The Goulburn Valley region was well-represented at the garland event held at Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, with youngsters from across the country having descended on the Nathan venue for the spectacle.
Between April 15 and 20, entrants between the ages of 14 and 20 took part in a host of events - with six Shepparton hopefuls making the 1,479 km journey up to Brisbane in a bid for glory.
On day one in Queensland, Shepparton’s Aiden Power ran a huge personal best time of 2:12:67 as he placed fourth in his heat of the 800m, narrowly missing the final in what was a sterling effort from the sprint sensation.
Over the course of the following days, Lucy Potter took fifth place in the Under-20s 400m heat, while Samuel Brown placed in 16th in the 2000m steeple and Harper Cassidy walked into eighth place in the Under-16s 3000m with a time of 18:31:56.
In addition, Noah Farrant took eighth place in the triple jump with a 10.62, while Jasper Brown placed fifth in the 1500m with a personal best time of 4.15.
The latter followed this up by clinching the silver medal in the 3000m as he continues to make a name for himself on the national scene.
This is not the youngster’s first brush with success either, with the talented runner having impressed at the 2025 Australian Athletics All Schools Championships held in Melbourne’s Albert Park in December - taking home bronze on that occasion.
There is no doubting the Shepparton prodigy’s prospects in the world of athletics, with Brown having also broken the long-standing 1500m record at the Shepparton Little Athletics Centre in the past year.
Athletics Victoria State Teams Manager Tom Gamble’s pride was palpable as he highlighted youngster Brown’s dedication to the cause.
“Jasper Brown has put together an exceptional season, showing great commitment across both our winter and summer programs, including XCR, road, relay, and track events.
“His versatility has been outstanding, competing from the 100m hurdles right through to the 3000m.
“To win both the 1500m and 3000m at the Victorian Junior Track and Field Championships was a strong achievement, and he backed that up at the national level with significant personal bests – running 2.5 seconds faster in the 1500m for 5th place, and an almost 11-second improvement in the 3000m to claim silver.
“He’s a great example of the depth and potential coming through in Victoria, and we’re excited to see what’s next for him.”
Aileen Zanelli, Shepparton Little Athletics stalwart, added her own admiration for the efforts of the city’s representatives out on the track in Queensland after witnessing their achievements in person.
“Jasper (Brown) has been having a bumper season, they’ve all been working hard and training hard.
“Sam Brown, Jasper’s brother, had a go at the steeplechase and was fantastic too - I can’t praise them enough.
“They all train so hard and they’ve been reaping the benefits.”
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner paid tribute to the young athletes, their families and supporters for bringing the event to life this year in the city.
“There’s something special about seeing the next generation of stars compete here in our city – especially as they look ahead to the Brisbane 2032 Games,” Cr Schrinner said.
Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell also felt that the future looked bright for Australia’s next generation of stars, following their performances during the spectacle.
“It’s helping build the next generation of athletes as we continue on the green and gold runway to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he said.
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