Athletes pursue classic victories

TWO of Athletics Bendigo’s biggest track classics are on this Saturday night, 7 January, under the lights at the Retreat Road complex in Flora Hill.

New Year kicks off with the Hilson Builders-backed Sally Conroy Memorial 200-metre and the A.L. Parker Electrical-sponsored Richard Kitt Memorial 1500- metre being run.

A big night of field and track includes the Bicknell’s Intersport 200 and 800-metre handicaps for Little Athletes, and Rare Air pole vault challenges for men’s open, women’s open, and novice mixed.

Memorials Night at the home of Athletics Bendigo starts at 5.30pm, it’s free entry for spectators and all races will be under handicap conditions.

It will be a testing challenge for Eaglehawk’s Cameron Smith who capped his first track season by winning last year’s Sally Conroy Memorial.

Smith’s been in hot form across the opening seven rounds of AVSL.

His most recent 200-metre hit-out ended in victory in 22.79 seconds from clubmates Taine Bishop and Angus McKindlay.

Another runner to watch will be Hawks’ young gun Cooper Richardson who ran 24.50 in the seventh round of AVSL to set a Bendigo record for under-14s.

Other top contenders for the Conroy are likely to be Eaglehawk clubmates Jorja Morrison and Scarlett Southern, and the Guillou twins, Allie and Belle from South.

Winner of the Sally Conroy final in 2020, South Bendigo’s Oliver Muggleton has dominated most of this season’s sprint showdowns.

Dual winners of the Richard Kitt Memorial, Bendigo Harriers’ Yvette Palmer and South Bendigo’s Greg Hilson may chase a feat not achieved in the race’s history.

Palmer ran the 1500 metres in the sixth round of AVSL in Bendigo in a time of 6:08.

Hilson has competed for many years and has a great knack of lifting his workrate in the big events.

Fastest in this season’s 1500- metre heats have been Bendigo Harriers’ Jackson Eadon and University’s James Trew.

The Richard Kitt Memorial could also be a duel between experienced campaigners such as Harriers’ Anne Buckley, South Bendigo’s Debby Kirne, and University’s Craig Green, with the likes of talented youngsters Tyler Fynch and Tate McQueen.

For many athletes it’s not only a chance to chase victory in two of AB’s long-time classics, but also to tune up for the resumption of Athletics Victoria Shield League.

Another big goal is the Steigen-sponsored Victoria Country field and track championships to be held on 26 to 28 January at Geelong’s Landy Field.