HUNTER hurdler Mitch Lightfoot has fired off a warning shot saying there's "more to come" after his breakthrough national title and top-10 Australian time.
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Competing in the senior ranks for the first time this season, Maitland 19-year-old Lightfoot prevailed in a tightly-contested men's 110 metre hurdles final in Brisbane on Sunday.
His time of 13.65 seconds was not only a personal best, shaving 0.08 off his recent mark, but took him to equal ninth on the country's best-ever list led by Olympic finalist Kyle Vander-Kuyp (13.29s).
"I'm stoked on the championship racing, getting that first, but all these other boys they're pushing me along," Lightfoot said in a post-race interview with host broadcaster Seven Plus.
"That time I'm ecstatic with. I wanted to break into the point sixes [13.60 to 13.69] and we've done it first season. There's more to come, I'll tell you that. Heaps more."
Lightfoot, who finished fourth at last year's Under-20 World Championships in Colombia, managed to hold off both Josh Hawkins (13.67s) and Nick Andrews (13.69s) in the decider.
"I'm just happy to be out here competing, finally show what I can do over the open height," he said.
Elsewhere at the carnival Torrie Lewis, a former Macquarie Hunter Little Athletics Club member, claimed the women's sprint double (100m, 200m) while Merewether's Rose Davies (women's 5000m) and New Lambton's Emily Whelan (women's high jump) both picked up silver medals.
Newcastle-based Paralympians Rheed McCracken (T34) and Luke Bailey (T54) traded top-two places in the men's wheelchair 400m and 100m based on world-record percentages.
Athletics Australia on Monday announced sprinter Rohan Browning (men's 100m in 10.02s) as the Betty Cuthbert Medal recipient, marking the best individual performance at nationals.
Matthew Denny (men's discus), Jessica Hull (women's 1500m), Michelle Jenneke (women's 100m hurdles) and Nicola Olyslagers (women's high jump) were the first Aussie athletes to get official nods for this year's world titles in Budapest.
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
