QUEENSLAND'S Isaac Dunmall has recorded the fastest time in the 2014 Australia Post Stawell Gift heats on his way to semi-final qualification at Stawell's Central Park on Saturday.
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Dunmall, one of the pre-carnival favourites, ran a time of 12.32 seconds off a handicap of eight metres, winning the nineteenth heat.
From the 22 heats, 42 athletes qualified for the semi-finals – the 22 heat winners plus the athletes who ran the 20 next fastest times.
The 20-year-old will again be joined in the semi-finals by Albury’s John Adams and West Footscray athlete Augustine Carty-Cowling, who set blistering times in their heat wins.
Dunmall, who was pushed all the way in his heat by fellow qualifier Luke Versace, said he has overcome injury to compete.
“I’ve torn hamstrings twice in the lead-up, so my preparation’s sort of been a little bit off,” he said
“Hopefully Monday I can get a bit quicker and make that final.
“I wanted to go a lot quicker, but that’s the way it goes.”
More than 10 other athletes have qualified for successive Stawell Gift semi-finals, including favourite and 2008 winner Sam Jamieson and last year’s Stawell Gold Mines Gift Winners’ Gift champion Dean Scarff.
However, reigning Stawell Gift winner Andrew Robinson narrowly missed qualifying for the semi-finals, running a time of 12.88.
Current Australian female 100-metre record holder Melissa Breen also failed to qualify after starting from the limit mark of 10 metres.
Breen, who was attempting to become the first female semi-finalist, finished in a time of 12.95 seconds.
The semi-finals will start on Monday at 12.40pm, ahead of the final at 2.45pm.
Semi-final qualifiers: Isaac Dunmall, 12.32; Augustine Carty-Cowling, 12.336; John Adams, 12.35; Luke Versace, 12.351; Simon Jackson, 12.384, Christopher Innes-Wong, 12.398; Kevin Brittain, 12.403; Sam Jamieson, 12.403; Edward Ware, 12.431; Ryan Camille, 12.472; Nick MacGibbon, 12.482; Will Johns, 12.509; Luke Stevens, 12.513, Joel Bee, 12.524; Robert Spencer, 12.537; Paul Tancredi, 12.547; David Afath, 12.557; David Gross, 12.578; Luke Houlihan, 12.58; Leigh Phelan, 12.583; Murray Goodwin, 12.59; Brendan Matthews, 12.59; Cam Dunbar, 12.598; Ryan Bedford, 12.616; Peter O’Dwyer, 12.623; Dean Scarff, 12.63; Joshua McCabe, 12.63; Josh Tiu, 12.646; Daniel Steinhauser, 12.651; Dale Lyons, 12.653; Tim Eschebach, 12.661; Dylan Hicks, 12.666; Matthew Eddy, 12.667; Simon Fitzpatrick 12.674; Jordan Tronnolone, 12.679; Liam Shepherd 12.702; Matthew Hargreaves, 12.705; James Vine, 12.72; David Tinney, 12.729; Vincent Jason, 12.805; Glenn Ross, 12.809; Jarrad Dartnall, 12.855.
