It’s been exciting times in Australian athletics recently and now Newington athletes are gearing up to show their champion quality.

Give it up for Newington athletes – Taten R, Taj R, Oliver W, Will C and Harry Halleen (ON 2025) who compete from today at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Brisbane. 

Selected for the New South Wales team from the cream of the State’s athletic talent, these five exceptional Newington athletes will compete in nine events across the six-day national championships at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.  

Year 9 student Taten will go head-to-head in the U16 100 metre and 200 metre Hurdles. Long distance Newington champion, Year 10 student Taj Ramtel will run the U17 800 metres. Year 12 student Will Cheshire will also compete in the 800 metre and the 1500 metre in the Under 18 Category as Year 11 student Oliver Watson takes to the field for NSW in the Pole Vault and the Decathlon, the combined track and field event consisting of 10 different disciplines over two days.  

Harry Halleen (ON 2025) who smashed a 20-year-old GPS record at last year’s AAGPS Athletics Championships in Sydney in September, will also run the 800 metre and 1500 metre in the U20 age group.

Wishing our athletes the very best of luck over the next week, Mr Mark Dickens, Head of Sport, says it is outstanding to see five Newington students achieve State selection. 

‘The Australian Athletics Junior Championships bring together Australia’s most promising young athletes across the U14 to U20 age categories. Taten, Taj, Will, Oliver and Harry should be extremely proud of their achievements in reaching this point in their athletic journey just as we are extremely proud of each of them,’ says Mr Dickens.  

‘We will be watching their performances in Brisbane keenly as they push for personal bests, and will look forward to hearing of their experiences, and insights as we prepare for the approaching athletics season at the College in Terms 2 and 3. ‘ 

Last year, more than 100 students from Years 7 to 12 competed in Newington’s Athletics squad at the AAGPS championships.

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