Cross-town entrant William Little has taken out the 2014 City of Maribyrnong Gift in a blanket finish.
The Glenhuntly Athletic Club member got stronger the longer the event wore on at Pennell Reserve on Sunday. After coming third in his heat off 12 metres, Little went on to win his semi-final and the final.
It took a lunge to the line for Little (13.443 seconds) to hold off Glenhuntly clubmate Tim Rosen (13.541) and Peechelba’s Nick MacGibbon (13.547) in an exhilarating final.
The 120-metre women’s gift was claimed by experienced Mount Waverley sprinter Sonya Pollard. Pollard, running off 17 metres, took her strong form from the heats into the final.
The final would be a much tighter race with Pollard (15.055) lunging to edge out Macedon’s Tarryn Fisher (15.095) and East Melbourne’s Angela Phillips (15.163).
The other winners on the day were: Augustine Carty-Cowl (70m open), Hamish Adams (U17 120m), Jessica Payne (300m women’s vets), Andrew Drummond (300m open), Jacqui Dalwood (1600m open) and Dylan Moore (U20 800m).
