Illawarra Track Challenge: Wins for Browning, Connolly and Azzopardi

14 January 2024

Illawarra Track Challenge: Wins for Browning, Connolly and Azzopardi

Assisted by warm conditions and tailwinds the athletes delivered terrific sprint results at the 10th annual Illawarra Track Challenge in Wollongong on Saturday

The event hosted the NSW 60m and mile championships, along with an open 100m, which is remembered for a wind assisted 9.96 by Rohan Browning in 2021.

100m Men – Josh Azzopardi holds off Rohan Browning

Since he emerged at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, Rohan Browning has been Australia’s leading 100m sprinter, particularly through the last few years, but Camden’s Joshua Azzopardi, 24, sprung a surprise win over Browning in the 100m. In a classy lineup, which included most of the members of the Commonwealth Games relay team, Azzopardi clocked 10.06 with a strong 4.1m/s tailwind. Rohan was given the same time to the hundred of a second, but they were split by the photo finish 10.054 to 10.056 – just 2 thousand of a second. The time made Azzopardi the sixth fastest Aussie in history in all-conditions.

Rob Marks coached Azzopardi got away well early in the race.

“At about halfway, to be honest, I thought ‘I’m was in front here’, so it was good for my top end speed to come though at the end of the race,” said Azzopardi.

“It was my first 100m of the year and we still have 2-3 months to go so I just keep moving forward from here.”

Was the performance a surprise?

Not too keen observers of the sport. In 2022, he placed second at the Nationals to Jake Doran. This was after he had spent months at the start of the 2021/22 summer in a moonboot, rehabbing an injury. In 2022 he went on to be a key member of the National men’s 4x100m relay team which ran at the Brimingham Commonwealth Games. After a terrific start to the 2023 summer, where he set a PB 10.25 in January, he was injured and missed the National championship. He rallied late in Europe and made the 100m semis at the World University Games in August, but momentum had been lost. Ahead of today’s race, last month he clocked a 200m PB of 20.76.

The depth of the race in Wollongong was superb. In third was Chris Ius 10.20, ahead of Commonwealth Games relay duo Jacob Despard (Tasmania) 10.20 and Jake Penny (Victoria) 10.21. A rising talent in NSW was Leonard King who was sixth in 10.22.

Despite the loss, after his most consistent season yet in 2023, a stated performance goal of Browning and coach Andrew Murphy; and after an excellent preparation for this summer, Browning remains on track to become just the second Aussie under 10 seconds, but he might just have company.

100m – Women – Ella Connolly 11.26

Former Queenslander, now living and competing in Sydney, Ella Connolly, 23, didn’t disappoint with her fastest start to a season clocking 11.26 – just 0.01 seconds outside her PB and the fastest she has run in nearly two years. It was her first race since July 2023 when she was forced to withdrew from the world championships in Budapest with injury. Moving State and away from your support network is a big challenge for any athlete, but after the race Connolly made special mention of coach Andrew Murphy who has worked so hard to assist her athletics and also NSWIS for their support.

In second was former Sutherland Shire athlete, now based in Victoria, Sam Geddes, who in her first race of the summer clocked an impressive 11.54, not far short of her 11.46 PB set last August when she placed a brilliant fourth in the 100m at the World University Games.

First NSW athletes were Jade Johnson-Mitrevska who clocked a massive PB of 11.67 (1.7m/s) and in another heat Jessica Laurence with a wind assisted 11.67 (3.6m/s). Olympic 400m hurdler Sarah Carli clocked 11.76w alongside Commonwealth Games long jumper Sam Dale with 11.76 (1.7m/s).

60m Men – Browning is back

This would be a test, was Josh Azzopardi’s 100m win a one-off? No so as he pushed Browning all the way to the line in the 60m as they clocked times of 6.52 to 6.54. Browning equalled Matt Shirvington’s National record, but it was assisted by an over the limit wind of 2.5m/s.

60m Women – NSW and Australian record for Connolly, while Jade Johnson-Mitrevska wins

Ella Connolly, a mathematics and science teacher, went one better in the 60m clocking 7.26 (1.5m/s wind) in the heats, under the Australian and NSW records. With her days’ work complete, Connolly withdrew from the final where there was another surprise winner, and another from Rob Marks’ squad Jade Johnson-Mitrevska. The St George athlete has made remarkable improvement in the last year or so. A 12.06 100m sprinter at the start of summer, she has run three PBs and is now down to 11.67. In the 60m she clocked 6.32 (2.0m/s) to take the State open title and defeat Sam Geddes who had clocked 11.54 earlier in the day. Completing the NSW State podium were training partners under coach Greg Smith – Jessica Laurance (7.41) and Paige Campbell (7.45).

NSW Mile Championships - Michael Roeger on track for a fifth Paralympics

Local club Kembla Joggers claimed a trifecta in the women’s State mile led by Ruby Mcphillips with 5:03.36, followed over the line by Ashleigh Gardner (5:05.02) and Chloe Pateman (5:07.36).

In the men’s race a large pack of about six athletes worked together to keep the pace honest until the kick down came. Perth’s Thomas Moorcroft won in 4:06.02, ahead of Randwick Botany’s Stefan Music claiming the State title in 4:07.07. Completing the podium were Tom March (Kembla Joggers, 4:08.40) and Harrison McGill (Bankstown, 4:09.55). In sixth was 4-time Paralympian Michael Roeger, a T46 classified arm amputee. He clocked 4:12.16, equal to about 3:54 for 1500m. He is building towards the Paris Paralympics where the 1500m is his goal. With A qualifiers already locked away, he is on track for an amazing fifth Paralympics. With rare opportunities to compete against athletes in his classification, he is hoping to compete at the World Para Athletics Championships in May in Kobe Japan.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Rohan Browning left out dips Josh Azzopardi in the NSW Open 60m championship (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)