Distance thrills on Day 6 of Australian Track & Field Championships

Day 6 of the 2022 Chemist Warehouse Australian Track and Field Championships belonged to Australia's Steeplechasers and para athletes, with impressive performances thrilling spectators at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre tonight. 

Amy Cashin (VIC) made the trip home from her United States base worthwhile when taking out the Open Women’s 3000m Steeplechase national title in a time of 9:37.92, an achievement that she describes as “beyond exciting.”

“I had to take a week of school, a week off work and travel 36 hours to get here and race, so when I was half way through the race and started to feel tired, I was like ‘No, you’ve put in a lot to get here. It’s only 10 minutes of hurt, you can do this,’” Cashin said.

The Tokyo Steeplechaser dismantled the slick field assembled for the Australian title, proving too strong in the closing stages for the emerging Queensland duo of Brielle Erbacher (silver) and Cara Feain-Ryan (bronze), along with Olympian Georgia Winkcup (NSW) who rounded out the top four.

Racing in challenging conditions that featured both wind and rain, Cashin is confident that her first steeple since her Olympic debut in Tokyo holds her in good stead for her 2022 international campaign.

“In America where I live, it’s only the first weekend of outdoor so I haven’t done any Steeple since the Tokyo Olympics. To start off here is exciting and I’m excited to see where I can go moving forward.

The Open Men’s 3000m Steeplechase belonged to Matthew Clarke (SA) who stretched away from his South Australian teammate and training partner Max Stevens, elated with his national title as he crossed the finish line.

"This is pretty special (to go one and two)," Clarke said.

“It’s something that we have been planning since I moved over to Adelaide in 2019, and we have got a bit unlucky with Covid cancellations and injury over the past couple of years, so to have this result now is special. It’s been a big build up.

Clarke bounced back to form in style after a subpar performance on a warm night at the Melbourne Track Classic, slamming the foot on the accelerator to inflict an assertive move on his competitors – applying increasing pressure as the lap counter trickled down.

“I was nervous coming in. Maxy smashed me at the Melbourne Track Classic recently and showed that he is back, so I knew I had to bring my A-game.”

A new crop of talent is on the rise in Australian para distance running, with two new athletes taking the Men’s Open 1500m (ambulant) race by storm. 26-year-old Reece Langdon (ACT) and teenage sensation Angus Hincksman (SA) took on heavyweights Deon Kenzie (TAS) and Daniel Bounty (QLD), with the new-comers prevailing.

All four athletes crossed the finish line under 4:10; a sight rarely seen in Australian para distance running, with Langdon stopping the clock at 4:03.94. Hincksman clocked a new personal best and national Under 20 record of of 4:06.25, with Kenzie settling for bronze in 4:06.39.

Langdon, who has enjoyed his quick rise to the top of T38 distance running, has only been internationally classified this year and was thrilled to begin his elite career with a crown.

“It’s been about 12 months in the making, going through the process to be a T38 athlete. I got my international classification in February and it’s my first national title, so it’s been a massive year so far,” Langdon said.

“Training with Deon has been amazing, and what his done in the past – winning national titles and global medals at the Paralympics and World Championships, I want to follow in his foosteps.”

Langdon will step onto the track again with the 800m tomorrow, and then we head to Queensland next week for the Brisbane Track Classic, as we go for Paris (2023 World Championships next year.”

“Yeah so, it’s been about 12 months in the making of going through the process of being a T38 athlete, but I got my classification in February and it’s my first national title, and that’s massive,”

The 1500m T53/54 races marked the last opportunity for Australia’s wheelchair athletes to lift their rankings within the Commonwealth to cement their place on the Australian team for the Birmingham 2022 Games.

While the conditions and the track at Sydney Olympic Park aren’t conducive to fast times for wheelchair racers, a quintet of athletes did battle in the Men’s Open event, as Sam Rizzo (VIC) took the title in 3:48.60. Luke Bailey (NSW) placed second less than a second behind in 3:49.38, while emerging athlete Cory Crombie from Western Australia clocked 4:20.79 for bronze.

“Luke and I had a little chat to each other about how we work this race. Luke went out pretty hard and I had to chase a fair bit because I didn’t have the best grip. Eventually got in there and thought it was a little too wet to draft today so I thought I’d sit out in lane 2 and see what happens.

Speaking on his being on the cusp of nomination for the Commonwealth Games, Rizzo said:

“I think we’re both sitting at just outside the top 7, so anything could happen. We’ll see."

In the women’s event, Madison de Rozario (NSW) took the Australian title in 4:08.21, while Angie Ballard (ACT) placed second in 4:26.24.

The 100m first round encounters were run reverse on the home straight to cater for the blustery conditions trackside, with a wide range of wind readings throughout the six heats for both men and women.

Ella Connolly (VIC) and Bree Masters (QLD) lead the charge for the Australian women with their times of 11.38 (+1.7) and 11.31 (+2.2) respectively, along with Mia Gross (VIC) who donned the long sleeves for her 11.46 (+2.2), whilst junior Taylah Cruttenden (WA) won her heat. International visitor Zoe Hobbs (New Zealand) looms as the woman to beat, with the fastest legal heat time of 11.35 (+1.5).

For the men it was Josh Azzopardi (NSW) who clocked the fastest time of the night with his 10.19, but a +4.4 wind reading does little to solve the mystery of who Australia’s fastest man is in the absence of Rohan Browning. Jack Hale (VIC) looked in top shape when winning his first-round bout in 10.28 (+2.1), whilst Jake Doran’s 10.33 (+1.9) places him alongside Hale as two of the main men. Junior Jai Gordon (QLD) backed up his Under 20 win with a 10.35 (+1.3) to progress to the semis, but they will all have to overcome international athletes Edward Osei-Nketia (New Zealand) and Ismail Kamara (Sierra Leone) if they are to take line honours in tomorrow’s final.

Tokyo Olympian Charlie Hunter (NSW) was the fastest of the Australians in the Men's Open 800m Heats, qualifying for Saturday's final in 1:49.94 behind New Zealand's Brad Matthas. Jye Perrot comfortably won the first heat in 1:51.32 with four-time Olympian Jeff Riseley, just shy of 0.1s behind him, while Tokyo finalist Peter Bol (WA) took out the second heat in 1:54.07 as he conserves his energy for the final. A consequence of Bol demanding the pace, was 2021 bronze medallist Jack Lunn missing out on a spot in the final crossing the line third in 1:54.42. 

The 2022 Australian Track and Field Championships, supported by Destination NSW will begin tomorrow at 10am. 

By Sascha Ryner and Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 31/3/2022