Sixteen-year-old Maya Taber has stamped herself as one of Australia’s most exciting junior sprinters, producing a dominant sprint double at the NSW Junior Championships last weekend.
Competing in the under-18 ranks, Taber (who turns 17 in May) claimed victory in both the 100m and 200m, delivering performances that place her firmly in the national conversation ahead of upcoming global championships.
Her 11.49 (+1.3) in the 100m sits just outside the top eight open performances on the Australian rankings during the Commonwealth Games qualifying window. However it is in the 200m ranks where she most stands out, with her 23.17 (+0.9) the second-fastest time in the country across that same period, trailing only the 22.56 run by Torrie Lewis in Tokyo at the World Championships. The performance sees her just one-hundredth-of-a-second ahead of another junior phenomenon, 18-year-old Zara Hagan from Queensland.
Coached by Roger Fabri, who previously guided the early development of Delta Amidzovski, Taber’s performances underline both her current standing and future potential. Importantly, both marks comfortably meet qualifying standards for the World Under-20 Championships, signalling her readiness for international competition.
Depth emerging in 200m ranks
Taber was not alone in producing world-class junior performances in the 200m, with the event showcasing impressive depth.
Alice Hill (23.95) and Matilda Harrison (24.12) both dipped under the World Under-20 qualifying standard, finishing second and third respectively behind Taber. Hill backed up her sprint performance with victory in the 400m, clocking 54.53—another World Under-20 qualifier—to complete a standout championships.
Also impressing over one lap, Naomi Krajancic—just 16 years old—stepped up into the under-20 ranks to place second in 54.81, also inside the World Under-20 qualifying standard in a performance that highlights her progression and competitiveness against older athletes.
Strong showings in U20 events
In the under-20 competition, Tatiana Reyes produced one of the more notable runs of the meet, clocking 11.91 into a 2.2 m/s headwind—a performance that suggests significantly faster times in more favourable conditions. She returned to win the 200m in 23.63 (+0.6), a World Under-20 qualifier.
Over 400m, Mariam Kamara also hit the World Under-20 standard with a 54.77 performance, further highlighting the strength of NSW’s female sprint pipeline.
Next wave emerging in U16 ranks
The future of Australian sprinting was also on display in the under-16 competition, led by Rhema Adelaja.
Adelaja produced a standout sprint double, clocking 11.76 (+0.5) in the 100m and 23.68 (+0.5) in the 200m—performances that underline her status as one of the most promising young sprinters in the country.
Building toward global opportunities
With multiple athletes achieving World Under-20 qualifying standards across sprint events, the NSW Junior Championships served as a clear indicator of the emerging depth in Australian women’s sprinting.
For Taber, however, the meet marked something more definitive—a statement performance that not only delivered titles, but positioned her among the nation’s leading sprinters, regardless of age.
