ATHLETICS: Southern Downs pair Hamish Gartery and Sam Wainwright won a gold medal today in a relay at the Queensland 10-12 years school athletics championships in Brisbane.

Nine students from the Southern Downs competed in the championships.

Hamish (Allora State School) and Sam (Scots PGC) won gold with the Darling Downs relay team in the 10 years age group. They were two of four Southern Downs medallists in the 10 years age group.

Cooper Harm (Allora State School) was second in high jump and Ben Carey (St Mary's) third in 10 years 800m.

In the state championships, Cooper jumped 1.36m, .03 behind the winner. He was 10th in long jump.

Ben also made the Darling Downs cross country team this year so is a star of the future in middle and long distance events.

Both Cooper and Ben have qualified to compete for Queensland in the nationals in November in Sydney.

Reagan McMillan (Allora State School) was eighth in shot put and Lucy Bourke (Scots PGC) 10th in discus and made the finals of the 100m and 200m.

Assumption College student Cooper Seng was ninth in shot put.

Allora State School student Jackson Pitstock and Denika Murray (Glennie Heights) also competed strongly in the state championships.

Darling Downs coach/manager Amelia Sutton (Allora State School) said the team showed great sportsmanship at the state championships.

Today, the 13-19 years championships start with a large Southern Downs representation, including 22 from Warwick State High School in a total of 43 events.