Strikes Gold at World University Games
  Australia’s track and field squad delivered a standout performance at the 2025 FISU World University Games, finishing atop the athletics medal table after a golden final day in Bochum, Germany. With five golds, two silvers and three bronzes across seven days of competition, it was the Australia’s most successful World University Games campaign, and a… Read more: Australia Strikes Gold at World University Games
• 
  Ed Marks streaks to victory at Lakeside10
  Ed Marks continued his exceptional road form with a dominant win at the 2025 Lakeside10, clocking 28:55 to take out the men’s title in a fast and deep field. Backing up recent strong performances, including a runaway win at the Victoria Cross Country titles in Ballarat and a slick 13:54 performance at the Lakeside5, Marks proved once again… Read more: Ed Marks streaks to victory at Lakeside10
• 
  Leanne Pompeani wins Harbour 10 amid Sydney Marathon preparations
  Leanne Pompeani added another win to her resume on Sunday, claiming victory in the women’s 10K at the 2025 Real Insurance Harbour 10, just five weeks out from her biggest challenge yet — the TCS Sydney Marathon, where she’ll line up in place of competing for Australia at the World Championships in Tokyo. Clocking 32:27, Pompeani led home… Read more: Leanne Pompeani wins Harbour 10 amid Sydney Marathon preparations
• 
  Inside Track: Weekly Wrap (23 July 2025 edition)
  Welcome to the first edition of Inside Track — your curated wrap of the biggest stories in athletics from across Australia and around the globe. Each week, we’ll scan the headlines, cut through the noise, and bring you the must-read articles that matter — from record-breaking performances to governance shakeups, broadcast moves, and the latest… Read more: Inside Track: Weekly Wrap (23 July 2025 edition)
• 
  Seth O’Donnell: Fast 5000m at the Night of Athletics
  In his latest vlog, Seth O’Donnell takes us inside a big training and race day double — complete with muscle soreness, minimal sleep, and some creative pre-race strategies. After pulling up sore and short on rest, Seth talks through his threshold session (3×10 minutes), shares a few laughs behind the scenes, and gives a peek… Read more: Seth O’Donnell: Fast 5000m at the Night of Athletics