Young sprinter keeps going faster

SPRINT star Oliver Muggleton keeps going faster each time he’s on track to represent South Bendigo Athletics Club.

The 19-year-old marked his latest hit-out in Athletics Victoria Shield League field and track action by running the 100 meters in 11.23 seconds.

His best time for the 400 is 49.57, and does 22-flat in the 200 metres.

Next Thursday he will play a key role for Athletics Bendigo’s men’s open team in the state 4 x 400-metre relay championships final at the Zatopek 10 meet at South Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium.

The final is on the eve of his 20th birthday.

Muggleton teamed with Eaglehawk’s Angus McKindlay and Cameron Smith, and Bendigo Harriers’ Jackson Eadon to mark a time of 3:28.64 in qualifying at Box Hill.

They set a Bendigo record for the under-20 class.

“To qualify for the final and to break the Bendigo record was an amazing result,” said Muggleton.

He also played a key role in helping organise the team.

“It will be the first time that all of us have raced at the Zatopek meet, and in a state relay final,” said Muggleton.

“We hadn’t worked on baton changes in the lead-up to the Box Hill meet, so we are confident we can go faster again.”

Although Eadon’s focus for this season is on the longer distances of 800, 1500 and 3000 metres, he showed an amazing turn of speed in the one-lap dash.

To be in a state relay final is the first of several goals that Muggleton set for this season.

A key target is the state championships and to qualify for the nationals.

The 400 is Muggleton’s strongest and favourite distance.

“It’s always an incredibly tough race,” he said. “A fast start is important, but also the last 50 metres.”

Beating a time of 48.84 is the mark to qualify for the under-23 400 metres at the national titles.

Muggleton started in Little Athletics when in grade 6.

“I was enjoying school athletics, so thought I would have a go,” he said.

The past two years he has teamed with coach Peter Barrett and in winter, Muggleton returned to the footy field to play for Bridgewater in its run to the Loddon Valley FNL reserves preliminary final.

He had previously played footy for St Monica’s, Kangaroo Flat juniors, and then Mount Pleasant under-17s before a comeback to the game with the Mean Machine.