Next step … North Sunshine’s Megan McMahon, left, will be hoping to go one better at the Keilor Gift than this close second at St Albans in January. 60251 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Michael Esposito
NORTH Sunshine’s Megan McMahon is the great local hope in the 120-metre women’s open race at Keilor this Saturday.
The sprint, renamed the Billie-Jo Petersen Memorial Handicap in honour of the late runner, will pit familiar foes against each other in what is expected to be as thrilling a race as last year’s.
McMahon finished a close second last year to Invermay Park’s Narelle Lehmann, who will be trying to defend her title on Saturday.
The young athlete has hit form at just the right time, taking out the 100m women’s sprint in Ararat last week. It was a timely breakthrough after finishing third in the 100m at Avondale Heights and a heartbreaking second at the St Albans Gift.
McMahon missed out on taking the winner’s sash in front of a local crowd by seven thousandths of a second, to Katrina Buckingham.
Sprinting isn’t McMahon’s only strength – she has been a regular placegetter in 400m finals this year and won the 400m at Keilor last season. She will have a crack at defending her crown on Saturday.
“My season has been going really well so far, I have been making finals a fair bit every weekend since the start of January,” McMahon said.
“I really enjoy competing at Keilor every year, it’s a great meeting. I’m really hoping to go well there again this year.”
McMahon will be running off a 15.75 handicap.
Lehmann’s training partner Patricia Fox is considered another contender. Fox won the 400m at St Albans and won two open sprints last season.
Bacchus Marsh runner Laura Jane Hilditch, who trains in Werribee under renowned coach John Henry, is another runner to watch. Hilditch won the Woodside Women’s Gift in December and came second in the 120m at Rye last month.
The 120m women’s handicap final will be run at Keilor at 8.25pm. Other highlights on the day will include the open 400m, backmarkers 1600m, Invitation 70m “skins” event and the 300m veterans race.
