Hi Team Toowong,

It has been a little while since we spoke, Christmas has come and gone, the kids are back to school and training has started to ramp up for many of you as we move towards the pointy end of the Summer Athletics season.

For the club there has been a lot happening - new award sponsors, new Australian and World records, State qualifications and much more. Don’t even get me started on what’s occurring in March and April… I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

This time of year is always really busy, March holds the Little Athletics State Championship (Brisbane) and Queensland Athletics State Championships (Brisbane) followed by the Australian Track & Field Championships (Sydney) in April and this year we add the Australian Masters Athletics Championships (Brisbane) being hosted by QMA.

Little Athletics Queensland

Let’s start with our little Athletics team which had their Met-West Regional Championships at Bill Paterson Oval, Ipswich over the weekend. The competition attended by all the LAQ clubs in our region - Ipswich, Souths, Kenmore, Centenary, Rosewood & Colleges. Our Toowong athletes all stood up and performed admirably with over 70 Athletes qualifying for the State LAQ Championships 11^th – 13^th March 2022. Nominations for these State Championships will be managed through the Club’s LAQ Team Manager, Mel Cohen.

Special mention to three of our LAQ/QA athletes who broke regional records.

• Thomas Scott, U12B Javelin:38.56m New Club & Regional Record
• Rebecca Teahen, U16G 1500m Race Walk: 8:03.19 New Regional Record
• Thomas Bryant, U17B 300m Hurdles: 47.34 New Regional Record

For all interested LAQ athletes the McDonalds Combined Events Championships U9-U17s will be on again at SAF on the 26^th & 27^th February, nominations are through ResultsHQ, closing 9:00am Monday the 14^th Feb.

Queensland Athletics

Queensland Athletics Summer Shield meets continue, many of our club members have been dipping their toes into the big pond of QA competition for the first time this season and some returning after many, many years (a long time) away with some stand out performances. We have already seen a number of our young athletes achieve the national qualifying standard required to compete in the Australian Championships at Olympic Park in Sydney at the end of March. With only two more Shield meets and one Hump Day meet before the 125^th Queensland Athletics Championships, now is the time to get those qualifying events ticked off to take the pressure away from the Championships themselves. The full list of events can be found here https://www.qldathletics.org.au/competition/

With regards to the Qld State Championships please be aware there is no qualification standard to compete at these championships, anyone and everyone is welcome if they have a Qld Athletics Club membership.

The Championships which run from the 3^rd – 6^th March takes considerable organisation. NOTE!!! nominations close 9.00am Tuesday week the 22^nd February (10days before the event, Don’t Miss Out) Further information can be found here. https://www.qldathletics.org.au/index.cfm/competition/details/?id=645

Athletes who wish to progress through to representing Qld at 2022 Australian Athletics Track & Field Championships must also be either Gold or Platinum members of Qld Athletics.

To attend Nationals as a competitor, an athlete must have met the qualifying standard or placed top 3 at the Qld State Championships (QA not LAQ).

NOTE!!! Even if you have qualified for Nationals, athletes must attend the State Championships (though this can be for other events). If you have an event qualifying metric, see standards https://www.athletics.com.au/entrystandards/ but cannot attend the State Championships, You will need to apply for any exemption to become a Qld Team member, this should be requested ASAP in writing to info@qldathletics.org.au

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Queensland Masters Athletics

There has been plenty of QMA action leading into the Australian Masters Athletics Championships 2022, we have seen a real influx of Toowong Harriers Athletics Club athletes not just mixing it up but winning medals and breaking national records! So, if you have been pondering the idea of competing or even if you’re a social XC runner, there has never been a better time than now to sign up and have a go. There are no pre-set qualifying times to achieve for Masters Nationals.

In a first from our sport, all Queensland Athletics registered athletes who are over the age of 30 have been invited by Queensland Masters to compete at the 2022 Australian Masters Athletics Championship with no additional membership requirements.

Track & Field, Road Running and Cross Country are all on the programme.

The Australian Masters Athletics Championship is on in Brisbane during 1-4 April 2022. All Athletes 30 years and over by 1st April 2022 are invited to enter!
Discounted Early bird entries close on 21st February. You can register here www.brisbane2022nationals.com.au. Competition age is the age you are on the first day of competition.