Chelsea Tickell and Kate Wilson, who are competing in the under-13 category, will go up against the country's best for the Australian Little Athletics Championships at Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne.

Tickell will compete in both the 800m and 1500m running events.

She heads into ALAC in top form after winning gold in the 800m and silver in 1500m at state championships earlier this year.

Wilson will be in action for the 1500m race walk and high jump.

Wilson has recently made strong progress in both her race walking and high jump and was able to equal Bendigo's under-13 jump record of 1.55m that was set back in 2016.

Overall the Victorian squad consists of 20 female and 20 male under-13 athletes that were chosen by Little Athletics Vic after the state titles that were held in March.

Sport news:

The ALAC this weekend is conducted as a team-based event where athletes score points for their state which go towards an overall tally.

Part of the selection process involved choosing athletes that not only perform at their best as individuals, but those who are dedicated team members that are able to work together to score points and secure the best possible overall results for Victoria.

The point-based format makes the competition different from the other national championships where athletes compete individually.

Related:

Both Wilson and Tickell have been training with fellow Victorian team members every week during the lead up to the tournament at Keilor under the guidance of specialist coaches - in addition to support from their local coaches Andy Buchanan (Tickell), Paul Rance and Peter Clarke (Wilson).

"Little Athletics Bendigo wishes to congratulate Chelsea and Kate on their selection in the Victorian Team," Little Athletics Bendigo secretary Lynda Wilson said.

"This is the first time that two Bendigo athletes have been part of the same Victorian Little Athletics team, which is a testament to the dedication and commitment that the girls have for their sport.

"Good luck girls as you compete against athletes from across Australia, Bendigo Little Athletics is very proud of you."

All the action will be live streamed at https://littleathletics.com.au/events/alac/.

Little Athletics is an adjusted program for 5-15-year-olds which encompasses several elements of athletics such as running (sprinting, hurdles, endurance running), jumping (long jump, high jump, triple jump) and throwing (discuss, shot put, javelin).

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: