School
23 October, 2025
Local Athletes Shine at Track and Field Championships
Three athletes from our coverage area took to the track in warm and humid conditions at the 2025 Queensland Track and Field State Championships, held at the Townsville Sports Precinct from October 13 to 19.
Having qualified to represent the Darling Downs last term these three athletes competed with pride against some of the state’s best across seven action-packed days.
In the Girls 11 Years 100m Sprint, Elsie Palfreyman competed strongly in a field of 38 athletes, recording a time of 14.76 seconds in her heat and finishing 31st overall. It was a special milestone for Elsie, marking her first appearance at the Queensland trials. A former student of Texas P-10 State School, Elsie’s efforts were proudly followed by her family and friends.
Elsie was also a member of the Darling Downs 11 Years Girls 4 x 100m relay team, where she ran the third leg. The girls finished 9th overall — a great effort against some tough competition.
In the 13 Years Girls 400m, Natalie Anderson, a student at Inglewood State School, ran a time of 1:08.23 in her heat, holding her own in a competitive field of 24 runners. Although Natalie didn’t qualify for the final, it was certainly a valuable and memorable experience.
For the 16 Years Boys, Brock Dawson, from Texas P-10 State School, competed in both the 400m and 800m events.
In the 400m, with 17 competitors vying for a spot in the final Brock ran 52.93 in the heats, qualifying 5th fastest. He then set a personal best of 51.10 seconds in the final, earning himself a silver medal.
In the 800m, Brock ran 2:04.04 in the preliminaries to qualify for the final, where he improved again with a 2:03.88, finishing 6th overall in a strong field of 18 athletes.
Earlier in the month, Brock also competed at the All-Schools Athletics Championships at QSAC in Brisbane (October 2–5), a selection event for the upcoming Australian All Schools Championships in Melbourne. At this event, he placed 3rd in the 800m, which was a timed final, earning a bronze medal with a time of 2:03.45. He also made the final of the 400m after running 51.63 in the heats and finished 7th in the final with a time of 52.60 seconds.
Elsie, Natalie, and Brock showed outstanding determination, sportsmanship, and resilience throughout their time in Townsville — gaining valuable experience and representing their schools and communities with pride. Congratulations to you all!