Sport
10 April, 2023
Teens reign supreme at 2023 Stawell Gift
Victorian teenagers Ryan Tarrant and Bella Pasquali have reigned supreme at Stawell - the spiritual home of Australian professional running.
Victorian teenagers Ryan Tarrant and Bella Pasquali have reigned supreme at Stawell - the spiritual home of Australian professional running.
Each took their turn to own Central Park with wins in the $55,000 Stawell 120m Gifts on Monday, April 10, 2023.
Contesting a professional athletics meeting for the only the second time. the 18-year-old Tarrant grabbed victory right on the line - edging out a diving Nick Antonino in the tightest of finishes in the Stawell Men's Gift.
Tarrant, of Melbourne, earned favouritism by winning his heat and semi-final in the fastest times, but the 2021 Burnie Gift winner had to work much harder in a dramatic finish.
Pasquali, 16, just found enough to edge out Ballarat's Grace O'Dwyer in the Stawell Women's Gift - the second time Pasqualis and O'Dwyers have fought out the finish of the feature.
Ironically, O'Dwyer won the 2015 Stawell Women's Gift as a 15-year-old from Pasquali's mother Anna, who as a 37-year-old had to settle for second.
Like O'Dwyer, Pasquali has grown up in professional running - her father Wally was also a Stawell Gift finalist - and the families are good friends.
O'Dwyer was among the first to congratulate her younger rival and full of praise for the performance.
"We love Gracie and the O'Dwyer family, but it's good to get a win that Mum couldn't," Bella, who is a Wangaratta secondary school student, said.
While Stawell marks the end of the season for most runners, Pasquali will press on in the hope of qualifying for the Commonwealth Youth Games.