TERRIFIC EFFORT: Ipswich and District Athletic Club thrower Filoi Aokusu and her coach Mick Moore.
THREE of the Ipswich region’s most promising athletes are anxiously waiting to see if they are named in the Australian team for the Junior World Championships.
Ipswich and District Athletic Club representatives Filio Aokuso, Larissa Chambers and Cassie Purdon are in line for the top-level competition in July.
The trio has achieved qualifying standards at recent meetings, including last weekend’s Australian Junior Track and Field Championships in Sydney.
The national team competing in Oregon, USA, is expected to be named early next week.
Aokuso, Chambers and Purdon joined with rising talent Rochelle Vidler in winning three gold and six silver medals at Olympic Park.
Former NSW athlete Aokuso strengthened her case for national selection by winning gold in the under-20 discus.
Her latest 50.87m throw easily exceeded the world junior standard that she had also achieved in previous events. Her personal best is 51.40m.
Aokuso added a silver medal in the under-20 shotput in Sydney.
“She just gets things done,” coach Mick Moore said of the athlete he has worked with for two years. “She’s pretty calm.
“That (making the Junior World Championships team) was her target this year.”
Aokuso’s latest discus performance was timely after having some time off and suffering soreness in her left shoulder.
She is off to the physio today for a check-up.
Moore rates Aokuso a future Commonwealth Games prospect, sentiments shared by Chambers’ coach Vic Pascoe and Purdon’s mentor Bailey Pashley.
Pascoe was delighted with Chambers’ performance in Sydney. She won a gold medal as part of Queensland’s 4x400m relay team after collecting silver medals in the under-20 100m (11.69), 200m (24.22) and 4x100m relay.
Her run in the 100m was a World Junior qualifying standard.
Purdon won a silver in the under-20 high jump (1.79m) to continue her recent bid for World Junior Championships selection.
Vidler became Australian junior champion in the under-14 discus (37.31m) and won a silver in the U14 javelin. Her javelin throw of 37.31m was a personal best.
“She can do anything,” Pascoe said.
Emily Beston just missed a bronze medal in the under-17 steeplechase, running 7.28.55.
A number of club athletes set personal bests.
“It was absolutely fantastic,” Pascoe said.
