When world-class athletes race at the local athletics track – you go and pop your head in. But when the surrounding racing is not far off that mark – you strap yourself in for a long night of athletics.
This was certainly the case at Box Hill’s Hagenauer Reserve on Thursday night with the third installment of the Victorian Milers Club serving up a highly anticipated night of middle distance running.
With 435 entries and 34 races, the program was overflowing with contests that promised to produce fast times, along with some mouth-watering matchups and storylines.
The entries were headlined by the names of Geogria Griffith, Morgan Mitchell, Peter Bol, Joseph Deng, Sam McEntee and Jaryd Clifford (just to name a few). The quality of these athletes would be complimented by numerous interstate visitors and of course the very best local and junior talent.
Whilst the rivalries at the elite end are well publicised within the running fraternity, the same principles are instilled right throughout the heats. This saw training partners, friends and rivals shape up to secure the all-important bragging rights.
The lower grades of the 800m races set the scene for the evening by delivering some tight finishes that excited the growing crowd, regardless of the time on the clock. Just pure racing.
The structure of the 34 race program ensured the event would reach its climax around some of the very best middle distance runners in the country, as the crowd’s undivided attention turned to the track.
Having the elite talent racing was impressive but arguably more impressive was the depth on display across the program, there were masses of very quick runners.
How many? Well, 42 blokes breaking the four-minute-barrier for 1500m is a decent start.
There were some outstanding performances over both 800m and 1500m. Here’s how it unfolded:
MEN’S:
1500m A
1500m B
1500m C
1500m D
800m A
800m B
800m C
WOMEN’S:
1500m A
1500m B
1500m C
800m A
800m B
800m C
Full results can be accessed on the AV Results Hub.
You can replay the event thanks to Athletics Exclusive here.
Thanks to the Deol Family for their excellent photography.
MEN’S 800M A
Freaks of Nature
Where do you even start to look here?
Hagenauer Reserve just about froze to watch the absolute cream of local men’s 800m talent do their thing over two laps, even the wind stopped.
Isaac Hockey held the fastest seed time in a very high quality field.
Crawford would aim to set the pace for 53 seconds through the bell and a scrambling start saw numerous athletes vie for his back, resulting in a messy first 200m.
As the field settled down it would be Hockey and Hansen in charge, with Luke Shaw and Jack Lunn tracking their every move.
Hockey roared away from the field early on the second lap to possess an unassailable lead for an athlete of his class, rounding the home bend and clocking a blistering 1:48.91 – the fastest 800m time in the world this year.
Hockey’s run was almost overshadowed by the run of Jack Lunn, who finished in 2nd place.
Lunn, a member of Steve Fabris’ ‘Rising Track Club’, entered the night with an impressive 1:51 PB which he ran solo at an APS meet.
However, Lunn would raise the bar again to go home with a new personal best after a superlative last lap in which his long-striding technique would carry him to a jaw-dropping 1:49.53.
Not to mention he’s still an U20, and it might be reasonable to start dropping the name of that country starting with ‘K’ soon.
It is typical of athletes to slow down in year 12, but not Jack Lunn. Definitely one to watch.
James Hansen also snuck under the 1:50 barrier with 1:49.86, whilst Luke Shaw was less fortunate in running 1:50.13.
WOMEN’S 800M A
Hometown Hero
There were only five starters in the premier heat of women’s 800m events for the night, but this event was no farce.
The small field would be headlined by Doha representative Geogria Griffith and Olympian Morgan Mitchell, two of Australia’s finest 800m talents.
Reigning U20 Australian Champion over 800m, Sophie O’Sullivan, would also toe the line in a bid to match it with the elite, fresh of signing with the University of Washington.
The field would be rounded out by Gigi Maccagnini and Tasmania’s Nicole Perry.
Shanie Landen was on pacing duties and had the field segregated early as she set an even tempo for 60 seconds through the bell with Griffith, Mitchell and Maccagnini all in contact.
As Landen veered off the track with 300m left to run, Griffith started to extend and looked full of running as she shot away from the classy field.
A barnstorming finish from Griffith would see her stop the clock at 2:02.49 – an incredible time for Box Hill on a windy night whilst doing the last 300m solo.
Mitchell finished in 2nd placing in 2:08.34 in her first 800m outing of the season, ahead of Maccagnini in 3rd.
Perry displayed some strong form over the last lap to finish ahead of O’Sullivan, who felt the pinch from a hot early pace. With just the five starters and a demanding early pace these girls did a mountain of work, look for them to improve significantly in a full field next meet.
