Flagstaff Results 2012

Following mid week heavy rains the Flagstaff Track although rolled heavily was firm but slow. The meet dodged a bullet with the weather going around the background hills with only spots of rain. The wind dropped, the temperature stayed moderate for a great night of grass track racing.
The John Dawkins Memorial 550M was taken out by Matthew Fallon, adding the most sought after 550M sash outside the Bay Sheff to his Stellar season. Brian Witty the winner of the initial Camden Classic 33 years ago, continued his recent form taking out the 400M over 45's rich prizemoney from a fast finishing Mark Beveridge. Ever improving Flagstaff Track Squad Athlete James Grant one his first Sash on his home track in front of his very proud family - picking up a Carton of beer from his close mate Matt Hagias in a side bet.

70M - Under 20
Liam Wright 6.5M 7.73sec
Sam O'Grady 10M
Myriah Smith 15M

70M -Open
Adrian Harris 6.25M 7.64sec
Paul Taylor 8.0M
Luke Buchanan 7.75M

1600M Under 17
Jessica Oats 340M 4.18.66
Sophie Eckel 340M
William McCann 90M

1600M Open
James Grant 280M 4.06.85
Tim Earl 145M
Damien Robinson 150M

120M Over 35's
Brett Stokes 21M 13.63secs
Shane Grimwade 8.5M
Sue Turner 25.25M

120M Women
Emma Freer 7M 14.36secs
Claire Ashman 11M
Amie Mittiga 8M

120M Open
Chris Innes-Wong 7.25M 12.74 secs
Luke Buchanan 12.75M
Jarrad Dartnall 8.75M

550M Under 14
Alex Martini 67M 1.20.08
Georgia Corcoran 80M
Sarah Chigwidden 57M

400M Novice
Scott Hargreaves 22M 49.40
Andrew Wright 44M
Jacobi Ponury 30M

400M Women
Courtney Ryder 66M 55.36
Lynette Mattingly 30M
Megan Letton 37M

400M Over 45's
Brian Witty 95M 52.47
Mark Beveridge 11M
Chris Dimitrak 45M

550M John Dawkins Memorial
Matthew Fallon 60M 1.10.61
Jake Stangewitz 48M
Matthew Cousins 50M

Interesting to note in the 550 that it was fallons second sash over that distance this season after he won at port Adelaide. Oddly he won that day off 58m??
Now I'm not the handicapper but I would have thought that winning 2 races over the same distance where the second one you had a better mark than the first should be very very much unheard of??
Is there any reason why this may have happened?? Or was it an unlucky mishap by the handicapper??

Hage won 800m at TTG but retained his 1000m mark for Loxton.
I guess it gets down to the amount of cash the race is worth.
I would expect both runners to be pulled next run especially Hage whos Loxton run was worth lots more dollars.
Both runners arent serial podium finishes so maybe why their handicaps remained as such.

Whispers wrote:Hage won 800m at TTG but retained his 1000m mark for Loxton.
I guess it gets down to the amount of cash the race is worth.
I would expect both runners to be pulled next run especially Hage whos Loxton run was worth lots more dollars.
Both runners arent serial podium finishes so maybe why their handicaps remained as such.

Bit different Whispers. Hages first open win over 800 was not over same distance as the 1k @ Loxton. He didn't get a lift either. Rookie's got a point. Not Fallon's fault he got 2m, but have to ask why he got lifted after an open win over same distance. Fast time 1-10. 550m marks are to inflated.

Why would hage get pulled in a 1km for winning a small 800? That's not a similiar comparison to Fallon. Fallon winning 2 of the 4 550m races for the year where his second win was off a bigger handicap shouldn't happen?
He went from 58 at pt Adelaide to 54 for the pre bay missed the final got a lift to 58 for the bay sheff (which no one would complain about. Port Adelaide is a small meeting so wouldnt argue getting his mark back for the bay) he again missed the final ( a very hard final to make) and then got another lift to 60 all in the one season.

Woops hadn't seen morphs post. Pretty much saying the same thing. Sorry mate

Yea your dead right mr mongrel it definitely isn't fallons fault and he ran well and took full advantage of it!! not taking anything away from his run because mistake or not he ran an excellent race.
Just hard to see where the logic was there after getting pulled and running in 2 races he got more than he was originally off where some runners have got very little or no lifts at all the whole season

To Rookie,Morph and Juddy you may all want to look back and see who won the 2010 550m at Port as that is where the comparisons getting made and see what hes running off now.
Hold it I will save you the trouble ,Bryce Watkins won off 22m in 2010 and ran off 22m at the Bay in 2011.
He didnt enter the Port Adelaide 550m in 2011 but would have had no worse than 20 and may very well had 22m.
Not the same season .but very similar .
Considering the number of 550m races availabe he got his 2 metres back very quick ,no different to Fallon.

You have completely missed the point. He won off More than what he had at pt Adelaide. It took him two races to go past his winning mark again. And I was incorrect in my first post he actually made pre bay final.

Yeas whispers but most athletes get a lift for the bay and Fallon getting his original mark back was not an issue as the bay is a big occasion and everyone wants to do well but the fact that he again got a lift after the bay when not 1 other athlete seemed to is the confusing part.
You don't get pulled if you don't win so seeing as how Bryce watkins didn't win the 550 at the bay in 2010 why would he have been off any less than 20 at port Adelaide in 2011??

Rookie, you cant say no other athlete got a lift from the Bay if they arent the facts.
The facts are at least 5 or 6 people got lifts.
Zacher plus4
Sutton plus3
Chehade plus3
Girolamo plus4
Welsh plus4
Fallon plus2
Im sure Stagewitz and Cousins would also have got lifts as well if they had not been showing 400m form

You are still missing the point! The 5 other runners you just named have been nowhere near the mark in 550s this season. There lifts ate warranted. Fallon won port Adelaide!
I highly doubt stangewitz would have gotten a lift seen as he podiumed at the bay 550?

Cousins was up 2 from port also - my guess is Fallon came off penalty from winning Port and then everyone got 2m? (not sure but the post above mentions a few names who have moved up) - so I dont know.

Ive never really checked all the marks and compared them all (2m prob doesnt make that much difference over 550 and motivation / confidence would make more)

Crawford was back marker did he move much over the last dozen races? hehe I dont know how people know all this but im sure someone will answer it!

Gifted wrote:Cousins was up 2 from port also - my guess is Fallon came off penalty from winning Port and then everyone got 2m? (not sure but the post above mentions a few names who have moved up) - so I dont know.

Ive never really checked all the marks and compared them all (2m prob doesnt make that much difference over 550 and motivation / confidence would make more)

Crawford was back marker did he move much over the last dozen races? hehe I dont know how people know all this but im sure someone will answer it!

Thanks Matt I don't see anything wrong with a 2m lift after not making the Bay 550m Final (even though it is a tough race). I don't know how close the race was but I know that 1.10 is a cracking time and Matt still would have been in 1.10 high- 1.11 low form which should always be a challenge for the win.

The person to answer it would be Leon and I don't think too many people can argue with Leon's marks or a seasoned runner like Matt winning two 550m's over a season.. maybe Matt is just ideally suited to 550m and we should be all getting some handy hints from him. All this aside, well done mate! Always good to see you winning.