Hawks, Bloods fight to hold lead

LEADERS in premier and division two, Eaglehawk and South Bendigo will fight to stay there in Saturday’s fourth round of Athletics Victoria Shield League field and track action in Bendigo.

After a two-week break from Shield action because of All-Schools titles, athletes will be striving to gain plenty of points for their club.

Action begins at 1.30pm when hurdles showdowns at 400, 300 and 200-metre distances are contested.

Other events on the track are 200, 800, 100, 3000, 5000 metres, and the 4 x 400- metre relay.

There will be flights of high jump, long jump, hammer and discus.

A non-scoring 1500 or 3000-metre walk is on the program.

Eaglehawk’s victory as it used the Powerplay in the third round has given the Borough an 11-point buffer on Diamond Valley in the premier division race.

Next best are Western on 26, Essendon with 20 and Box Hill on 18.

Under the powerplay format, clubs double their points tally from that day’s play and the powerplay can only be used once.

A great start for the 2023-24 season by the Hawks began with second placing in rounds one and two.

Keys to the Two Blues’ run include Dave Chisholm, Cooper Richardson and Cameron Greenwood who have scored 3887, 3689 and 3611 points to be 8th, 20th and 26th in the Most Valuable Athlete award.

A squad of more than 50 representing the Borough includes Jessica Grigson, Jorja Morrison, Hugh and Lucy Richard, Daniel Chisholm, Lewis and Millie McIntosh, and Alyssa, Madelyn and William Beaton.

South Bendigo has scored 29 points to lead division two from Nunawading on 25 and Keilor St Bernards with 24.

A tally of 3945 points has South Bendigo’s Kai Norton on the seventh rung in the MVA standings.

Others to star for the red and white include Carol Coad, Joan Self, Rhys Hansen, Emma Berg, Jasper Seymour, Oliver Muggleton and Mia Schodde.

Bendigo Harriers is 10th in division two.

The Harriers’ squad includes Neil Shaw, Connor and Peter Clarke, Anne Buckley, Eliza Coutts, Jack Denton, Hailey Stubbs and Jake Gavriliadis.

Bendigo University is fourth in a division five race led by Old Scotch and Whittlesea.