2026 Australian Junior National Athletics U20 Championships in Brisbane
MS CATHALINA WALSH, TRACK AND FIELD SPC
Our Summer Athletics season reached a thrilling conclusion over the holidays as a group of our finest track athletes travelled to Brisbane for the 2026 Australian Junior National Athletics Championships. Competing from April 15th to 19th, the boys traded their school colours for state vests, taking on the very best young talent in the country in a week defined by elite competition and incredible personal growth.
The middle-distance events are notoriously tough at a national level, yet our boys looked right at home. In the U20 800m, Charlie Culbert and Lachlan Maiers fought through a physical and demanding race. While they didn't quite hit their peak times on the day, they lined up against the fastest U20s in Australia and represented the College with immense pride.
Joining them on the PB trail was Thomas Poynton , whose brilliant execution in the U20 800m saw him shave time off his previous best. Meanwhile, Matteo Shipman proved that his season-long consistency was no fluke, delivering yet another personal best performance in the U18 800m.
The busiest athlete of the week was undoubtedly AJ Lukas . Competing across the U15 800m, 1500m, and 3000m, AJ showed incredible stamina and grit to come away with a Personal Best in all three events .
The highlight of the sprints came from Miller Siasat , whose journey to the Nationals involved a truly unique preparation. During the holidays, the College was privileged to host Trinidad & Tobago’s Olympic, Commonwealth and World Championship medalist Keston Bledman . Mr Bledman, now working with the Adidas High Performance team alongside global stars such as Paris Olympian Noah Lyles, spent time sharing valuable speed insights with our U14 and U15 rugby teams through the efforts of coordinator Oscar Dempsey, before leading a national coaching clinic for Athletics Australia at Sydney Olympic Park.
Miller was selected to act as a demonstrator for the Olympic star, and he clearly took every word of advice to heart. The following week, Miller put those elite tips into practice, exploding out of the blocks to clock a blistering 10.88sec PB in the U20 100m. This breakthrough performance secured him a spot in his first-ever national semifinal, marking him as a rising star to watch.
While the results and PB marks are impressive, what truly stands out is the character these boys displayed. Competing at a National Championship requires months of lonely training, early starts, and the courage to test oneself against the nation's best.
We congratulate each of these students. Their success is a direct reflection of their hard work, the expert guidance of our coaching staff, and the fantastic support from their families and the College community.
We couldn't be prouder of our 2026 National representatives!
