WEEKEND REVIEW | Hunter wins NCAA Championship

While all eyes were on the Sydney Track Classic over the weekend, Australian athletes dominated both abroad and in Queensland as the countdown towards Tokyo continues.

Tactics were key for middle distance star Charlie Hunter (Ben Thomas) who in the early hours of Sunday morning won the NCAA 800m indoor title on the 200m banked track at Fayetteville in Arkansas.

Running for Oregon University, Hunter started conservatively, in last place after the first lap (200m). He gradually moved through the field, but still seemed out of the title hunt sitting in fourth place at the bell. But a late surge over the last 50m and a well-timed dip, gave him the title by just 0.01 seconds over Great Britain’s Finley McLear. Hunter clocked 1:45.90, just outside his Australian record of 1:45.59 set on the same track one month ago.

The day before his win Hunter, had achieved a herculean feat when just 50 minutes after he ran his individual 800m heat, he joined his Oregon team mates on the distance medley relay. Running the third leg, Hunter split 1:46.70 for 800m and brought his team back into the lead. The Oregon team anchor went on to victory allowing Hunter to claim a second gold medal at the championships.

Queenslander Adam Fogg (Jay Koloseus), running for Drake University, just missed a medal in the NCAA mile championship. Clocking a PB time of 3:57.32, Fogg placed fourth only 0.06 seconds from a podium finish. His time ranks him seventh on the Australian indoor mile list. Also competing were Maudie Skyring, placing eighth in the 3000m (9:09.05) and Imogen Barrett who ran 4:47.49 in the mile heats.

In Australian domestic action, the Queensland Championships produced some tremendous performances.

In his first competition since he broke the Australian decathlon record in December, Ash Moloney (Eric Brown) equalled his 100m PB, to win the blue ribbon event in 10.36 seconds. Later in the championships, Moloney won the 110m hurdles in a PB time of 14.09, ahead of training partner Cedric Dubler (Eric Brown) with 14.32,

The men’s long jump was a high-quality competition. Decathlete Dubler took just one jump of 7.90m then passed his remaining attempts, holding on for the win. His jump, which exceed his PB of 7.74m was unfortunately wind assisted. A day after his 20th birthday, Josh Cowley (Stacey Taurima), who recently leapt 7.96m, placed second with 7.83m. Jalen Rucker, a 4.60m pole vaulter, capped off his first season of long jumping with bronze and a 49cm pb leap of 7.83m. During the competition he sent three PBs.

Running in the heats of the open women’s 100m, Isis Holt (T35, Paul Pearce) recorded a season’s best of 13.59 – a time which was another Tokyo Paralympic A standard for the four-time world champion. In the 200m heats she ran a blistering 28.31, to just miss the world record by 0.09 seconds.

After two wins in the Coles Summer Super Series, Alex Beck (Mark Ladbrook) nailed a 400m personal best time of 45.72. Beck’s time brought him to within 0.02 seconds of his coach Mark Ladbrook’s PB (45.70) – providing some fuel for training banter between the coach and athlete.

World University Games champion, Katie Hayward (Steve Langley) won the 10,000m walk in a good time of 46:17.88 minutes.

In the high jump, teenager and former World Youth Olympic Games medallist, Oscar Miers cleared a high jump PB of 2.25m.

Two day before his 20th birthday, former Victorian, Fraser Symons just missed his 400m hurdles PB running 51.49 for the win. In the men’s under-20 100m Calab Law ran a 100m PB of 10.53 – a World U20 Championships qualifier.

There was an incredible performance in the under-18 200m final where Ashley Wong ran 20.83, under the Australian under-18 record, but unfortunately the race was wind assisted (2.9m/s)

16-year-old Torrie Lewis won the open women’s sprint double clocking quick times of 11.55w and 23.96. Her 200m final and heat times of 11.60 and 23.83 were World u20 qualifers. Another teenager Ellie Beer won the 400m title in 52.81 – a season’s best and another World U20 qualifier.

Some other World U20 Championships qualifiers were Olivia Matzer in the 100m (11.76) and Lyvante Su'emai in the discus (51.31m).

By David Tarbotton for Athletics Australia
Posted: 15/3/2021
Photo with thanks to Oregon University Track and Field