Blue and black see gold at Vic Champs
2015 Victorian Open and AWD Track and Field Championships
There were medals a’plenty and a club record at the Victorian Open Championships at Lakeside Stadium as MUAC had a banner weekend. A second place in the HH Hunter Shield, the club’s best result in more than ten years, and a 1500m double headlined a big weekend of track and field.
The championships started on Friday evening with some solid jumping from Sandro Bisetto’s sprungers. Kaitlin Morgan (12.26m) and Hannah Alderton (11.86m) were fifth and sixth in the Triple Jump, with Alderton making a dash to the High Jump straight afterwards. Joel Mason took fifth in the Mens High Jump with 1.95m but was a clear leader in the tightest haircut division. Amanda Paulin looks in control throughout her 1500m semi final to qualify for the final with ease, running 4:34.24. Simon Greig ran 10.95 in his 100m heat, and 10.87 in the semi final to qualify for the blue riband event final, carrying some hamstring tenderness. Alistair Cole ran 12.15 in the same heat as Greig. Carmen Deane ran a season’s best 64.68 in the Womens 400m, an event that saw the return of Olympian Tamsyn Lewis-Manou to competition. MUAC treasurer Tim Hui raced the 800m heats, running 2:08.38 in one of the strongest fields of the competition.
MUAC collected a full set of medals on Saturday, with the gold coming courtesy of Amanda Paulin in the 1500m as she collected her 4th Victorian Championship. Paulin was in control through the early laps with a steady pace keeping the field bunched. On the penultimate lap, the field stretched out as the pace increased and Paulin made her decisive move at the bell, upping the pace again. Looking strong all the way to the line, Paulin collected the Championship in 4:22.8 and looks to be in ominous form for the Australian Athletics Championships in 3 weeks time. Mate Zahtila took silver for the second year in a row in the Javelin with a throw of 59.47m. Kath Iannello won the bronze in the Womens Pole Vault, clearing 3.55m. Dawn Hartigan (3.00m) and Jem Gibbs (2.80m) also performed well. Martin Mashford caused some nervousness, coming through the bell in his 1500m heat at the rear of a bunched field. He avoided the carnage on the back straight where another athlete fell and qualified for the final by winning his heat. Seamus Hayes qualified for the semis of the 200m running 21.99, a personal best. Ellen Schaef did the same in the 800m running a personal best of 2:13.05 to qualify for the final on Sunday. Ashwin Singh took 4th in the 400m ambulant with a time of 61.81. At the midway point of the Mens Decathlon Aaron Page sat in 3rd place on 3495 points with Tristan Gorlay in 8th on 2462. The Mens Pole Vault, the final event of the evening reached 4.40m before being postponed until the next morning by a sudden thunderstorm.
Medals kept flowing on the final day of the Championships with two state titles and four medals. Martin Mashford reigned supreme in a tactical 1500m where a lone leader opened up a gap of more than 50m on the field, maintaining that lead until 250m to go. Mashford sat comfortably in the pack and struck down the back straight, following silver medallist Reilly Shaw as he surged and swinging past him off the final bend to take victory in 3:51.13 to bring the 1500m double to MUAC. Sarah McSweeney defended her 3000m Steeplechase title, running 10:46.11 off a preparation based primarily around writing her PhD thesis. Also in the race was 2015 MUAC recruit, and first year University of Melbourne student, Amy McCormick, who ran impressively to win the race. Mark Kirwan, after coming within .1 of a second of breaking the MUAC record in the Steeplechase got the job done, running 9:07.26 to claim silver and the MUAC record. Nick Earl took bronze in 9:22.86, with Hamish Beaumont further back in 10:54.13. Leon D’Onfrio returned to the Pole Vault after the weather interruption of Saturday night and took 4th place with a vault of 4.40m. Seamus Hayes was unlucky to miss out on the 200m final, running 22.44 in his semi final. Ashwin Singh clocked 27.63 in the Ambulant 200m for 4th place. Ellen Schaef continued her good weekend, running a second PB in the B 800m final, clocking 2:12.69. Rounding out the weekend Aaron Page finished 5th in the Decathlon with 6517 points and Tristan Gorlay took 8th with 4038 points.
A big thanks to Tim Thomas, Kate Scarlett, Matt Irons, Kath Iannello and Ben Cook who volunteered over the weekend for AV duties, helping the competition run smoothly.
MUAC athletes will be back in action this weekend at the AV Knockout Final, then the remainder of the Australian Athletics tour and in final preparation for the 93rd Australian Athletics Championships in Brisbane at the end of March.
