National Track And Field Athletics Championship BRisbane

Midwest Academy of Sport Athlete, Reuben Chapman, came within a whisker of becoming the Australian Champion over the tough 400m hurdles event at the National Track and Field Championships in Brisbane last weekend.

In a blanket finish, he was relegated to the bronze medallion with just 0.25 seconds separating first, second and third.  The winner was Cameron Badger from NSW in 53.51, second Harrison Badger from Vic 53.60 and Chapman third in 53.76

His coach and Academy head coach, Gary Clark, said it was a superb performance by Chapman on the big stage, slicing a massive 2.5 seconds off his personal best time.  This is the result of an 18-month program to prepare for this event and a huge commitment by Chapman, training 6 days a week, he said.

According to Clark Chapman almost ran the perfect race coming from 4th at the top of the straight to hit the front at the last of the 10 barriers, only to be pipped on the line.  He was able to hold 15 strides between hurdles to the eighth hurdle, allowing him good speed throughout.  A vast improvement coming from 17 strides just 12 months ago.

Chapman was asked by the state selectors to run in the 4 x 400m relay, but had to withdraw due to the relay schedule between the heats and the final of the 400m hurdles

Chapman follows two other successful Geraldton National 400m hurdle medallists, Stacy Tanner, Bronze in 1979, Silver in 1980, Gold in 1981 and Naveah Hill, bronze in 2024, all coached by Clark. 

Chapman will move up to the under-20 division next year and will have 2 years in this division.  Although the hurdle heights will go from 84cm to 91cm, Clark is confident he will cope with this transition.   Our plan from here, he said, is to push for an under-20 world qualifying time of 53 secs and challenge the best worldwide.

Bede Halford was the only other MWAS athlete to compete at the National Championships, contesting the under-15 800m. He had a massive task in his first Championships up against 42 of the best 14-year-old middle-distance runners in Australia.  Running in the first of 4 heats, he ran a very good 2.08, a 3 sec personal best and just under 2 secs from making the final.

Clark said it was a very encouraging performance by Halford in his first National competition and if he continues to improve as he has done over the last 6 months, he will be a consistent finalist in future Australian Championships.

Former MWAS athlete Rowan Dennis, now at university in Perth, competed in the women’s under-20 400m hurdles, finishing with a personal best time of 68 seconds, just missing the final. 

Two other athletes who qualified for the Championships, Wynand Neethling in the under-20 Decathlon and Amelia Heinrich under-15, 90m and 200m hurdles, unfortunately, were unable to compete.  Both were expected to perform well after medalling at the state titles in Feb. and will now have to wait for the 2027 titles.