26.03.2010
Final weekend of athletics action kicks off in Tasmania
The Tasmanian athletics season reaches its finale this weekend,
with the final weekend of competition in the state for the 2009/10
season.
Two days of competition will feature athletes from 10 to 84 years
of age, with the Tasmanian Masters Association conducting its
championships within the state titles.
Headlining the acts on day one will be the final of the men's
and women’s 100m sprints.
Leading the race for the title of Tasmania’s fastest male will be
defending champion
Gareth Jubb of the North West
and winner of the open 200m crown last weekend
Jarred
Gilroy, with the other medallists from that race
Rowan Mason and
Andrew Robinson
also in contention.
The women’s race is likely to head in the direction of Western
Suburbs athlete
Danielle Taylor. In a class of her
own this season, Taylor leads the rankings list over 100m and will
be brimming with confidence following her win over 200m last
weekend. Trying to upset her will be defending champion
Abby Chapman, the girls set to take to the start
line when at 4:40pm tomorrow, just five minutes before the men’s
race.
Earlier in the day the men’s hammer throw will begin the open age
program, featuring Australian Under 20 champion and 2009 world
youth championships finalist
Huw Peacock, silver
medallist from the 2009 Australian Under 23 titles
Todd
Hodgetts and South African import
Ricard
Meiring, who leads the Tasmanian rankings this season with
a best of 61.30m.
Also in the hammer cage at 2:15pm will be the open women’s event,
which brings no less than three gold medallists from the Australian
Junior Championships together. Tasmania swept the medals in the
Under 16, Under 17 and Under 18 competitions in Sydney, with
respective champions
Mikayla Genge,
Rebecca Direen and
Danielle
McConnell all going head-to-head this weekend.
Perhaps the most enthralling encounter of the weekend will come in
the open men’s 1500m. With
Grant Page, the
state's No. 1 man absent this weekend, the door has swung open
for a handful of men to stake their claim for a title, the event
attracting no less than 19 entrants.
Consistent performer this season
Nathan Morey will
be a strong contender, along with Australian junior finalist
James Hansen, defending champion
Sam
Ferguson and state 5000m champion
Pat
Smith. If last year’s final is anything to go off, the
race could be a tactical affair, full of unexpected surges and a
flurry of sprints to the line.
The women’s 1500m will feature Australian 3000m champion
Mel Daniels against impressive state 800m champion
Suzy Cole, state 3000m and 5000m champ
Jen
Gillard and
Jess Morey, who had a
breakthrough run in Sydney just a fortnight ago.
In masters competition, a pair of 82-year-old athletes will go
head-to-head over 800m.
Stan Harrex and
Eric Whiting will face off against a full field of
competitors in the 800m on Saturday at 3:45pm.
Eight-four-year-old
Bruce Campbell can lay claim
to being the eldest competitor of the weekend, when he toes the
line in the 5000m at 6:40pm on day one.
Moving into the final day of competition, we can expect highlights
from around the track and in the field.
Twenty athletes have signed up for the open men’s 400m in what will
be the pick of the track races on the day. After a relay leg
clocking 48.8 last weekend, only two hours after winning the 800m
title,
Tom Beard will line up as the favourite.
Also in contention will be national Under 17 bronze medallist
Darcey Lahey,
Jarred Gilroy,
Steve Rae and former TIS athlete
Sam
Crosswell.
Danielle Taylor will line up as an overwhelming
favourite for the women’s one-lap race, following her career best
run of 54.19 in Canberra earlier this year. Chasing her down the
home straight will be North West’s
Ashleigh
Corbett, who has clocked 57.58 this season, along with
Carmen Oakley and
Suzy
Cole.
The women’s 400m final is set for 1:07pm, with the men’s 400m at
1:12pm.
Four-time national junior medallist
Kaitlin Morgan
will look to add to her trophy room over the weekend, when she
lines up in the open women’s triple jump at 1:30pm. After
setting a new age group state record of 12.23m in Sydney just two
weeks ago, the 15-year-old will be looking to end the season on
another high note.
Also getting under way at 1:30pm will be the big men of the state
in the open shot put.
National Under 23 bronze medallist Todd Hodgetts will be looking to
win another state title but will be pushed all the way by TIS
pairing Huw and
Hamish Peacock.
Not only are state titles up for grabs but athletes will also be
looking to qualify for the the Go for 2&5 88th Australian
Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games selection trials in
Perth, Western Australia, from April 16-18. The first three at the
state titles in open events automatically qualify for the national
titles, along with any athlete who achieves their respective event
standard.
What: 2010 IGA Tasmanian Track & Field
Championships
Where: Domain Athletics Centre - Hobart
When: Saturday March 27 and Sunday March 28
Entry: Free