EAGLEHAWK and Bendigo Harriers made a superb start to their Athletics Victoria Shield League campaign in Saturday night’s track and field meet run by Flack Advisory Bendigo Region.
The forecast scorching temperatures led to a switch to a twilight meeting under lights at the La Trobe University Bendigo athletics complex in Retreat Road, Flora Hill.
Most Valuable Athletes Shine
Many athletes were in top form as they strived for personal bests and also points for their club in the AVSL race
Eaglehawk’s David Chisholm scored 1515 points to lead the way in the Most Valuable Athlete award across the weekend’s action run at metro and country venues. Highs for Chisholm were 8.39m in the 60m; 600m in 1:43.18; 24.13 metres at discus, and leap of 4.69m at long jump. After a transfer from Collingwood to Eaglehawk, Hunter Staples showed he will be an athlete to watch. A score of 1489 points earned third place in the MVA title race. Staples ran the 60m in 7.89; 600m in 1:34.79; reached 21.03m at discus; and leapt 6.14m, to win his long jump flight.
Monique Gavriliadis scored 1473 points to be fourth in the MVA. Highs for the young gun from Bendigo Harriers were the 60m in 8.58, 600m in 2:09.91, 23.75m at discus, and 5.31m at long jump.
A key figure off the track as Athletics Bendigo general manager and also coach of a talented squad, Terry Hicks was to the fore in several disciplines. The 66-year-old from Eaglehawk AC ran the 60m in 9.34, the 600m in 1:48.70, and hurled the discus to a mark of 27.31m for an overall score of 1289 points to be 30th overall.
South Bendigo young gun James Woods was 37th in the MVP race on 1275 points. Highs were the 60m in 7.50m, 600m in 1:36.07, and 6.14m at long jump.
Eaglehawk’s Jorja Morrison scored 1245 points to be 41st. Results for Morrison were 8.59 in the 60m, 4.81m at long jump.
Athletes to feature in the top 100 of the MVP were South Bendigo’s Joan Self, Emma Orme and Aaron Norton; Eaglehawk’s Andrea Archibald; and Geoff Jordan from Bendigo Harriers.
In the teams duel, South Bendigo was 9th in Premier division on 14,279 as Essendon, 42,372; and Doncaster, 41,942 dominated.
Eaglehawk was fourth in division two on 17,621 points as Chilwell and Sandringham were the top teams. Bendigo Harriers scored 10,953 to be third in division three behind Frankston and Casey Cardinia. It was a tough night for Bendigo University which scored 1567 in division four.
Other athletes to shine under the LUBAC lights included Eaglehawk’s Alec Colturi, 60m in 7.67, and Laura Kadri, 600m in 1:47.68; Emma Peters from Athletics Chilwell and Bendigo Harriers’ Tiahna Robinson, 30.99m and 26.12m at discus. Bendigo Harriers’ Abbey Conquer was fastest in the women’s 60m in 8.11. Other heat winners in the 60m dash included South Bendigo’s Logan Hromenko and Joan Self, and Harriers’ Rebecca Soulsby. The in-form Oliver Muggleton from South Bendigo won his 600m heat in 1:31.23.
South Bendigo’s Emma Berg achieved a brilliant mark of 42.82m at discus. The non-scoring third session began with the 200m heats in which Eaglehawk’s Angus McKindlay charged to victory in 23.19 ahead of clubmate William Beaton, 24.86. Conquer did so in the 200m in 26.51 from clubmate Caitlin Evans, 27.20, and Eaglehawk’s Jorja Van den Berg.
Victorious in the 3000m the previous Tuesday night, South Bendigo’s Logan Tickell dominated the 1500m in 4:28.31 as Mychael Baker from Bendigo Harriers and University’s Russell Jenkins also ran strongly in times of 4:50 and 4:57.
Coming up
Round two in AVSL will be run next Saturday at LUBAC from 1.30pm.
Events in sessions one and two will be 100m, 400m, triple jump and shot put.
The third session will carry non-AVSL scoring events.
