Posted by Hopwood Wendy
POWERCOR STAWELL GIFT CHAMPIONS CROWNED
Date: 5th April 2021
Edward Ware and Hayley Orman claimed the crowns at the 139th Powercor Stawell Gift Carnival on Easter Monday.
Ed Ware from Mitcham in Melbourne won the Powercor Stawell Gift in 12.188 off a mark of 9.75m and Hayley Orman from Flagstaff Hill in Adelaide won the Change Our Game Women’s Gift in 13.876 also with a handicap of 9.75m.
Ed went into the final as one of the favourites, having the second fastest time in the heats on Saturday. Sebastian Baird from Black Forest, Adelaide was second in a time of 12.188 off 8m. Third place went to Munashe Hove in a time of 12.317 despite being moved back one metre to 4m due to a false start. 4th was Dion Paull, 5th Jake Ireland and 6th place in the final was the fastest heat runner Luke Houlihan.
Second in the Change Our Game Women’s Gift was 21-year-old Melbourne University student and Stawell first timer Cassandra Wang Lecouteur. Third place was 2019 runner up Sophia Fighera, 4th Chiara Santiglia from Northcote, 5th was 14-year-old Grace Kelly was Warrnambool and 6th place went to Kaylah Montagner from Far North Queensland.
Ed’s coach Nick Fiedler said it was an honour to be the coach of the 2021 Powercor Stawell Gift winner. “I’m ecstatic and very proud, he is a credit to himself and us all. We knew it was going to be close, but you can never discount the opposition. I knew he was a contender and Ed had a lot of confidence, so much so, he started in the 200m.”
Ed went on to claim the Stawell Athletic Club Jack Donaldson Handicap 200m an hour after his win in the 120m Gift final, which has only been achieved by the great Bill Howard in 1967.
Change our Game Women’s Gift Winner Hayley Orman said after her semi-final: “My dream has always been to do something big and to do something amazing. I love that second gear that happens during a race and just to fly.” Following her win, she summed up with, “It really is a dream come true.”
Cassandra Wang Lecouteur said; “I’m really excited, even though I didn’t get the win I am really happy with how I went. My goal was to make the semi-finals so this is a bonus.”
Fia Fighera said; “I am thrilled with the third place today, it felt so special to run in the final again and be 4m back. I gave it my all and it was a great race to be a part of with some amazing athletes. The Stawell Gift has a place in my heart and it’s such an incredible experience to be a part of.”
All eyes were on backmarker Stewart McSweyn in the new feature race on the calendar today, the AIA Vitality Invitation 3200m, but it was stablemate Thomas Thorpe who snuck away off his 200m handicap to secure the win. Thorpe trailed throughout the eight-lap journey before launching an assault on the home bend to prevail in the classy affair. Fan-favourite McSweyn managed to finish in fourth place, with his time of 8:19 on a gusty afternoon a demonstration of world class distance running at Stawell’s very own Central Park – certainly appreciated by the healthy crowd. Young gun and frontmarker Jhye Hadfield was valiant when fighting on to finish in second place, with elite marathoner Jack Rayner crossing the line in third.
2019 Powercor Stawell Gift champion Dhruv Rodrigues Chico narrowly missed making the final today but managed to storm to the front as the backmarker in the Furphy Chris Perry Memorial Backmarkers Handicap 120m in 12.354 holding off the race’s front marker and Australian current number 1 ranked 100m female athlete Hana Basic who clocked a time of 12.431.
Jerome Lugo, the Arthur Postle 70m winner from yesterday also won the Bill Howard 100m in a time of 10.364.
Joel Donnar was the winner of the Northern Grampians Shire Council Herb Hedemann 1600m in a time of 4.7.253.
The Masters Handicap 300m Final was won by Mark Glassborow in 35.091 followed by Martin Armour and David Griffin.
RESULTS Full results for Day 3 of the Power Stawell Gift Carnival are here:
https://www.stawellgift.com/on-the-track/results-2021/
PHOTOS for Day 3 here: https://lukehemer.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Powercor-Stawell-Gift-2021/C00004_NU8l.qqMQ
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