GOLDEN NIGHT FOR KOSCHADE AT LOXTON
25 year old Ben Koschade lived up to his promise of a big Gift win in a thrilling final of the 2008 Nippys Loxton Gift. Koschade, coached by Brendan Golden, was a talented junior athlete before switching his mind to football with the Sturt Football Club earlier this decade. After returning to the sport he loves in 2005, Koschade went on to take out the 2006 Camden Classic over 400 metres and, despite being constantly troubled with injuries, has also hinted at the prospect of success over the 120 metre journey. Last Saturday’s triumph was against a quality field, with another Camden Classic winner Duncan Tippins continuing his sensational season by storming home to be a close runner-up off his tight handicap of 4 metres. Two Bay Sheffield winners Andrew Steele and Clay Watkins, four-time Nippys Loxton Gift finalist Leon Burckhardt and the heavily backed favourite Dylan Hicks made up the remainder of the field for the prestigious $6000 footrace, with less than a metre between the six finalists at the finish. Koschade will now go on to set his sights on becoming the first South Australian in over ten years to win the Easter Stawell Gift in country Victoria.
SA Athletic League President Brendan Golden had more than Koschade’s victory to smile about, as his own personal efforts were rewarded with a win in the 300 metre Over 35s final and his brother Brian putting in another strong performance to take home the 300m Open sash. The other 300 metre race, the BP Fruit 300m Women’s Loxton Classic was won by last year’s placegetter Claire Ashman, with the final scarred with a spectacular fall of one of the favourites, Lucy Buckley, down the back straight. Even though she was able to finish the race, Buckley was taken to hospital suffering from concussion and a laceration to the leg which required stitches.
Australia’s richest race over 1000 metres was claimed by Bay Sheffield Selected mile winner Toby Medlin in a dominating performance despite the valiant efforts of Adam Bishop and Bryce Watkins. In the other 1000 metre finals, Christopher Ross won the “B” final for the second year in a row, Amin Chehade flew home from his backmark in the Over 35s division, Oliver Preston timed his run to perfection in the first running of the Under 20s race and Sophie Evans followed in the footsteps of her sister Courtney with a big race win.
In other results, Kim Letton continued her fantastic season with a win over 120 metres in the Women’s Gift, Victorian Chris Tuohy collected another South Australian sash in the 50 metre Sprint Skins and youngster Sebastian Geers was awarded Athlete of the Meeting after being first across the line in both the 70m Novice and 120m Under 20 finals in the space of 10 minutes.
The event was a spectacular success, with Adelaide’s Clipsal 500 and Loxton’s unusual cool windy conditions not deterring a large contingent of local spectators to once again be on hand to see SA Athletic League action at its best.
RESULTS
120m Open Nippys Loxton Gift
1st – Ben Koschade (7.75m)
2nd – Duncan Tippins (4.0m)
3rd – Andrew Steele (6.5m)
Time: 12.89secs
300m Women’s Loxton Classic
1st – Claire Ashman (29m)
2nd – Kim Letton (43m)
3rd – Anthea Kotyla (33m)
Time: 37.51secs
120m Women's Gift
1st – Kim Letton (16.0m)
2nd – Alicia Wrench-Doody (7.75m)
3rd – Anthea Kotyla (13.75m)
Time: 14.64secs
50m Sprint Skins
1st – Chris Tuohy (0.25m)
2nd – Emma Freer (5.75m)
Time: 6.17secs
70m Novice
1st – Sebastian Geers (6.75m)
2nd – Ali Saliu (11.75m)
3rd – Clint Tobin (7.25m)
Time: 7.70secs
120m Under 20s
1st – Sebastian Geers (6.25m)
2nd – Ben Hardy (13.0m)
3rd – Matthew Jose (8.5m)
Time: 13.38secs
300m Open
1st – Brian Golden (22m)
2nd – Alex Saliu (16m)
3rd – Michael Nitschke (21m)
Time: 33.30secs
300m Over 35s
1st – Brendan Golden (31m)
2nd – Ali Saliu (32m)
3rd – Gary Ferber (56m)
Time: 35.97secs
1000m A
1st – Toby Medlin (44m)
2nd – Adam Bishop (40m)
3rd – Bryce Watkins (44m)
Time: 2mins 24.85secs
1000m B
1st – Christopher Ross (64m)
2nd – Dillon Tee (78m)
3rd – Ryan Roberts (94m)
Time: 2mins 28.84secs
1000m Women
1st – Sophie Evans (90m)
2nd – Rhea Danner (75m)
3rd – Tasmin McMahon (75m)
Time: 2mins 51.43secs
1000m Over 35s
1st – Amin Chehade (20m)
2nd – Richard McMahon (45m)
3rd – Debbie Roberts (320m)
Time: 2mins 41.69secs
1000m Under 20s
1st – Oliver Preston (48m)
2nd – Tim Smith (40m)
3rd – Matthew Nicholls (45m)
Time: 2mins 35.59secs