FIVE clubmates from Eaglehawk and another from Bendigo Harriers were in hot form at the weekend’s Australian Masters multi event athletics championships in Bendigo.
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Among the many highlights in the 10-discipline decathlon or seven-event heptathlon were an Australian Masters national record achieved by Hawks’ ace Kathy Heagney, a Victorian Masters state record by Harriers’ gun Geoff Shaw, and a WA state record by Carol Bowman.
Performances in the sprints, distance runs, jumps and throws were outstanding as athletes competed in Saturday morning’s heat, and then again on Sunday at the La Trobe University Bendigo athletics complex in Flora Hill.
Heagney’s score of 3065 points included superb performances in shot put, 5.88m; 200m, 35.33, long jump, 3.00m, and 800m in 3:28.2.
Shaw won a closely-fought duel with David McConnell to be the 65-69 years decathlon champion.
Strong performances in the 100m, 14.62; a Bendigo Centre record of 4.67m at long jump; 7.66m in shot put, and 1:10.844 in 400, gave Shaw an 81-point buffer on his rival going into the 10th event, the 1500m.
McConnell ran a brilliant time of 5:54.49 and earned 765 points, but Shaw’s time of 6:09.04 and 694 points sealed a 10-point victory.
Hawks’ clubmates David Chisholm and Antony Langdon vied for the 45-49 years title.
Chisholm racked up 4229 points, where his skill in the 100m, long jump and 110m hurdles was to the fore.
Langdon scored 2728 points, with his best events being 100m, 400m and high jump.
The men’s decathlon champion for the 40-44 years division was Victoria’s Brad Krawczyk on 4670 points.
In the heptathlon action, Eaglehawk’s Leah Langtree surpassed pre-meet expectations by a long way.
Langtree’s final tally of 1709 was well above her goal of 1700, and included great feats in the shot put, 6.70m; high jump, 1.18m; and 15.92m at javelin.
Hurdles ace Toni Phillips made a great start to her campaign as she clocked 15.53 and a score of 602 in the 80m hurdles.
Phillips added to Eaglehawk’s run as she won the 45-49 years title on 2863 points.
Highs included 6.96m at shot put, 3.82m at long jump, and 34.14 in the 200m.
Carol Bowman capped the long trek from the west by scoring 2551 points to be the 60-64 years heptathlon titleholder.
A leap of 1.03m at high jump, time of 37.27 in the 200m, and 3:25.1 in 800m played a significant role in breaking the state record.
Other decathletes to strike gold were Victoria’s Tony Dell, 3039 points in 50-54 years; Queensland’s Bruce O’Connor, 2623 points in 60-64 years; Victoria’s Russell Dickenson, 2035 points in 70-74 years; and Victoria’s Allan Wood, 2614 points in the 80-84 years class.
