SPRINT star Oliver Muggleton keeps going faster each time he\u2019s on track to represent South Bendigo Athletics Club.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
His best time for the 400 is 49.57, and does 22-flat in the 200 metres.<\/p>\n
Next Thursday he will play a key role for Athletics Bendigo\u2019s men\u2019s open team in the state 4 x 400-metre relay championships final at the Zatopek 10 meet at South Melbourne\u2019s Lakeside Stadium.<\/p>\n
The final is on the eve of his 20th birthday.<\/p>\n
Muggleton teamed with Eaglehawk\u2019s Angus McKindlay and Cameron Smith, and Bendigo Harriers\u2019 Jackson Eadon to mark a time of 3:28.64 in qualifying at Box Hill.<\/p>\n
They set a Bendigo record for the under-20 class.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo qualify for the final and to break the Bendigo record was an amazing result,\u201d said Muggleton.<\/p>\n
He also played a key role in helping organise the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be the first time that all of us have raced at the Zatopek meet, and in a state relay final,\u201d said Muggleton.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hadn\u2019t worked on baton changes in the lead-up to the Box Hill meet, so we are confident we can go faster again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although Eadon\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
To be in a state relay final is the first of several goals that Muggleton set for this season.<\/p>\n
A key target is the state championships and to qualify for the nationals.<\/p>\n
The 400 is Muggleton\u2019s strongest and favourite distance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always an incredibly tough race,\u201d he said. \u201cA fast start is important, but also the last 50 metres.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beating a time of 48.84 is the mark to qualify for the under-23 400 metres at the national titles.<\/p>\n
Muggleton started in Little Athletics when in grade 6.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was enjoying school athletics, so thought I would have a go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He had previously played footy for St Monica\u2019s, Kangaroo Flat juniors, and then Mount Pleasant under-17s before a comeback to the game with the Mean Machine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SPRINT star Oliver Muggleton keeps going faster each time he\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n