In the first ever Gippsland Track Club Gift, Cody Lee has taken home the winner’s sash in emphatic fashion. Off just 3meters, Cody was dominant throughout the heats and semi's, but faced winner of Semi Final 1, Jett Schofield. Running off scratch, Jett had progressed through the preliminary rounds in similar fashion. The final also included national junior calibre athlete Antje Kempff (3m), State U/19 Beach Flags champion Jessica Jackson (6m), as well debutant Maddison Boyd (16m) and local heroes Glen Borch (10m), Ryan Crawford (10m) and Andrew Crawford (7m). In the initial start Jessica Jackson was the cleanest away, with frontmarker Maddison Boyd well into her stride. Explosive throughout, Cody Lee started to take control through the middle stages, with Schofield leaving his run late. Boyd still looked a winner with meters to go, as a fast-finishing Schofield looked a chance, but it was Cody Lee, a man on a mission who took the sash in the final stride.
In the 400m, athlete of the meet Glen Borch (65m), who placed 5th in the Gift Final, came through with the win. It was a high calibre field that included National Championship bound athletes, Rachel O'Brien (5m) and Antje Kempff (5m), as well as Melbourne based backmarker Jett Schofield running off scratch. Down the back straight it looked like front marker Matilda Farley (70m) was well in control, before a sudden burst of speed leading into the home straight helped the local based athlete Glen Borch take the lead. A fast-finishing Jett looked a chance, but Borch showed why professional handicap running might be his future by taking the crown.
In the Primary 400m, Sophie Moy (85m) never looked back after taking the lead from the front markers, brother Jack (100m) and the Sargent twins - Olivia and Charlotte (100m). Much improved athlete Emily Kanavan (40m) made a late dash to claim 2nd.
In arguably the race of the meet, the 1000m timed handicap was anyone’s to win into the home straight. It took close to 850m before the front marker Angela Coleman was caught by the chasing pack. The youngsters, Xavier Farley and Maddison Mizzi had got out hard, as they helped lead the chasing pack. Emily Kanavan had run a really smart race, but it was Tillie Buhagiar who was starting to lift a gear in the final lap. The backmarkers Debbie Husodo and Bianca Croucher were still not out of it with 200m to go. In the home straight Tillie Buhagiar had taken the lead and now in full stride. Debbie Husodo chased hard and clocked an incredible time of 3:05, but it wasn't enough to stop Tillie from claiming the 1000m winner’s sash.
Congratulations to all who competed and those who volunteered on the night to help make the Gift possible. We wish Finn Staple, Antje Kempff, Rachel O'Brien and Debbie Husodo all the best in the upcoming National Championships. The rest of GTC athletes now start to get ready for the XC season and the 2021-22 Summer track season.
Bring it on!!!! Gippslanders going the extra mile…
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