Vic Youth Champs, Multi-Event and Open/U20 Relays
19- 22 February 2009, Olympic Park
GOLDEN DOUBLE FOR SPRINT PAIR
Monica Brennan and Matthew Haynes of the Diamond Valley Athletic Club have dominated the Under 16 sprint events at the 2009 Victorian Youth Track & Field Championships. Brennan and Haynes each won the 100m and 200m double in their age group. Both athletes posted their best times for the weekend in the heats of the 100m that were run in ideal conditions on the Friday night. For the rest of the weekend, a stiff head wind down the home straight made life difficult for the sprinters to get close to their best times.
Haynes, who turns 15 in three weeks time, ran a slashing 11.03 in the Heats of the 100m on the Friday night to set a new club record at Diamond Valley for the Men's U15 to U17 age groups. Haynes went on to win the final of the 100m in 11.54 on the Saturday and followed up a busy schedule by taking out the 200m final on the Sunday in a time of 23.31.
Brennan won the final of the 100m in 12.19 and while she won the final in convincing fashion her time into the head wind came back to 12.62.
James Vine (U18) ran his best ever time for the 100m of 11.00 on the Friday evening and was hopeful that this was a sign that his wish to run a second World Youth Games qualifier of a sub-13.95 for his pet event, the 110m Hurdles, was about to come true. As it turned out, the conditions did not allow his wish to come true, but he still came away with solid results for the weekend, winning the Hurdles in 14.45, second in the 100m with 11.42 and 4th in the 200m with 23.41.
A week after winning the Open Women's 100m Hurdles title, Ashleigh Hamilton was back on the winner's dais, this time in the Women's Under 20 Heptathlon. Hamilton's ascendency over the field was clear, winning the major points in the Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put and Long Jump and finishing second in the field in the Javelin, 200m and 800m. At the end of the competition, Hamilton had scored a 4840 points for the competition, making it her best Heptathlon to date.
Hamilton's next mission in athletics is her most daunting yet in athletics. On Thursday evening she will line up for the Women's 100m Hurdles at Olympic Park in the World Athletics Tour Melbourne against a star studded field including Australia's silver medallist at the Beijing Olympics, Sally McLelland.
Aaron Smith (U20) completed his first ever Decathlon and finished the competition in fourth position, scoring 4877 points. Smith saved his best effort until last, winning the 1500m in a time of 4:44.58. In the 110m Hurdles, Smith finished in second place. Smith, who went into the competition with little experience in the Pole Vault, was pleased to clear 2.00m. As if the Decathlon were not enough of a challenge in itself, Smith joined forces with his clubmates, Shane Le Fevre, Matthew Smith and James Gebert to win the Bronze medal in the Men's Under 20 4x100m relay Championship.
Dean Neofitou (U14) showed a combination of class and courage, in tackling the tough combination of the 800m and 1500m on the same day's program. Neofitou won Gold in the 800m with a personal best time of 2:17.21 and was still able to produce a new personal best time of 4:41.4 in the 1500m where he finished in third place.
Amy Stirling won the Bronze medal in the Women's Under 16 Hammer Throw. Stirling was able to perform at her best in the face of Championship pressure; her best throw with the 4kg Hammer was 26.31m, adding 4 meters on to her previous best effort.
Nicholas Phillips (U14) completed his first season in athletics by winning the Bronze medal in the Men's Under 14 High Jump with a leap of 4.50m.
A number of other Valley athletes who did not feature in the medals, were able to walk away from the Championships satisfied that they had notched up new best ever performances. These included Matthew Sholakis, 14, who went under 53 seconds for the 400m for the first time; Paul Townsend, who took 14 seconds off his previous best time for the 3000m; Brynton Ashton, who clocked 54.54 for the 400m; and Sarah Leeming, who got her time for the 800m down to 2:51.89.
