Qualifiers and Records Tumble | Weekend Wrap

The weekend’s athletics action was headlined by Australia’s endurance machines taking to the roads for the Melbourne Marathon Festival, whilst the juniors shone bright at the NSW All Schools Championships.

After preparing for four marathons only to have them cancelled due to COVID-19, Milly Clark (Philo Saunders) finally got her chance in Melbourne – grabbing it with both hands to demolish the field in a new personal best of 2:27:00. 

The time sees Clark meet the standard for the Commonwealth Games and qualify for the 2022 World Athletics Championships, along with Eloise Wellings (Nic Bideau) who finished in second place with a time of 2:29:20. 

Splitting 74:12 for the first half before coming home in 72:47, Clark raced with supreme confidence to blow the field away in the second half and force her way into discussions for an Australian tracksuit in 2022 – bolstering Australia’s already-strong women’s marathon stocks. 

Brett Robinson (Nic Bideau) proved too strong for the valiant duo of Tom Do Canto (Gary Howard) and Ed Goddard (Gavin Burren) in the men’s marathon, prevailing in a time of 2:14:34 to clinch his maiden Melbourne Marathon win. 

The 24-year-old Goddard was brave when leading on debut to match Robinson until inside the last two kilometres, where the two-time Olympian took over and enjoyed what was essentially a victory lap inside the MCG. Do Canto mustered a strong finish to clock 2:14:42 and claim silver, with Goddard crossing the line in 2:15:14 for third place. 

Jack Rayner (Nic Bideau) and Izzi Batt-Doyle (Nic Bideau) both managed to gap the field and secure wins in the half marathon, with Batt-Doyle setting a new course record of 1:10:17 on debut over the distance. 

Rayner stopped the clock in 1:02:32 to hold off his Melbourne Track Club teammate and three-time Olympian David McNeill (Nic Bideau), with rising star Tim Vincent (Jackson Elliot) claiming some scalps to take home bronze in 1:02:49. Leanne Pompeani (Des Proctor) trailed Batt-Doyle home in 1:10:42, whilst Jess Stenson (Adam Didyk) finished third in 1:12:48. 

The 10km events were taken out by Olympians Ryan Gregson (Nic Bideau) and Rose Davies (Scott Wesctott) in times of 29:27 and 32:50 respectively. 

Meanwhile in New South Wales, some of the country’s finest young talents were on display at the NSW All Schools Championships – headlined by an Australian U16 record of 21.08m in the shot put by Amosia Soatini (Trinity Grammar). 

Mitchell Lightfoot (Maitland High) and Charlie Jeffreson (The King’s School) flexed their early-season form as they target the 2022 World U20 Athletics Championships to be held in Columbia, setting new meet records of 13.62 in the 110m hurdles (19y) and 1:50.98 in the 800m (17y) respectively. Hayley Kitching (Coffs Harbour Senior College) also set a meet record of 2:07.47 in the 800m (17y). 

Rashid Kabba (Westfields Sports High) and Karina Bell (Meriden School) both won three golds each, with Kabba too good for this competitors in the 100m, 200m and 110m hurdles (16y), and Bell claiming the unique triple of the high jump, discus throw and javelin (16y). 

In the Para classifications it was Sarah Clifton-Bligh (PLCS Sydney) who won the 17-19 years Wheelchair 100m, 200m, 800m and shot put, whilst Malachi Canning (Blue Hills College) took out the 15-16 years Para Ambulant 800m, long jump, discus throw and shot put. Cormac Ryan (Rosebank College) also landed three golds of his own in the 15-16 years Wheelchair 100m, 200m and 800m.

In South Australia it was 18-year-old Aidan Murphy (Peter Fitzgerald) who continued his scorching form with a swift 46.31 over 400m to lower his 47.14 personal best, with the rising star showing his versatility after recently clocking 20.64 over 200m. 

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 13/12/2021