22.01.2009

Everest reaches the summit

Wednesday night’s Adelaide Invitational at Santos Stadium will long be remembered as one of the greatest meets held in South Australia in recent years.

With perfect weather conditions, South Australia’s best athletes went on a rampage, rewriting personal bests and producing a series of performances that have long been absent from South Australian athletics.

18-year-old South Australian up-and-comer Richard Everest went into the feature event, the men’s 3000m, as an 8:21 runner and emerged as the quickest junior runner over 3000m that Australia has ever seen. Victorian runners Liam Adams and Clint Perrett were flown in especially to assist Everest in his attempt on the Australian junior 3000m record of 8:01.26, held by New South Welshman Ryan Gregson. Gregson set the record in November 2007, taking it from World Championship and Commonwealth Games medallist Craig Mottram.
 
Flamboyant South Australian PJ Bosch was the designated pacemaker, setting a cracking pace through 1500m, which was reached in 3:59. Bosch took the field through 1700m before stepping off the track, leaving Adams at the head of the field, with Everest right on his heels. Soon after, Perrett found the pace too hot, as the crowd rose to their feet, sensing something special was in the making. Adams continued to push the pace with Everest holding on gamely.

With 400m to go, and in what could well be described as the epitome of sportsmanship, Adams beckoned Everest to move up on to his heels and clearly slowed up in the final 100m to urge Everest to the finish line. Raucous applause emanated from the stands as Adams crossed the line in a new personal best of 8:00.22, with Everest crossing the line in 8:00.76 to record a new under-20 Australian 3000m record.
 
In other results, Clay Watkins took out the men’s 200m in a swift 21.34 and then backed this up with a personal best in also taking out the men’s 400m in an impressive 46.90. In the women’s 200m, in-form Alicia Wrench-Doody inflicted the first defeat on South Australian sprint champion Leanne Hodge in the two-year history of the Adelaide Invitational, recording 24.19.
 
The mixed 3000m ‘B’ race proved another highlight, with two-time Ekiden Relay representative Tara Palm holding her own with the younger men to record a personal best time of 9:18.75.

The men’s 800m saw another impressive victory to the consistent James Boden in 1:51.96, with former state champion Robert Killmier returning to form with a strong finish to clinch second place in the event. In the women’s equivalent, medical student Bridgid Connolly took out a tactical race in 2:13.34.

Full results are available here.