ATHLETICS: Warwick State High School student Zac Caterson has his eyes set on representing Australia at a World Youth Championships one day.

This week, he has returned home from the nationals in Sydney with bronze medals in Under-16 javelin, discus and shot.

"The competition in Sydney was the closest I have been part of,” he said.

When he first competed at the nationals, he was the tallest in his age group, but the others have now caught up.

"There was less than a metre between the top three in discus and shot. I was 6cm off second in discus and 30cm off first in shot.

"I was happy with my performances in Sydney and will have an eight-week break from throwing when I will concentrate on strength and technique.”

Caterson said he was having a few breakthroughs with his technique.

"Up to the nationals, I was training each Saturday with Mick Moore in Ipswich in discus and shot,” he said.

His father Paul is his coach in javelin. His medal tally at national level is now 12.

Before heading to Sydney, he won three silver medals in the Queensland Junior Athletics Championships, competing under the Ipswich and District Athletics Club banner, and then won gold in discus and shot and silver in javelin at the Queensland Little Athletics Championships.

He was one of three Warwick medallists in state little athletics.

Justyn Rogers won a gold and two silvers in his last state championships and Bree Ragh won her first state medal, bronze in javelin, in her second last year in little athletics.

See little athletics photos in a future edition