High jumper wins Geoff Major Rising Star Award

HIGH jump champion Liam Shadbolt has earned the Geoff Major Rising Star trophy in Flack Advisory Services Group-backed Athletics Bendigo Region’s awards for the 2020-21 track and field season.

The young gun from near Swan Hill was in hot form at several AV Shield League rounds for Bendigo Harriers and at state and national titles.

Highlight of Shadbolt’s season was a leap of 1.87 metres to win gold in the under-15 high jump final at Athletics Australia national track and field titles run in Sydney. The first of three rounds of Athletics Bendigo 2020-2021 Track and Fields Season awards were announced on Monday on Freshh FM.

The Geoff Major Rising Star honours his outstanding contribution to athletics across many decades.

Major’s drive and determination led to the formation of the Eaglehawk Athletics Club which has unearthed many champions across a wide range of ages and disciplines.

There were 10 contenders for the Rising Star award. Those in the running were Bendigo Harriers’ Caitlin Evans, Jake Gavriliadis and Liam Shadbolt; and South Bendigo’s Abbey Hromenko, Emma Orme and Logan Tickell. Eaglehawk athletes to earn a Rising Star nomination were Andrea Archibald, Angus McKindlay, Jorja Morrison and Scarlett Southern.

Championship winners

Athletes vied for points for their club in Athletics Victoria’s Shield League and also to gain points in AB’s various grand prix awards. Competitors from a wide range of ages were to the fore.

Eaglehawk’s Angus McKindlay capped a superb season by being number one in the Eaglehawk Floral Botique sprints grand prix.
Points were allocated from 100m, 200m, 400m, sprint and lap hurdles.
An Eaglehawk trifecta was led by McKindlay, 5306 points, followed by Laura Kadri, 4917; and David Chisholm, 4597.

Several of the region’s super-veterans shone again.

South Bendigo’s Joan Self scored 3345 points to take out the G.M. and G.L. Hilson Builders-backed throws grand prix for javelin, discus, shot put and hammer.
Bendigo Harriers’ Haylee Greenman was runner-up on 3169 and clubmate Rebecca Soulsby marked a top season with a score of 3083 points.
A world masters champion in the decathlon, Geoff Shaw from Bendigo Harriers won a closely-fought contest for the Intersport Bicknell’s jumps grand prix. A top competitor in long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault, Shaw scored 2764 points.
South Bendigo’s Jessica Grigson was next best on 2667 as the consistent Geoff Jordan from Bendigo Harriers was third on 2453.
Three athletes who travel many kilometres to compete led the way in the Purtill’s Nursery middle and long distance grand prix.
South Bendigo’s Debbie Kirne was number one on 3379 points as Bendigo Harriers’ veteran Anne Buckley, 3086, and South Bendigo’s Taryn Furletti, 2279, also starred.