<07.03.07> - Preview of Tasmanian participation in the 85th Telstra Australian Athletics Champs


08 Mar 2007

Athletics Tasmania

Governing Body for Track and Field in Tasmania

 

 

 

MEDIA RELEASE

 

TASMANIA’S BEST SET FOR NATIONAL TITLES

 

Fourteen of Tasmania’s best track and field athletes will set off for Brisbane this weekend in search of personal bests and medal success at the Telstra Australian Athletics Championships.

And the 85th edition of the time honoured championships should prove a productive hunting ground for the Tasmanians, who have done well in the recent A Series Meets.

Leading the assault will be Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Donna MacFarlane (TIS/Sandy Bay) who looks almost a sure thing to win her first national senior championship - in the 3000m steeplechase, at the same time earning a spot in the Australian team for this year’s World Championships in Osaka, Japan in August.

Morgan Whiley (North West) has set personal bests at her last two outings over 400 metres and will be a strong chance for a medal in that event, in which her main opposition will come from Tamsyn Lewis, who won their at their last meeting in Melbourne last Friday.

Graham Hicks (TIS/NW) will feature in one of the most intense battles of the Championships – the men’s discus, with four men, including himself already over the impressive 60 metres mark this season.

Melissa Kay (NW) has been very competitive at national level over 100 metres in 2007, and a bold showing from her will not surprise. She and Whiley are also entered for the 200 metres.

Grant Page (Northern Suburbs) ran a personal best in a hot men’s 1500 metres at the Melbourne Track Classic and will be keen to edge closer to the 3min 40 barrier in Brisbane.

Tao Baker (NW) and Sam Crosswell (SB) will both run the 200 metres, with the Sandy Bay youngster also backing up over 400.

National under 20 champions, Hamish Peacock (TIS/Eastern Suburbs) and Todd Hodgetts (Newstead) will be looking to gain both valuable experience and personal bests with the senior implements, when they contest their first open nationals.

Tasmania will as usual be well represented in the combined events competitions with Brittany Knee (Western Suburbs – U20 heptathlon), Jasper da Seymour (N – U20 Decathlon and David O’Toole (N –open decathlon) all set to take on their respective gruelling two day events.

Rounding out the Tasmanian contingent are medallists from the recent Australian Under 23 Championships held in Hobart – Nicole Perry (NW) who will run the 800 metres and Anita Millington (North Launceston) who will compete in the hammer.

The Championships run from Friday to Sunday at Brisbane’s QEII Stadium, the venue for the 1982 Commonwealth Games and hopefully also for the 2011 World Championships, with the successful bidder for that event to be announced in Mombasa, Kenya later this month.

Melbourne – 7 March 2007

Further information: Brian Roe                                                      0438 604 571

                                    Richard Welsh                                               0409 820 248

 

Please note that as Brian Roe will be travelling overseas to attend the IAAF Technical Committee Meeting in Monaco, Richard Welsh will be the AT contact for the Championships.

 

Tasmania’s under 18 team will also be in action in Brisbane over the weekend in the National Youth Challenge [preview to follow tomorrow]