MEN’S 1500M A
Pete Brings the Heat
It can be hard to sway the attention of eager-eyed fans from the clock, but a stacked field in the premier event of the night ensured that the racing was the main draw card.
Pacemaker Alex Beddoes assumed control on the blustery back straight as the field got off to a clean start.
Sitting nicely behind him would be rising star and New South Wales visitor Luke Young, trailed by a nonchalant Peter Bol. Jospeh Deng and Jaryd Clifford would sit back, with Sam Mcentee and Matthew Clarke midfield.
As Beddoes peeled off with 700m to travel the race got underway, with Bol the pilot ahead of Josh Johnson and ‘Fast8TrackClub’ teammate Joseph Deng after an audacious move into the breeze. The star-studded field was still in contact.
This all-star 1500m race would turn into a 400m race, with very marginal handicaps.
The bell urged Bol to inject some venom into the race, as Matthew Clarke and Jarryd Clifford launched their onslaughts in hot pursuit. McEntee had similar ideas, albeit from lane two. Johnson still prominent.
Bol extended down the back straight to just about tear the field apart. He opened up emphatic lead which allowed him to enjoy the home straight and jog across the finish line in 3:46.91, closing his last lap in 56.1 seconds.
Clarke would work his way into 2nd placing with a scintillating last lap to disturb the St Kevins trifecta, with Mcentee digging deep to advance from 10th place to 3rd over the last lap despite running wide.
The smooth-moothing Stephen Knuckey displayed a superb turn of foot to progress from 8th position with 200m to travel to 4th across the line – finishing a convincing stint over the longer trip for the 800m man.
It wasn’t Deng’s night but the young talent will undoubtedly bounce back soon under the tutelage of Justin Rinaldi.
Two-time World Champion Jaryd Clifford opened his season with a handy 3:48.90 to finish ahead of Milers staple Cody Shanahan.
The results were peppered with big names in a ridiculously classy field, a credit to Australian running and the Victorian Milers Club.
WOMEN’S 1500m A
Intruder Alert
Seeing Catriona Bisset on the start line may have been a rude shock for some of the competitors, but her presence was good news as the Australian record holder agreed to take the field through 800m (she would not be going through in 1:58.78).
Bisset would aim to send the field on their way to a 4:14.
Emerging talents Amy Bunnage and Abbey Caldwell would dabble in the early pace before Caitlin Adams made an assertive move to join Bisset at the front, as the two gapped the field.
Hunting them would be Bernadette Williams leading the charge of Sarah Eckel and Madeline Hills with the trio attempting to reign in the leading pair.
As Bisset completed her duties Adams was left out on her own with a hefty lead.
Adams tore the track up over the last lap to obliterate the field and secure a big PB of 4:17.35, followed by fellow South Australian Sarah Eckel and Madeline Hills in third placing.
Lucinda Rourke would close the best of the rest over the last lap in an impressive performance, running 4:29.53 and taking a scalp or two along the way.
MEN’S 800M B
B is for Beischer
Multiple scratchings meant only six athletes would compete in the second fastest of the 800m heats.
St Kevins/RisingTC product Thomas Scroggie flirted with the early lead but it would be Mentone’s Geordie Hore who ensured the pace was on for an honest race.
Hore led Ned Buxton and and Nathan Corbett through the bell whilst Beischer and Scroggie settled near the rear of the small field, with Ky Davies being able to see them all.
Hore’s lead was short lived as Scroggie made a decisive move down the back straight, with a watchful Beischer responding and catching his back. Corbett also mustering well to stay in contact.
Scroggie towed the trio into the home straight before starting to tie up as Beischer lengthened and sailed away from the field in a confident display.
Corbett fought hard to pip Scroggie on the line, and early race leader Geordie Hore finished in 4th in respectable time.
Mornington’s Ky Davies snuck under two-minutes ahead of Nex Buxton who rounded out the field.
WOMEN’S 800M B
Remember the Name
The significant depth on display at Milers Club was evident in this heat, with a number of girls racing who would hold their own in an ‘A’ race.
There was a hidden gem in this event. A relatively unknown Claudia Hollingsworth would come out of the woodwork to try her hand at Milers Club.
The 14-year-old from Mentone Grammar recently registered an eye-catching 2:43 for the 1000m at Athletics Australia’s All Schools Nitro event.
It’s fair to say Hollingsworth is new to the sport but has immense talent – she even had to ask her coach, Craig Mottram, how many laps the 1000m was prior to running. Keep your eyes on Claudia (pronounced cloud-ia) in the future, but for now she’s just enjoying her running.
