South Bendigo misses berth in AVSL play-offs – AVSL Round 10 Wrap

SOUTH Bendigo has missed a place in the AVSL play-offs after Saturday’s 10^th and final round was run at the Bendigo Regional Athletics Complex in Flora Hill.

The Bloods went into the round locked on 64 points with fourth-placed Wyndham.

The top four teams in each division qualify for the March 5 play-offs.

There were some great performances by South Bendigo’s squad at the Retreat Road complex, but Wyndham dominated the round.

Wyndham’s score of 26,592 was best for the day ahead of Ballarat Harriers, 23,149; and Western Athletics, 21,187.

South Bendigo and Bendigo Harriers were next on 19,354 and 16,511.

Although it was fifth in the 10^th round, Bendigo Harriers hold a top-four berth and a place in the play-offs.

In premier division, Eaglehawk put in another top performance to score 34,170 points and be third against metro powers Essendon, 34,962; and Diamond Valley, 34,452.

Geelong Guild was sixth on 26,937, but doubled its premiership points to 10 through the Powerplay.

In division five, Bendigo University was fourth on 3799 points, but earned 16 premiership points under the Powerplay format.

Leaders in division five were Ivanhoe 8379, Williamstown 7210, and Maccabi 6122 (18 points, Powerplay).

More records tumbled at Bendigo’s track.

Bendigo University’s Nathan Crowley broke the Bendigo centre record for 40-plus in the 400m.

The 48-year-old lined up against Eaglehawk young guns Kye Mason and Cameron Smith and put in a brilliant run to be third in a time of 52.95 seconds in the opening heat.

Mason, 49.01, and Smith, 52.37, went one-two.

It was a great hit-out by Mason as he builds up for next weekend’s start to the Victorian championships at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium.

South Bendigo’s 60-plus women’s team of Peta Dawe, Joan Self, Annette Curtis and Carol Coad ran the 4 x 100m relay in 1:12.58 to break another record.

A night after he ran 10.88 in the 100m at Geelong, Mason won the first of Bendigo’s heats in 10.99 from clubmate Kenan Seebah, 11.60.

Closest result in the women’s 100m was heat two as Eaglehawk’s Sophie Scoble, 13.91; South Bendigo’s Keely Trew, 13.92; and Essendon’s Sasha Jurson, 13.95, had a great battle.

Winner of last year’s Sally Conroy Memorial 200m, Eaglehawk’s Laura Kadri won the first of the women’s 400m heats in 1:00.90 from the Guillou twins, Belle and Allie who ran 1:01 and 1:03.

After a 178km trek from Culgoa to Bendigo, Dude Kelly completed the 100m hurdles in 18.45 and added to Eaglehawk’s points tally by performing well at javelin, 39.12m; shot put, 8.42m; and triple jump, 11.19m.

The mixed 1500m walk drew several metropolitan-based athletes and it was Tiffany Bussem-Jorgensen from Harriers who won in 8:04 from Coburg’s Tim Erickson, 8:57, and  Donna-Marie Elms, 9:13, from Preston.

Athletes from a wide range of ages in Bendigo region featured in the top 100 of the most valuable athlete award for the final round of AVSL for 2021-22.

Bendigo Harriers’ super-veteran Geoff Shaw scored 1364 points to be 14^th.

Shaw’s results were 15.82 in the 100m, 21.30m at javelin, 2.70m at pole vault, and 9.29m in triple jump.

Eaglehawk’s Terry Hicks was 18^th on 1354 points.

Hicks ran the 100m in 14.72, hurled the javelin to a mark of 30.17m, and reached 7.95m at shot put.

South Bendigo’s Joan Self starred in field and track for a score of 1340 to be 20^th in the MVA standings.

Results for Self were 16.77 in the 100m, 18.87 in the 80m hurdles, 18.72m at javelin, 6.70m at shot put, and 7.48m at triple jump.

South Bendigo clubmate Carol Coad was 23^rd on 1314 points.

Her campaign began with the 100m dash in 16.72, and was followed  by 15.87m at javelin, 7.00m at shot put, and 6.39m in triple jump.

Eaglehawk’s David Chisholm scored 1217 to be 41^st.

The Hawks’ veteran ran the 100m in 13.56, 400m in 1:00.57, and reached a mark of 8.23m at shot put.

Eaglehawk’s young guns were also in top form.

Lily Marsh scored 1205 to be 46^th after a time of 13.73 in the 100m, marks of 6.18m and 10.23m at shot put and triple jump.

Cameron Smith was 53^rd on 1189 points.

Highs were 11.79 in the 100m, 52.37 in the 400m, and 8.53m at shot put.

The Hawks’ William Beaton scored 1165 to be 60^th.

Beaton starred at javelin, 29.72m; shot put, 10.61m; and triple jump, 11.71m.

Bendigo Harriers’ Neil Shaw was 62^nd on 1163 points.

He ran the 100m in 13.09, 400m in 66.48, and hit marks of 31.02m and 8.01m at javelin and shot put.

South Bendigo’s Emma Orme ran the 100m in 15.16, cleared 2.60m at pole vault and reached 10.07m at shot put to be 65^th in the MVA on 1158 points.

A super-veteran with Eaglehawk, Kathryn Heagney scored 1144 points to be 71^st.

Highs were 16.91 in the 100m, 1:24.71 in the 400m, and 4.28m at shot put.

Victoria’s open heptathlon champion, Abbey Hromenko from South Bendigo scored 1129 to be 75^th.

Abbey ran the 100m hurdles in 16.68, and followed up with marks of 25.55m at javelin, 10.18m at shot put.

She cleared 1.50m in the non-scoring high jump.

South clubmate Annette Curtis was equal 80^th on 1120 points.

Annette ran the 100m in 22.06, and completed the 1500m walk in 12:04.16.

The Bloods’ veteran hit a mark of 11.69m at javelin, and 5.17m in shot put.

A big afternoon for Dude Kelly began with the 110m hurdles in 18.45 and was followed by the 100m, 12.79; javelin, 39.12m; 400m, 59.85; shot put, 8.42m; and triple jump, 11.19m.

Dude’s score of 1110 put him in 87^th place on the MVA ladder.

Eaglehawk’s Helen Anderson scored 1106 points at Lakeside in Melbourne’s Albert Park precinct to be 90^th.

A time of 15.81 in the 100m was followed by a 400m run in 1:14.86 and mark of 12.58 in discus.