Australian Athletics Championships

Melbourne University Athletics Club will send thirteen athletes, an elite baker’s dozen, to the 88^th Australian Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials in Perth from Friday 16^th to Sunday 18^th of April 2010.  The MUAC contingent will include a defending Australian Champion, two current Victorian Champions and six Victorian medalists and looks forward to three days of strong competition against the best in Australia.

Victorian Open Long Jump Champion Jarrod Pageot will be jumping against World Indoor Bronze Medallist and Stawell Gift semi finalist Mitchell Watt, and World Indoor Champion Fabrice Lapierre.  Still within the junior ranks, Pageot will be looking to perform well in front of the national selectors and continue his progress towards international competition.

Anthony Hanna faces the daunting task of taking on Olympic, World Indoor and Outdoor Champion Steven Hooker in the Pole Vault on his home runway in Perth.  Summer team captain, the multi talented Jacquie Sharples (a pole vaulter as well as hurdler) will take on 2008 800m World Indoor Champion Tamsyn Lewis over the 400m hurdles.  Squad mates Irie Hill and Kath Iannello will be hoping for favourable conditions for vaulting to cap off an impressive season of records and personal bests.

Two time and defending Australian Triple Jump Champion Linda Allen will be looking to confirm her spot on the team for Delhi with a big competition in Perth.  Jo Bromfield, 2008 Victorian Triple Jump Champion will be pushing her all the way.

Speedsters Lauren Jauncey and Lisa Wolski will be representing MUAC in the blue riband 100m on the brand new track in Perth, reputed to be the fastest in Australia.

A trio of High Jumpers, Victorian Champion Hannah Alderton, silver medalist at the Victorian Championships Jannelle O’Sullivan and pilot in training Mitch Mackenzie will be soaring to dizzying heights in the quest for medals and personal bests.

MUAC Secretary and Bronze medalist in the 3000m Steeplechase at the Victorian Championships Hamish Beaumont is taking the expanded qualification opportunities to contest the national event and as a result will be racing Youcef Abdi, Australia’s best performed male track athlete at the Beijing Olympics where he claimed 6^th in the 3000m Steeplechase.

Melbourne University Athletics Club will be supporting all thirteen athletes traveling to Perth financially, as well as in spirit, to defray some of the cost of travel and accommodation.

MUAC athletes at the 2010 Australian Athletics Championships