With no pacemaker for the event, Lucy Leutchford found the top and led the tightly-packed field through the first lap.
Leutchford would maintain her lead past the 600m mark in a brave front-running performance, which was about to be cut short.
Hollingsworth was the first and last to go, effortlessly prancing her way to victory with seemingly ample left in the tank. She stopped the clock at 2:13.99.
Kiara Flavell made a booming late charge to secure 2nd placing, ahead of Glen Huntly’s Claudia Carter who ran well in her third experience over the 800m trip.
Early leader Lucy Leutchford was rewarded for her work with 4th placing.
MEN’S 1500M B
Dan the Man
Most athletes would put their feet up after running 1:54.72 and winning the ‘B’ heat at Milers, but not Ed Beischer. The tough Old Scotch runner returned to pace the 1500m ‘B’ heat, granting the entire field front row seats to his luscious mullet flowing in the breeze.
Josh Collins sat on the early pace, followed by Matthew Hussey, Lachlan Herd and Kang Nyoak as Beischer had the field strung out beautifully.
Herd was soon dictating the tempo as Beischer stepped off the track after 500m and the field started to bunch.
A drop in the pace saw the traffic increase and positioning became crucial as the athletes jostled for a prime spot come the bell.
Sam Williams would lead Adrian Potter through with one lap to go but the moves would soon come.
Canala showed the previously troublesome back straight no respect as he slammed on the accelerator into the breeze and grabbed the lead with 200m to run, with Potter looming ominously and Queenslander Ky Robinson running in third ahead of Josh Collins.
Collins looked tired, but he always does.
Meanwhile the class athlete of the field, Kang Nyoak, had just about made his own bed after some questionable tactics. But when most athletes would have said goodnight, Nyoak gritted his teeth to find a way back into the race to re-establish his relevancy on the top bend.
Canala and Potter would prove too strong in the run home, with Canala stopping the clock at 3:52.06 to secure the win ahead of Potter. They were followed in by Robinson, the fast-finishing Nyoak and a valiant Josh Collins.
WOMEN’S 1500M B
Connell is Clutch
Caitlan Adams was off the quick backup to ensure the girls in the ‘B’ heat were on track for their target times.
The fastest seed time in the event was Davina Smith and she slotted straight in behind Adams who led a compact field.
Adams would leave Smith with two laps to run and a resounding lead, as Mentone’s Kelsie Vickery was left in charge of towing the field back into the race.
Smith’s persistent pressure from the front was enough to fracture the field, as Lauren Connell and Ashlee Treagus transpired as the major threats.
With half a lap to run it was still Smith, but Connell had warmed up the engine and made a commanding move to charge home and land a national qualifier along with the win in 4:39.01.
Treagus finished in 2nd ahead of Niamh Tabit, with Smith clinging on for a gutsy 4th placing.
MEN’S 800M C
A lot to C
There were 10 starters and some familiar names lining up in this encounter over 800m.
With no pace maker, it was Wolfgang Contra-Nemesi who crossed first and found the lead as the field lined up behind him.
A sea of yellow trailed Contra-Nemesi, with Mentone’s Nikolaj Djordjevic and St Kevins pair Andrew Mathieson and Connor Lynch all prominent in the running.
Into the final lap and Contra-Nemesi took Djordjevic and Mathieson to the top of the home straight which would spell the end of his time in the lead, as Mathieson barged past him and Djordjevic pulled wide to challenge.
In the run home Mathieson would prove superior to record the win in a time of 1:58.39, ahead of Djordjevic and Contra-Nemesi.
Glenhuntly’s James Hatton put in an inspired performance over the last lap to break two-minutes, along with St Kevins’ Connor Lynch.
WOMEN’S 800M C
The Smiling Assassin
Approaching the business end of 800m races and on paper we had a diverse field, but they all held the common goal of running a fast 800m, and winning.
Former Victorian Champion over 800m, Anna Kasapis, demanded the responsibility of the pace from her younger competitors early on as the field set into rhythm.
The pace was on and the field was stretched out immediately with Ruby Maher and Kiralee Turver determined to go with Kasapis.
After some trouble at the back of the field it was Amy Robinson who laid her claims on the race with a forceful move to join the leading trio.
Kasapis appeared to be full of running into the back straight, opening up a convincing lead over Victorian cross country representative Amy Robinson.
The smiling Robinson would soon chop down the lead of Kasapis with a powerful burst over the last 200m to win in a time of 2:17.20. Kasapis would hold off Ruby Maher for 2nd place.