Article by Max Balchin
Results compiled by Max Balchin
Photos courtsey of Athletics Victoria
| Under 16 | |
| 100m: | Monica Brennan (Heat) 12.19 (Q); (Final) 12.62 (1st ) |
| 200m: | Monica Brennan (Heat) 26.19 (Q); (Final) 25.36 (1st ) |
| Hammer Throw: | Amy Stirling (Final) 26.31m* (3rd ) |
| Women Under 18 | |
| 100m | Catherine Brennan (Heat) 12.16(Q); (Final) 12.83 (5th ); Leah Phillips (Heat) 12.73 (q); (Final) 13.44 (7th ) |
| 200m | Leah Phillips (Heat) 26.85 (q); (Final) 27.62 (7th ) |
| 800m | Maria Benke (Heat) 2:49.97; Sarah Leeming (Heat) 2:51.89* |
| Discus | Anika Peachey (Final) 32.37m (7th ) |
| Hammer Throw | Anika Peachey (Final) 32.24m (4th ) |
| Women Under 20 | |
| 1st Ashleigh Hamilton (4840 points*) 100m Hurdles 15.06 (1st ); 200m 27.05 (2nd ); High Jump 1.66*m (1st ); Shot Put 12.03m; Long Jump 5.49m; Javelin 27.24m; 800m 2:32.3 | |
Results: Men
| Men Under 14 | |
| 800m | Dean Neofitou (Final) 2:17.21* (2nd ) |
| 1500m | Dean Neofitou (Final) 4:41.44* (3rd ) |
| High Jump | Nicholas Phillips (Final) 1.45m (3rd ) |
| Men Under 160 | |
| 100m | Matthew Haynes (Heat) 11.03*; (Q); (Final) 11.54 (1s ) |
| 200m | Matthew Haynes (Heat) 24.21 (Q); (Final) 23.31 (1st) |
| 400m | Matthew Sholakis (Heat) 53.41 (Q); (Final) 52.99* (4th) |
| Men Under 18 | |
| 100m | James Vine (Heat) 11.00* (Q); (Final) 11.42 (2nd ) |
| 200m | James Vine (Heat) 23.20 (Q); (Final) 23.41 (4th ) |
| 110m Hurdles | James Vine (Final) 14.45 (1st ) |
| 400m | Iain Douglas (Heat) 51.23 (Q); (Final) 51.60 (5th ); Brynton Ashton (Heat) 54.54* |
| 1500m | Paul Townsend (Final) 4:31.54 (12th ) |
| 3000m | Paul Townsend (Final) 9:41.75* (15th ) |
| 400m Hurdles | Shaun Cooke (Heat) 65.15 |
| Javelin | Shaun Cooke (Final) 37.31m (7th ) |
| Long Jump | Lachlan Henderson (Prelim) 5.13m 9th |
| Men Under 20 | |
| Decathlon | 4th (4877 points) Aaron Smith 100m 12.07 (4th ); 400m 53.19 (3rd ); Long Jump 5.59m (3rd ); Shot Put 7.74m (5th ); High Jump 1.68m (5th ); 110m Hurdles 16.17 (2nd ); Discus 22.19m (5th ); Pole Vault 2.00m (4th ); Javelin 34.94m (4th ); 1500m 4:44.58 (1st ) |
| 4x100m Relay | Aaron Smith, Shane Le Fevre, James Gebert, Matthew Smith (Final) 45.77 (3rd ) |
| Men Open | |
| 4x100m Relay | Anthony Mure, Justin Coutts, Travis Pike, Dale Lyons (Final) 43.97 (5th ) |
| 4x400m Relay | Michael Dixon, Justin Coutts, Matthew Smith, Nathan Riali (Heat) 3:27.99 (q); (Final) 3:30.21 (6th ) |
| 1600m Medley Relay | Michael Dixon, Justin Coutts, Nathan Riali, Alastair Hughes (Final) 3:44.85 (5th ) |
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