UNIVERSITY'S Mike Bieleny broke a long-held 1500m record in Friday night's fifth round of Athletics Victoria Shield League field and track action in Bendigo.
A time of 4:47.45 by Bieleny in the first of the 1500m heats broke the 60-plus record of 4:53.1 set by Neil Macdonald of Bendigo Harriers on January 3, 2004.
It was Bieleny's second record in less than a month after he broke the 60-plus 3000m record in a Parker Electrical-backed Tuesday Night Series run.
Friday night was one of University's best of the 2023-24 season as it scored 3554 points to be third in division five of AVSL.
Premier division was led by Diamond Valley on 45,780 points as Eaglehawk was second on 41,811.
Among the highs for the Hawks was a tally of 1186 points by multiple Paralympian and gold medallist Tim Sullivan to be 54th in the Most Valuable Athlete standings.
Best for the Hawks were Daniel Chisholm, 1211; Dave Chisholm, 1200; Abbey Hromenko, 1140; Catherine Monahan, 1132; and Jorja Morrison, 1078.
Eaglehawk also had Cooper Richardson, 1053; William Beaton, 1025; Isabella Noonan, 1021; and Lewis McIntosh, 1005, play key roles in ensuring the Two Blues held their spot on top of the premier ladder.
South Bendigo scored 22,887 to be third in a division two race led by Chilwell, 27,408; and Mornington, 24,455.
Talented teens Rhys Hansen and Kai Norton scored 1385 and 1365 points to be seventh and ninth in the MVA race.
Super-veterans Joan Self, 1311, and Carol Coad, 1198, starred in several disciplines, along with Jordyn Lewis, 1014 points.
Bendigo Harriers was 10th in division two on a night where Neil Shaw, 1115; Reeve Evans, 1064; and Rebecca Soulsby, 1006, were in top form.
In the 100m dash, Eaglehawk's Taine Bishop was fastest in 11.43, but it was clubmates Tim Sullivan and Cooper Richardson who scored the highest points, 477 and 441 for times of 13.19 and 11.94.
The all-Hawks duel in the first of the 100m heats went the way of Jorja Morrison, 13.42, from Isabella Noonan, 13.69.
In the 400m, Oliver Muggleton and Rhys Hansen went one-two in 51.12 and 52.61.
One of the night's best performances was in the 3000m where Merlin Tzaros from Bendigo Harriers capped a solo run in a time of 10:02.
In his comeback to athletics, Dude Kelly from Nullawil threw the javelin to a mark of 42.18m as he represented Eaglehawk.
Also in great form at javelin were Kai Norton, 42.03m; and Reeve Evans, 39.70m.
Best of the women were South Bendigo's Emma Berg, 31.22m; Eaglehawk's Abbey Hromenko, 30.79m; and South Bendigo's Keely Trew, 30.76.
A mark of 16m by triple national shot put champion Emma Berg earned 523 points.
Connor Wilson from South Bendigo scored 503 points for his best of 15.75m in the first of the shot put flights.
Rhys Hansen soared above four metres at pole vault.
Best at triple jump were Daniel Chisholm, 12.64m; William Beaton, 11.81m.
Jorja Morrison leapt 10.80m at another top meet for Eaglehawk Athletics Club.
