Eight athletes with links to Athletics Bendigo clubs or the Latrobe University Bendigo athletics complex in Flora Hill will compete at the three-day titles.

The talented youngsters qualified by winning gold or silver at last month’s Victorian All-Schools finals at Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne.

Moore will race in the under-16 2km steeplechase at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Bendigo Harriers clubmate Richardson will race in the under-18 100m and 200m for athletes with a disability.

At the Victorian titles Richardson achieved a time of 15.42 in the 100m, and 31.93 in the 200m.

Richardson won three gold medals at last year’s Australian All-Schools championships at Lakeside in Albert Park.

The walk action in Canberra will include Rochester Secondary College’s Zahra Hayes in the under-16 3km contest.

Hayes and South Bendigo clubmate Emma Berg are in superb form.

A student at Swan Hill College, Berg will contest the under-16 discus and shot put.

Berg struck gold in both disciplines at the Victorian championships.

A best of 42.33 metres clinched gold in the discus.

Berg put the shot past the 14-metre mark.

Another of South’s young stars, Taryn Furletti will race the under-16 3000m and under-14 1500m.

Furletti studies at Kilmore’s International College and won the 3000m final at the state schools titles.

Weeroona College’s Abbey Hromenko will contest the under-16 high jump.

The teenager is a member of South Bendigo Athletics Club.

Melbourne-based students Fraser Symons and Archie Wallis will contest hurdles and distance runs respectively.

Symons will put his hurdling skills to the test in the under-16s 200m duel.

A previous member of Bendigo Harriers, Symons is studying at Melbourne Grammar.

Wallis is a student at Scotch College and qualified for the under-18 800m at the Australian All Schools.

Medals across the under-14, under-16 and under-18 age groups will be up for grabs when students from across the country compete from Friday until Sunday.