REIGNING world champion, Geoff Gibbons set an Australian record for the 40-44 years decathlon at the weekend’s running of the Australian Masters multi-event athletics championships in Bendigo.
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The Tasmanian was in superb form across the two-day meet at the Latrobe University Bendigo athletics complex.
Gibbons ended the 10-discipline contest on 7022 points.
Highs for the 40-year-old included a time of 15.71 in the 110m hurdles, clearance of 3.90m at pole vault, and hurling the javelin past 48 metres.
Western Australia’s Carol Bowman set a state record for the 60-64 years class in the seven-discipline heptathlon.
The 62-year-old capped the lengthy trek by racking up 2499 points.
Eaglehawk’s David Chisholm scored 4386 to be the 45-49 years decathlon champion.
Other heptathlon winners were Victoria’s Lisa Ryan, 35-39; and Vicki Townsend from New South Wales in the 50-54 category.
Decathlon champions were Tasmania’s Greg Mann, 50-54; Victoria’s David McConnell, 60-64; South Australia’s Viddy Jermacans, 65-69; and Victoria’s Jim Poulter, 75-79.
The championships also drew athletes from the Northern Territory and United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, hurdles aces were in hot form at Saturday’s resumption to the Flack Advisory Bendigo Region track and field season at Flora Hill.
Round 10 in the Athletics Victoria Shield competition kicked off with two record-breaking feats in the hurdles.
Bendigo Harriers young star Monique Gavriliadis achieved a time of 13.28 seconds in the 80m hurdles at the Latrobe University Bendigo athletics complex in Retreat Road.
The 12-year-old broke the under-13 record of 13.38 set by Eaglehawk’s Caitlin Caldow in 2007.
Eaglehawk’s Toni Phillips broke her own 40-plus record as she clocked a time of 13.58.
Last February, Phillips clocked 13.91 in the 80m hurdles event.
Christopher Browne from Bendigo Harriers put the shot 16.70m.
Browne broke the junior record of 14.33 set by Olympic and Commonwealth Games representative Tim Driesen in 2002.
South Bendigo’s Teleah Hayes added to her hot run with a time of 4:33.86 in the 1500m.
The Elmore athlete now holds the Bendigo Centre open and under-20 record.
Kyle Murphy from Bendigo Harriers leapt 6.92m at long jump.
The open and under-18 records of 6.81m had been set by J. Slattery and by South Bendigo’s Josh Shaw respectively.
Other stand-out performers at Saturday’s meet included South Bendigo’s Jake Hilson, 11.18 in the 100m and 50.30 in the 400m; Bendigo Harriers Jalen Hoskin, 12.82 in the 100m; South Bendigo’s Taryn Furletti in the 2000m steeplechase.
Finale to the track action was the 4 x 100m relay in which the Bendigo Harriers line-up of Louis Schenker, Liam Schreck, Kyle Murphy and Brett Gilligan raced to victory in 46.83 seconds.
Stars at field events included South Bendigo’s Emma Berg at shot put and javelin; Liam Schreck in pole vault and javelin; and Eaglehawk’s Denise Snyder at long jump.
A twilight meet will be run next Saturday from 4.30pm at LUBAC.
