Athletics Bendigo championships, day one: PHOTOS 

COMMONWEALTH Games champion Eleanor Patterson is aiming to soar for more gold at this weekend's Flack Advisory-backed Victoria Country track and field championships in Bendigo.

The 18-year-old leapt to gold in the high jump at last year's Glasgow Commonwealth Games and will be one of several stars among a field of more than 700 competing at the Flora Hill complex.

The three-day titles start on Friday afternoon and will run until Sunday evening at the Latrobe University Bendigo athletics complex in Retreat Road.

Clubs from many pockets in the state will be aiming for team and individual glory.

Athletics Chilwell was the No.1 team at last year's Victoria Country titles in Ballarat.

Bendigo Harriers has won the David Kitt Memorial trophy as the No.1 men's team the past three years.

The Harriers were runner-up to Athletics Chilwell for overall honours a year ago.

Eaglehawk holds the Ex Athletes Cup awarded to the leading women's team.

Patterson will travel more than 280km from Leongatha to represent her club, South Coast at the country titles.

Athletics Bendigo's summer competitions manager Peter Barrett said Patterson's appearance would be closely followed.

"Eleanor has represented South Coast at country titles before," Barrett said.

"To have a reigning Commonwealth champion competing is a coup for these country titles and for Bendigo.

"Many athletics fans would have watched Eleanor star in the high jump at Glasgow, but that was on TV.

"Now they have a chance to see her compete from a much closer distance.

"The great thing about the country championships is an opportunity to see so many talented athletes, and it's all for free."

Patterson's event starts at 11.30am on Saturday.

The teenager cleared 1.94m at the first round of the Athletics Victoria Knockout in December.

A major goal is to reach or surpass the national record of 1.98m and qualify for the IAAF World Championships to be run this August in Beijing.

Stars to watch on the track at these Victoria Country titles include Morgan Mitchell, the reigning national 400m champion.

Mitchell competed at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and will represent Western Athletics in Bendigo.

Another athlete on the rise is Celeste Mucci.

She will be hot favourite in the hurdles.

The young star from Williamstown Athletics achieved a personal best of 14.00 in the 100m hurdles in the first round of the AV Knockout.

Mucci is working toward selection in Australia's team for the IAAF World Youth Championships in July.

Athletes from metropolitan clubs and some from South Australia will compete on invitation basis at the 70th running of the Victoria Country track and field titles.

It's the fifth time since 2000 that Bendigo has hosted the championships.

Ages of athletes range from under-14 to 60-plus.

First events to be run on Friday will be the under-20 and 50-plus men's hammer at 2.15pm.

The track action begins at 3.35pm when heats of the under-18 girls 400m hurdles are run.

Saturday's program for the track and field starts at 9am.

The first of the track events on Sunday is at 8am. The field program will start at 8.30am on the final day.