Australian Athletics Championships

Melbourne University Athletics Club has returned successful from the 88^th Australian Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games Selection Trials held in Perth from the 16^th to the 18^th of April.  Two MUAC athletes, Jannelle O’Sullivan and Hannah Alderton, won medals, and 10 of the 13 MUAC athletes competing made the final of their event.

A select group of MUAC athletes traveled to Perth to compete in the Australian Athletics Championships at the brand new Western Australian Athletics Stadium, reputed to be one of the fastest tracks in the world.  Expectations were high for personal bests and great performances and there was no disappointment from the MUAC contingent.  The Women’s High Jump, held on a warm Sunday afternoon, saw Janelle O’Sullivan and Hannah Alderton soar to great heights, both jumping 1.80m to claim silver and bronze respectively, with O’Sullivan claiming silver on a countback.  This is the culmination of a sterling season for both athletes, having claimed gold and silver at the Victorian Championships, and they are now only a few centimetres from the Commonwealth Games B qualifying standard (1.86m).

Jacquie Sharples claimed two personal bests in the heats and the finals of the 400m hurdles to shine in her newly adopted event.  Lauren Jauncey ran spectacularly well in the 100m and 200m, stopping the clock in under 12 seconds in the 100m with a time of 11.98, and making the final of the 200m with a run of 24.31.  Linda Allen claimed fifth in the triple jump, hop, stepping and flying a distance of 12.90m.  Anthony Hanna took on Steve Hooker in the final of the Pole Vault and came away with a height of 4.60m and 9^th place.  Irie Hill jumped 3.80m in the final of the Pole Vault to claim yet another Masters world record.

The track and field season may have ended but MUAC will be back in action in two weeks with the start of XCR’10, the Athletics Victoria road and cross country competition, and the MUAC Annual Dinner, the ne plus ultra of social events, which will be held on Saturday, 22^nd of May.

Photos (more to come).

Videos.

Previous Nationals post

.

.

Results