Julia Scott is in Perth to compete in the Australian Junior Championships. Photo: Robert Chappel. 0603RCH01
JULIA Scott is part of a north west invasion of the far west.
The 16-year old is one of a number of local athletes competing in the Australian Junior Championships, which begin in Perth today .
Nick Price, Amory Merrick, Lia Mills, Ben Allen and Jessica Aldridge have also qualified for the nationals and will compete in a range of throwing and running events.
Scott has qualified in four events and three different disciplines.
She’ll contest the U18s and U20s high jump, and U18s long jump and hurdles.
For the U20s high jump she had to jump a qualifying height, but for the other three she had to finish within a set place for her age at
last month’s State Championships.
She returned with two fourths and a seventh, which for her age equated to second in the high jump and long jump and fourth in the hurdles.
Perth is the Calrossy student’s fourth nationals.
Last year she competed in the high jump and 100m hurdles. The year before she was injured and couldn’t compete but in 2010 she picked up bronze in the high jump.
This year she’s hoping to at least final in all her events.
“I’m hoping to do a PB in the hurdles and in the high jump I’m aiming for about 1.70m,” she said.
At state she cleared 1.65m, but has jumped 1.69m before.
“Since (last) August I’ve jumped 1.68, 1.66 and 1.65m twice,” she said.
She reckoned she’ll probably have to go around 1.75m to get close to a medal.
“The top end of my age group is way above the rest of the pack,” she said.
For the hurdles she said she’d like to go 15 flat. At state she ran 15.30secs.
The long jump is a bit of an unknown. It’s an added bonus,” she said.
“A PB would be nice but I’ll have to wait and see.”
She’ll be in action this afternoon with her hurdles preliminaries at about 4.30pm (WA time).
The high jump will be a couple of hours later.
Mills doesn’t race until Thursday. She’s qualified for both the U16s 200m and 400m and will be hoping to improve on her fourth in the 400m last year.
Allen races tomorrow in the U17s 400m.
Price will compete in the hammer throw, Merrick the javelin and Aldridge the U15 discus, shot put and javelin.
