![Newcastle Runners squad member Jemma Pollard (right) and coach Tim Eschebach at the recent Stawell Gift. Picture via Facebook Newcastle Runners squad member Jemma Pollard (right) and coach Tim Eschebach at the recent Stawell Gift. Picture via Facebook](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gNecaFSpqFSLkittedmeiY/efe61f04-41b1-4d2a-be3c-95363629152f.jpg/r0_149_768_558_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
JEMMA Pollard will take a step up at the Australian Athletics Championships with an eye towards dual international stages in 2024.
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Fresh from a third-place finish at the Stawell Gift sprint over Easter, the 18-year-old Novocastrian plans to run in the senior ranks and mix it with the best in the women's 400-metre business.
Competition begins in Adelaide on Thursday with Pollard, who hails from Whitebridge and started her career at the Kotara South club, hoping to cement positions for both the World Athletics Relay Championships (Bahamas, May 4-5) and World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
Pollard currently holds the country's fastest qualifying time in her age group, a personal best of 52.97 seconds clocked at last month's Canberra Track Classic, and recently helped the Aussie women's 4x400m relay team book a ticket to the Bahamas (May 4-5).
"I wanted to run in opens [rather than under-20] in regards to getting a better spot for world relays because I need to mix myself in with the top five or six to be there," Pollard told the Newcastle Herald.
Pollard switched gears at Stawell to tackle the shorter 120m event and despite "crazy" weather conditions before the final, described it as a "good experience".
"It teaches you how to race. You're not out there to get a time, you're out there to beat the person next to you," she said.
Pollard, coached by Tim Eschebach, will be joined at South Australia Athletics Stadium this week by fellow Newcastle Runners squad members Sam Taylor (long jump), Rhys Dobbins (110m hurdles), Grace Hewitt (100m, 200m) and Summah Harrison (100m).
Paralympic pair Rheed McCracken and Luke Bailey are both listed in men's 100m wheelchair races.