It lacked the head-to-head lustre of a four-way clash of Australia's quickest boys last year, but Jack Hale has again emerged as the country's quickest schoolboy. 
Hale claimed back-to-back 100-metre gold medals at the All Schools championships when he ran 10.56s to win at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park on Saturday. Hale was hoping to beat his own national under-18 record of 10.42s in perfect warm conditions but was content with the win alone.
"I can't complain too much," Hale said. "I am happy with it. I got the win, so can't complain. If everything went right I was hoping to break the 10.42 national record and it didn't happen today but I still have one more comp to do it - Reunion Day at the Domain in Hobart - so hopefully push for it there."
Hale turns 18 next year so technically he can only break the under-18 record before   January 1.
"The heat was a really nice run - 10.6s - then it just didn't really happen for me in the final," he said. "The run itself was OK and the track is amazing to run on."
Hale is biding his time before trying to step up to the open age field, focusing on the national juniors next year and beyond that the world juniors next year.
The juniors were to be held in Russia but they have been stripped of the event because of the recent drug scandal and the new venue has not been decided.
"Senior nationals aren't really a big thing at the moment for me," Hale said.
"I think the Australian juniors is where I need to push for it and then have a break after it but it could potentially happen [competing at the national juniors], yes," he said.
Hale admitted the environment was different to last year when he entered the All Schools championships in Adelaide having just broken the national under 18 record and being pitted against three other runners - Jordan Shelley, Rohan Browning and Trae Williams, who had all run below 10.6s.