Thank you to The QT for sharing Madison's achievements in two recent stories. You can read the full story below, or visit the QT Website.
Athletic allrounder has plenty to be proud of
Story Credit - David Lems, QT (view story on QT website)
THREE-time national silver medallist Madison Wells jokes that with her height, she should be a good high jumper.
However, after her career best effort at the recent Australian Multi-events championships in Melbourne, she has plenty to be proud of.
The versatile Lockyer District Athletic Club competitor continued her impressive rise in heptathlon, winning the 800m, coming second in the javelin and long jump and placing third in the hurdles and 200m.
After finishing sixth in the high jump, she said that was a part of her training she needed to improve.
However, the personality-charged Year 11 West Moreton Anglican College student was delighted to collect an under-17 national silver medal in her challenging two-day competition, after also finishing second at under 15 and under 16 Australian level in Sydney.
"That's definitely my best result,'' Wells, 16, said.
"Just because how well I handled the competition.
"For me, sometimes you get a little bit stressed out.
"Some events may not go to plan. You have seven to train for, seven to get right on the two days.
"It's a lot of mental preparation as well. You have to think really hard about what you need to do because if you get one little smidgen of that part wrong, it will affect your point score.''
It all came together in Melbourne with Wells increasing her personal best score by more than 200 points.
"The training was really fierce coming up to it,'' she said.
"Everything was just going really smoothly so I was happy about that.''
Rating the 800m her favourite event, Wells shared why she enjoyed the heptathlon.
"I always get bored doing one or two things. I love a challenge,'' she said.
After starting with Ipswich Little Athletics, she followed coach Bailey Pashley to his new Lockyer District club.
The well-spoken teenager appreciated all the support from Pashley and her parents Sharyn and Lee.
"I used to just do discus and just to be a thrower,'' she said.
"I really got bored with that. I had talent in all the areas, I just wasn't good at everything and then someone actually said 'you should try heptathlons' and then we found Bailey.
"He was welcoming.''
She has continued to make multiple improvements since.
Pashley said the national silver medal-winning effort of Wells showed how multi-event athletes don't have to win every event to be successful.
However, Pashley said they need to be consistent across all seven disciplines.
"The athletes can't afford to have a weak event,'' Pashley said.
"The other essential for these athletes is to have good speed and strength, which Madi has.
"Above all she has tremendous endurance for an excellent 800m.''
Preparing for a three-week break from athletics, Wells is back at WestMAC keen to catch up on her studies.
National medal rewards for multi-talented duo
Story Credit - David Lems, QT (view story on QT website)
ATHLETICS: Two of Ipswich's most promising regional competitors have won national medals and motivated other athletes with their major successes.
Lockyer District club achiever Madison Wells won a silver medal and Ipswich District Athletic Club representative Kiara Condon collected a bronze at last weekend's Australian Multi-events championships in Melbourne.
Although some age groups had small fields, Wells excelled in a strong division featuring 14 competitors.
Wells totalled 4812 points from her seven under 17 events, an improvement by 226 points on her state titles performance.
Condon accumulated 3667 points in her under 15 heptathlon competition, bettering her previous Queensland championships effort by 160 points.
Respected Lockyer coach Bailey Pashley said Wells chose to direct all her training for the national heptathlon, forgoing individual events at the Australian Junior Championships in Sydney a fortnight ago.
"Madi has put in 100% commitment and dedication for her event during a long season which began last June with school events,'' Pashley said.
"It is now rest and recovery time for two months to refresh and cure any niggling injuries. Then it all begins again.''
Pashley said Wells' Lockyer club mates Annie McGuire, Hayley Reynolds, Caitlin Taylor and Aden Cowdroy are in the final peaking phase for their Sydney Nationals where they will line up in 10 events.
"They are overjoyed with Madi's result which, in turn, motivates them to do as well,'' Pashley said.
West Moreton Anglican College student Wells was in third place after the first day of competition with her best overall score for the first four events.
Her second day is usually her strong events in the long jump and especially her 800m.
With results on the board and with a good night's rest she believed if all went well she could hold a medal place at the end of competition.
Her second day started with her second best long jump, which moved her into second place with two events to go including her less favoured javelin throw.
"But she gave her best with her first two throws over 30 metres, which was a season best. Then she gave her all with the final throw which was a massive 36.41m,'' Pashley said.
"This consolidated her into the silver medal place and with the other Queenslander throwing the javelin below her best it would have had to be a record run in the final event the 800m for Madi to take the gold.''
To achieve that, Wells had to run an 800m time of under two minutes, 10 seconds or beat the leader by 19 seconds or about 120 metres.
"Madi led the field from the start having to hold off two strong challenges with 250m to go but Madi put the foot down around the final bend and held the lead. Although there were four other girls desperately chasing her, she had enough puff left to win by over two seconds,'' her coach said.
In all Wells posted one win (800m), two seconds (javelin and long jump), two thirds (hurdles, 200m), a fourth (shot put) and sixth (high jump).
Year 9 St Mary's College student Condon also produced a committed effort in Melbourne.
She set a personal best 2.47.97 in the finishing fourth in the 800m.
She won her high jump (1.48m) and shotput (9.91m) events.
In the other disciplines, Condon ran 15.39s in the 90m hurdles (coming second), ran 30.34s in the 200m (4th), reached 4.27m in the long jump (4th) and cast the javelin 26.88m (third).
Year 9 St Mary's College student Condon also produced a committed effort in Melbourne.
She set a personal best 2.47.97 in the finishing fourth in the 800m.
She won her high jump (1.48m) and shotput (9.91m) events.
In the other disciplines, Condon ran 15.39s in the 90m hurdles (coming second), ran 30.34s in the 200m (4th), reached 4.27m in the long jump (4th) and cast the javelin 26.88m (third).