The University of Sydney Defend Their Championship Titles at 2026 Nationals Athletics Championships

The University of Sydney (USYD) has defended their status as the leading force in university track and field, once again claiming both the men’s and women’s titles at the 2026 UniSport Nationals Athletics Championships. 

The team was nothing short of dominant over the three-day competition, with strong performances across both track and field events driving another commanding victory. 

USYD Head of Athletics, Lilly-Ann O’Hora, spoke about what it means to USYD to once again take out the men’s and women’s pennants. “This is our third consecutive year taking out these titles, and it’s a really special achievement. We have a very young athletics team, and it makes us excited for the future.” 

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) also delivered a strong performance, finishing second in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Rounding out the podium, Adelaide University placed third in the women’s events, while the University of Melbourne secured third in the men’s. 

Overall Results  

Women’s Result – G. R. Hulbert Women’s Overall Champions Trophy 

First: The University of Sydney – 164 points 

Second: University of Technology Sydney – 126 points 

Third: Adelaide University – 94 points 

Fourth: The University of Queensland – 93 points 

Fifth: UNSW Sydney – 92 points 

Men’s Results – Tony Booth Men’s Overall Champion Trophy 

First: The University of Sydney – 170 points 

Second: University of Technology Sydney – 122 points 

Third: The University of Melbourne – 85 points 

Fourth: UNSW Sydney – 73 points 

Fifth: Macquarie University – 60 points 

More than 500 student-athletes from 38 member universities across the country competed at the 2026 UniSport Nationals Athletics Championships, held at the Gold Coast Performance Centre from 22–24 April. 

Across the three days of competition, athletes delivered standout performances, with records broken and personal bests set in a meet that added another chapter to UniSport Athletics history. 

Brian Roe, Family Relations and Athlete Liaison at Athletics Australia, spoke about the standard of competition on display at Nationals Athletics. “Right now is the most exciting time in 60 years for athletics in Australia and for Athletics Australia. Our seven-year partnership with UniSport in delivering Athletics Nationals has played an integral role in these developments. The UniSport Nationals Athletics provides a serious competitive opportunity for emerging young adult athletes, and it’s clear from results over this period that the event has acted as a springboard for new talent progressing into national teams at a slightly older age.” 

This sentiment was echoed by UniSport Australia CEO, Mark Sinderberry, who said “seeing the depth of talent across the championships is incredibly encouraging, particularly with 38 of our 40 member universities represented on the Gold Coast at Nationals Athletics in 2026. The continued growth in participation highlights how far this event has come, and its importance as a key fixture in the university sport calendar. Congratulations to our overall champions, The University of Sydney, on defending their titles.” 

On-field performance wasn’t the only area to lift across the championships. The standard set on the track was matched off it, with a big step up in broadcast quality further enhancing the event experience for athletes, supporters and the broader university sport community. 

This improvement was reflected in the 12-camera live coverage, produced by 34 students from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) School of Creative Arts, Film, Screen and Animation, in partnership with QUT Sport, delivering a world-class production on UniSportTV. 

UniSport Australia CEO, Mark Sinderberry, said the integration of students into the delivery of Nationals Athletics continues to be a critical component of the event’s value. 

“Providing meaningful work-integrated learning opportunities like this is central to what we do as a university sport body. It’s not just about competition, it’s about creating real-world environments where students can apply their skills at a high-performance level, alongside athletes doing the same in their sport. The partnership with QUT is a strong example of how our events can support both participation and employability outcomes across our member network.” 

The 2026 championships delivered a thrilling mix of competition and performance, with standout individual and team efforts adding to the legacy of university athletics.  

Across the three-days, a total of 12 UniSport Championship records were broken, reflecting the calibre of talent across track and field. 

UniSport records set on day one: 

• Men’s Pole Vault: University of Technology Sydney, Aiden Princena-White, 5.25m 
• Women’s Pole Vault: Deakin University, Georgia Tayler, 4.15m 
• Men’s 100m T37: La Trobe University, Ori Drabkin, 13:38 
• Women’s 400m T71: Deakin University, Amy Tobin, 3:27.96 
• Women’s 100m T33: The University of Sydney, Sarah Clifton-Bligh, 25:86. 
• Women’s 1500m T33: The University of Sydney, Sarah Clifton-Bligh, 6:59.93 

UniSport records set on day two: 

• Men’s 110m Hurdles: The University of Sydney, Austin Little, 13.74 (0.6) 
• Women’s 200m T37: University of Technology Sydney, Sybella Warton, 30.75 
• Women’s 800m T33: The University of Sydney, Sarah Clifton-Bligh, 3:23.45 
• Men’s 200m T37: La Trobe University, Ori Drabkin, 28.11 

UniSport records set on day three: 

• Seated Shot Put F32, The University of Sydney, Sarah Clifton-Bligh, 4.96 
• Club Throw F32, Deakin University, Amy Tobin, 5.31 

The UniSport Nationals Athletics championship is the last World Athletics recognised event on the calendar within Australia and saw many university student-athletes attempt to chase international event(s) qualifications. 

Alongside the university student-athletes, there were six invitational athletes from New Caledonia that competed at Nationals Athletics, all of whom competed at the 2026 Australian National Championships, both in the Open in Sydney earlier this month and the U20 titles in Brisbane. 

While performances on the track defined the competition, the spirit of the event was equally evident, with the University of Melbourne recognised with the Spirit Award for their outstanding sportsmanship, team culture, and contribution to the atmosphere of the championships.

Full coverage of the 2026 championship was streamed via UniSportTV. 

Full event results can be accessed via Roster Athletes and the 2026 Final Point Score. 

The UniSport Nationals calendar now turns its attention to the Nationals 3×3 Basketball, held at the University of Canberra from 6-8 May.