2023 Bay Sheffield 120m Men's Gift

I'll give a shot at sorting out a poll for the Bay Sheffield.

The 2023 Bay Sheffield Carnival will see 72 athletes ready to set the Colley Reserve track on fire and etch their name in the history books.

2022 200m National Champion and current South Australian 100m and 200m record holder Aidan Murphy starts as this years back marker off 1.75m. Murphy placed second to Jesse McKenna in the recent Burnie Gift running 12.20 off 2m and will be chasing after that Bay Sheffield title. Joining Murphy as fellow backmarkers are Bay Sheffield winners Michael Moschou (2022) and Harrison Hunt (2018) off 2m and 2.5m respectively, 2020 Maryborough Gift winner Fejiro Omuvwie off 2.5m and 2022 Stawell Gift winner Harrison Kerr off 2.75m.

South Australian athletes Thomas McClure (6.25m) and Joseph McKinnon (10m) will be tough athletes to beat on form. McClure retains his 6.25m winning mark from the Crystal Brook meet at the end of October where he ran 12.26 (12.20 raw). McKinnon has had a sensational season so far winning the recent Pre Bay Meet (12.31 off 10m), Port Adelaide 100m (10.15 off 9.25m), Flinders 200m (21.28 off 18m), Marion 300m (33.28 off 27m); and podium finishes in the Brighton 100m (2nd), Flinders 70m (2nd), Burnside 300m (2nd) and Marion 120m (3rd). McKinnon retains his Pre Bay winning mark and will be one of the strongest frontmarkers contesting the Bay this year.

Season winners and strong local contenders include Burnside winner and Keith Patching 70m runner up Alexander Chan off 6.5m (12.70 off 6.5m and 7.71 off 3.75), Port Adelaide 60m winner Xavier Poole off 10.75m (6.58s off 5.25m) and Brighton 100m winner Jack Doney off 5.75m (10.62 off 4.75m beating Joseph McKinnon). Other SA runners not to discount include Mitchell Tucker off 10.75m (12.31 off 10.75 at Pre Bay), Dylan Boyce off 10m (12.34 off 10m at Crystal Brook), Corey Baker off 9.75m (10.23 off 8m at Port Adelaide), Oli Callahan off 7m (10.24 off 5.75m at Port Adelaide), Cailen Hejka off 5.5m (12.48 off 5.25m at Pre Bay) and Sam Blyzno off 10.75m (12.46 off 10.75m at Marion and has run a 22.10 200m PB this season).    

The interstate brigade sees VAL sash winners Hugh Hoffman and Aaron Peter-Budge as the better contenders. Hoffman won the Waverley Gift (10.45 off 7.5m) and retains his winning mark of 9.25m whilst Peter-Budge won the Mortlake Gift (12.66 off 6m) and also retains his winning mark of 6m. These two gentleman have earned a 0.75m lift for the Stawell Gift so we will see if they choose to go hard for Christmas or for Easter. Other interstate runners to watch out for include Jake Ireland off 5m who moves up from 4.5m after placing 4th at last years Bay Sheffield (although injury may be a concern for Ireland), Patrick Martin moves to 8.25m and at his best has run 12.41 off the same mark 2 years ago, Daniel White-Alikakos, Kevin Brittain and Kristerfer Kardakovski have also made a couple of finals this season and will also be competitive off 8.75m, 9.5m and 11m respectively.

Hopefully should be an exciting Bay Sheffield carnival; lets see if a smokie comes to spoil the party and add further excitement!

Most of the final spots seem to be taken by a couple of boys who have shown form.
McClure, McKinnon and Boyce are all well placed to go at least 12.3. Certainly booking themselves in a final. Hejka won’t be too far off that time, especially since we saw him run a 12.16 in a semi last year.
Hoffman (if he is running) and Callahan who I’ve always been a fan of will make up the final.
Should be a cracker !!

Hejka
McClure 1st
Callahan
Hoffman
Boyce 3rd
McKinnon 2nd

Don't sleep on Mitch Tucker he seems to be finding some form at the right time, I've got him in my top 2