by Alfonz Juck
This is the synopsis of the Maurie Plant Meeting, held on Feb. 23, 2023, in Melbourne. Some fine performances, and a capacity crowd! Nice to see early season performance, in the first WACT Gold meeting of 2023!
Fast mile, Kerley 20.32
MELBOURNE (AUS, Feb 23): WACT Gold 2023 started with the Maurie Plant Meet with a capacity crowd of 6177 spectators. The first highlight was John Landy Mile won by Oliver Hoare in fast 3:52.24 (3:36.70 split). Cameron Myers was third in 3:55.44, breaking the 43-year-old Australian U20 record. World champion Fred Kerley enjoyed the win in Peter Norman 200 m with a good 20.32 (-0.9) and a relaxed finish. “The conditions were good, and I enjoyed myself. [Breaking the 20 seconds barrier] would have been easy, but hey. I got unfinished business in the 200m, so just to come and race, enjoy myself and have fun doing things right,” said Kerley.
Fresh World CC U20 champion Ishmael Kipkirui won the 3000 m in 7:41.38 MR ahead of local hero Stewart McSweyn at 7:44.36. Samantha Dale was a surprisingly long jump winner with 671 (0.0) beating Tara Davis-Woodhall’s 669 and Brooke Buschkuehl’s 659 (+1.7). In women, 1500 m Australian record holder Jessica Hull won in 4:07.11 in a duel with Abbey Caldwell in 4:07.32. Another Australian hero Nicola Olyslagers dominated in the high jump with 193 clearance. African runners ruled in women’s 3000 m with World CC U20 champion Senayet Getachew 8:46.54 PB ahead of Prisca Chesang 8:48.85 PB and Japanese record holder Nozomi Tanaka 8:49.09. James Preston from New Zealand clocked 1:45.85 to win the 800 m. Australian sprint wins Jacob McCorry 13.66 (+0.9) PB in the 110 m hurdles, women Michelle Jenneke excellent 12.75 (+1.2). In the 100 m, Naa Anang had 11.20 PB (-1.4) among women and Rohan Browning men 100 m in 10.26 (-1.7). Ella Connolly won women’s 200 m in 23.28 (-1.5) as she was earlier second in the 100 m (11.30). Chris Mitrevski leaped to windy 816 (+3.9) in the long jump with legal 793 (+1.7). French wins for Felise Vahai Sosaia in men javelin big PB 82.04 and Rose Loga in women hammer 69.31 MR.
