THE depth of athletic talent emerging from the Ipswich and Districts Athletic Association was on full display in Melbourne last month, with local athletes producing outstanding results at the Australian All Schools Championships.
Competing against more than 1000 of the nation’s best junior athletes across the U14 to U18 age groups, the Ipswich contingent delivered one of its strongest national performances to date.
Athletes were tested by challenging conditions across the four-day championships, with weather fluctuating from wet and windy to extreme heat and humidity.
Despite the demanding environment, performances continued to rise, with personal bests, championship records and podium finishes reinforcing Ipswich’s reputation as one of Queensland’s strongest athletics nurseries.
The team was led by outstanding performers Jonte Tukuafu, Abbey Crocker and Hudson Severinsen.
Throwing events proved a major strength for the Ipswich squad, highlighted by a dominant championships from Crocker in the U15 age group. She claimed gold in both the shot put and discus, throwing personal bests of 13.64m and 42.64m respectively to secure a memorable national double.
Severinsen delivered one of the standout performances of the entire championships in the U14 division, launching the hammer an outstanding 59.61m to win gold and set a new championships record. He followed that performance with a silver medal in the discus, throwing 50.76m. Fellow Ipswich thrower Tukuafu also enjoyed a highly successful meet, claiming gold in the shot put with a throw of 17.25m and adding a bronze medal in the discus.
The medal success continued in the field events, with Ruby Bohen winning gold in the U16 javelin with a throw of 43.88m. At U18 level, Saskia Josipovic further underlined her national credentials by claiming silver in the discus and bronze in the shot put, while Jackson Bray added a strong bronze medal in the discus with a throw of 54.31 metres.
On the track, Ipswich athletes demonstrated both speed and versatility. Sophie Whitfield was a standout in the U14 age group, finishing third in the 200m and playing a key role in the championship-record-breaking 4x100m relay team, which claimed gold in a time of 47.24 seconds. Whitfield also contributed to a bronze medal in the 4x200m relay, rounding out an impressive championships campaign.
Addison Farinazzo showed determination and resilience in the U17 hurdles events, rebounding from a fall in the 100m hurdles to claim a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:02.96.
Strong middle-distance performances were recorded by Sasha Josipovic, Conor Mathewson, Luca Gigliotti and Dakota Stewart, each producing competitive runs and personal bests in their respective events against deep national fields.
The 2025 championships results continue a clear upward trend for the Ipswich and Districts Athletic Association at national level.
