In his first Stawell gift, Mitch O’Neill (red) won the Semi-Final 1 of the Bill Howard Handicap 100m. Mitch went on to claim second in the final.
Corowa sprint sensation Mitch O’Neill has achieved success at his first Stawell Gift claiming second place in the Bill Howard Handicap 100m.
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With a 4.25m handicap Mitch tore up the track in the 100m semi-final to claim victory and in the final race his blistering time of 10.5 seconds saw him come in just behind Altona sprinter Jack Wolff.
Reflecting on the three-day event, known as “Australia’s richest race”, Mitch said he was stoked with his results in the 70m, 100m and 120m.
“I’d just come off another successful season of athletics which felt like it went in the blink of an eye. Being in Stawell felt like I was on a holiday. I was so happy to be competing without too much pressure on my shoulders,” the 23-year-old said.
“I wasn't nervous at all on the first day. I just told myself just go through the normal warm up, put my head down and run like usual.
“I found success on Day 1 while running from the white marker in the 120m race and holding off 2022 Australian 100m champion Jake Doran where I placed 2nd.
“I snagged 2nd place in the 70m heat that day as well. Day 2 and 3 is where I won my 100m heat and semi's, then at the end of Day 3 I grabbed 2nd in the 100m final which was really exciting.
Corowa athlete Mitch O’Neill with a young fan after his great performance in the 2022 Stawell Gift.
“After the race, a young boy approached me and asked for my autograph which just made my day.”
Following the event, Mitch said it was the “best I've felt all season”.
“I loved watching my races on video with commentary and was a bit shocked with how much ground I made up on some of the guys in front of me,” he said.
“I reflected a lot on my races and felt completely satisfied with how I ran - to me there wasn't a single bad race.
“It was my Nan Julie's birthday on the 16th. She was my mums coach and taught her everything she knows about athletics and eventually her knowledge was passed down to me.
“While I never had the chance to meet her, my mum tells stories about her all the time. Both mum and nan have always been my very last thoughts before the starters gun fires.
“Unbelievably I've somehow always felt her presence right before I've ran an amazing race. I think it's safe to say she was with us those nights down in Stawell.”
Over the last 12 months Mitch has retained his NSW 200m country championship title, achieved the Wollongong Zoom 200m crown and made the NSW state 60m championship final with a new PB of 6.91s.
“To be completely honest, a lot of things went wrong this season including sickness and injury, broken spike plates, and of course horrific weather - but after my performance on Easter weekend, there is a lot to be happy about going into next season,” he said.
“Special thanks to my coach Donna Hiscox who again has gone above and beyond for me this season, helping me out with so many things including outside the track. Also, to Jimmy and Mike for carrying my spikes.”
Mitch and Bruce McAvaney chat after the 100m final
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