BENDIGO Harriers’ young gun Ben Powell will chase a remarkable feat in this weekend’s running of the Sally Conroy Memorial 200m at the Bendigo International Madison carnival.
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Winner of the Hilson Builders-sponsored classic in 2014 and ’17, Powell is in hot form leading into the duel at the Tom Flood Sports Centre.
Other dual winners of the event which was first run in 1978-79 are Bernard Seymour and Peter Dyett from Bendigo Harriers.
Four heats will be run on Saturday from 3.55pm.
First two in each heat qualify for Sunday’s final at 3.55pm.
Top three placegetters pocket $200, $80 and $40, while fourth to eighth receive $10 each.
The Sally Conroy Memorial champion in 2002 when at South Bendigo Athletics Club, Damian Horan is on the entry list for the 38th running of the event.
Now racing with Old Melburnians, Horan is off scratch in heat one.
Horan’s opponents include Danai Mahachi from Bendigo Harriers off 16m, Eaglehawk’s Niah Langtree, 27m; and South Bendigo veteran Greg Hilson, 32m.
Bendigo University’s Nigel Self has drawn a three-mark in heat two where he will take on the likes of South Bendigo’s Darcy Nelson, 19m, and Kyle Hilson, 40m; and Eaglehawk’s Laura Kadri, 30m.
A finalist in the 400m at last weekend’s Victorian Open championships at Lakeside, Powell will start off 4m in heat four.
A strong field includes Eaglehawk’s James Bentley, 22m; South Bendigo’s Peter Curtis, 30m; South Bendigo’s Stephanie Pompei, 36m; and Abbey Conquer from Bendigo Harriers from 41m.
Eaglehawk’s Asher Jones achieved the 100m and 200m double at last Saturday’s lead-in meet run by Athletics Bendigo at the Barnard Street track.
Jones will start from the 5m in the fourth heat where opponents include multiple Paralympic gold medallist and clubmate Tim Sullivan off 26m, as well as Bendigo Harriers’ Lachlan Carr, 31m, and Zahli Drummond, 47m.
Previous winners of the great race include Neil Macdonald, Darryl Nettleton, Simon Fraser, Brittany Eastman, Kirrily Burnett, Madeleine Lawson, Peter Curtis, Ant Sutton, Kaitlyn Bryce, and Brett Gilligan.