MEN’S C 1500M
Powne Town
Given the names in this field, you would be forgiven for not believing it was the ‘C’ heat.
There were some boys with serious wheels in this race and this was confirmed when Max Stevens led the field through the first lap in 58 seconds, the fastest opening lap of the night.
The field was well and truly strung out as a result and Stevens backed off the tempo on the second lap of his two-lap duty.
From this point it would be Doncaster’s Alistair Christy and South Australia’s Max Spurling who dictated terms as they approached the bell, with a host of chances biding their time.
One of these athletes was Darcy Powne, who cruised to the lead with 300m to go, as Johnny Gusman simultaneously made a deliberate move after patrolling the rear of the field.
Will Collins was in 3rd placing down the back straight but was starting to tighten up.
Douglas Buckeridge channelled the agony of narrowly missing out on breaking the four-minute barrier in his previous start, launching himself into lane three and around the traffic as he cornered for home.
Powne floated down the home straight to beat all-comers in a dominant display and a time of 3:56.07, with Christy finishing off a terrific run for 2nd placing and Angus Dalton surfacing out of the group to pinch 3rd.
Buckeridge punched the air in celebration as he smashed the previously slippery barrier, running 3:58.68.
Justice was served in spades for Gusman, who shaved down his previous 1500m best of 4:06 to 3:59.
WOMEN’S C 1500M
Ring the Bell
On paper this race shaped up to one of the most competitive of the night based on seed times, and it did not disappoint.
The fastest seed in the race was Emily Mizis who settled in third position early behind Mentone’s Amelijia Belleville and Melbourne Pack’s Noa Souroop. The fast-starting Souroop was returning after her ‘Encouragement Award’ in Meet 2 where she ran brilliantly.
South Australian visitor Annabel Kitto was cautious of the front group of Belleville and Mizis, running strongly to assist in closing the gap and dragging the rest of the field along with her.
The attacks came at the bell, with Mizis maneuvering onto the shoulder of Belleville who had led the whole trip, and was determined to keep doing so as she held the inside.
Mizis would soon find the front before Kitto pinched it and a break.
Belleville found her second wind as she pumped her arms and put her head down in pursuit of Kitto. Amira Tabit had seemingly appeared out of thin air with a blistering last 200m, and with Mizis still present it was a grandstand finish.
A dogged Belleville refused to go unrewarded for her early work at the front and found plenty in the last 50m to secure the win. She edged out Kitto who ran a terrific race to finish ahead of Tabit who flew home, and Mizis was next after laying it on the line.
MEN’S D 1500M
Something in the Hair
With a flurry of sub-four-minute times in the preceding races, the field in the Men’s D 1500m were inspired to reach new heights, with none of the 14 starters having previously accomplished the feat.
There was plenty to look at in this event – Seth O’Donnell’s mullet, Michael Kernahan’s t-shirt tan, and the young duo of Will Garbelotto and Dharam Deol sporting Nike’s controversial Next% shoes (DQ them).
The workhorse that is Max Stevens raised eyebrows as he paced yet another race, with O’Donnell and Clayton tucked in nicely behind him throughout the trip.
Deol and Garbelotto trailed that pair wearing contrasting colours of Next%’ers to match their contrasting styles, with the shorter Garbelotto taking two steps for Deol’s one.
The race was set alight on the third lap with O’Donnell and Clayton pouring on the pressure and Caleb Sinn toiling hard to drag the chase pack back into contention.
The lead pair were well ahead, so much so that the chase pack might not have heard the bell.
So as O’Donnell and Clayton prepared to throw it down over the last lap, the rest of the field prepared to race each other.
After trailing for most of the trip it was Clayton who would rub shoulders with O’Donnell on the back straight, with O’Donnell rallying strongly along the railing to hold onto the lead.
In undoubtedly the race of the night, Clayton loomed up alongside the man on debut and threatened to take the lead on the home straight, but O’Donnell proved too strong as he punched along the inside to take the win.
The pair ran 3:57.77 and 3:57.96 respectively, pretty outrageous for a ‘D’ heat of the Victorian Milers Club.
Tom McFlarlane locked down 3rd placing after an intelligent run, ahead of the ever-improving Will Garbelotto, who has now lowered his 1500m best from 4:25 to 4:03 this season.
Congratulations to everyone who competed at Meet 3 of the Victorian Milers Club for contributing to an outstanding display of middle distance running.
Lachie Moorhouse
Words by House 