MUAC shine with 2nd and 4th at Shield Final
Shield Final
Strong performance across the board powered Melbourne University Athletics Club’s teams to impressive results at Athletics Victoria’s Shield Final, held on Saturday, 11th February, at Lakeside Stadium. The MUAC Women’s Division 1 team claimed second place whilst the Men’s Division 1 team took fourth place. The club, one of only four in Victoria, to qualify for the final in both Men and Women’s Division 1, performed admirably under the guidance of Summer Manager Mitch Mackenzie.
The Women’s 4 x 400m team of Kath Clarke, Jacquie Sharples, Isabell Hartmann and Melanie Fayen flew around the track in 3:57.89 to claim 1st place with a significant margin to second. Rosie Donegan, fully recovered from the sweltering heat of the Adelaide Track Classic, continued her stellar season with a personal best (17:20) and a win in the 5000m, with Sarah James second in 17:47. Hannah Alderton took first place in the High Jump with a leap of 1.70m. Kath Clarke ran well to take 2nd in the 200m in 25.69. New MUAC recruit Melanie Fayen claimed 3rd in the 800m, running 2:15.09. Laura Portaro, showing her versatility, took 5th place in the 3000m walk in 22:58. Jo Bromfield, fresh of a personal best in Bendigo, came second in the Triple Jump with a performance of 11.95. Carmen Deane took fifth in the Shot Put, heaving the put 9.04m.
MUAC’s Summer Manager Mitch Mackenzie won the High Jump, clearing 2.00m for the first time for a significant personal best. Squad mates Jarrod Pageot and John Peavey took equal second with jumps of 1.95m. Mitch also took out the Triple Jump with another personal best, 13.27m, beating Australian Decathlon Champion Steve Cain, by 1cm. Mackenzie’s squad mates again were not far behind, Pageot jumping 12.97m for 4th and Peavey leaping 12.43m for 5th. Seamus Hayes took 5th in the 200m running 22.94 and backed up to hurl the shot 11.89m for 4th place. Mark Kirwan ran well in the 5000m to claim 4th place in 14:49.
A successful day for the White Train of MUAC concluded with some civilised, celebratory passionfruit martinis at the Albert Park Hotel.
