The fourth day of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) brought another trio of medals for athletes from the Team Griffith family.
On the last night of high speed action in Brisbane, Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice student, Stephanie Morton, was crowned the queen of the velodrome as she powered to her third gold medal of the Games. Her exciting victory in the Women’s Keirin Final brought to four her overall haul from the past four nights.
As Steph stepped out of the limelight, Business student Matthew Denny stepped in with a silver medal performance in the Men’s Hammer Throw. The 21-year-old captured the imagination of spectators on the opening afternoon of athletics at Carrara Stadium.
He displayed composure and courage in overcoming foul throws with his first two efforts to eventually throw a PB 74.88m, which would only be denied by a Games record winning throw beyond the 80m mark. Matt can now look forward with confidence to a return to Carrara on Thursday for the Men’s Discuss competition.
Madeline in the medals
In the Optus Aquatic Centre last night, it was the turn of Griffith Swim Club’s Madeline Groves to capture the attention in an Australian 1-2-3 in the final of the Women’s 50m Butterfly. She claimed bronze behind superstar Cate Campbell.
Bachelor of Science (Advanced Honours) student Cameron McEvoy narrowly missed out on the medals, finishing fourth in the final of the Men’s 100m Freestyle after an impressive swim.
Team Griffith will be very well represented in tonight’s pool finals following some excellent semi-final showings yesterday, not least from Public Health student Georgia Bohl (right) who was an impressive winner in her semi-final of the Women’s 100m Breaststroke. She will be joined in the final by Commerce student Leiston Pickett who came third in the same semi-final.
Shayna Jack, a Business student, continues to enjoy a wonderful GC2018 and she’ll go into tonight’s final of the Women’s 100m Freestyle with confidence after another excellent swim in the semi-final where she touched the wall second.
Final contenders
Grant Irvine (left), another member of Griffith Swim Club on the Gold Coast campus, is also a medal chance in the final of the Men’s 100m Butterfly after winning his semi-final last night. Bachelor of Software Engineering student, Liam Hunter, swam very competitively in his semi-final of the Men’s 50m Breaststroke only to miss out on a place in the final.
Also contesting a final tonight are Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice student, Jessica Ashwood, and Bachelor of Exercise Science student, Kiah Melverton. Both will line up in the Women’s 800m Freestyle Final after swimming first and third in their respective semi-finals.
There is also the prospect of swimming star, Emma McKeon, lining up in the final of the Women’s 200m Butterfly. The Public Health student will first have to negotiate the heats this morning. Also in action in heats today are Cameron McEvoy and alumnus Samuel Seghers in the Men’s 50m Freestyle.
Today at the Games
At Carrara Stadium on day two of the athletics program, Bachelor of Sport Management student, John Lane (left), will swing into action in the Decathlon. Representing England, John will take on the 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m on the first day of the grueling discipline. He starts with the sprint at 10.05am.
On the final day of weightlifting at Carrara Sports Arena, it is the turn of double degree graduate Deborah Acason (right) who will compete at her fifth Games. An outstanding sports career has seen her win gold at the Melbourne Games in 2006, three silvers at Manchester in 2002 and a bronze at Delhi in 2010. The Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice graduate contests the Women’s 90-plus kg category from 2pm.
Also in weightlifting, Physiotherapy lecturer at the School of Applied Health Services, Andrea Hams, yesterday finished in sixth place in the 69kg category. In the Men’s 20km Walk Final, Michael Hosking — who studied a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education at Griffith — finished in 10th place. In shooting, at the end of the first day of qualification in the Men’s Skeet, Business student Paul Adams is sitting in 10th place.
Medal certainty
Day four already guarantees another medal for Team Griffith after Australia edged out Canada by 10-9 in the semi-finals of the Women’s Fours at the Lawn Bowls yesterday. They will take their place in today’s gold medal final against South Africa (12.15pm).
Team lead and Journalism graduate Kelsey Cottrell will be looking to add a gold to a personal Commonwealth Games medal haul that already includes a silver and a bronze.
She will also be in action today in round one of the Women’s Pairs when Australia take on Zambia. In the Mixed Pairs (vision impaired) Australia overcame Wales 18-6 in round four with Business graduate Jake Fehlberg to the fore.
Day 5 also sees Postgraduate student Jesse Wagstaf in action with the Australian Boomers who take on Nigeria in the basketball (9pm) and alumnus Jordyn Holzberger lining out for the Hockeyroos when they face New Zealand in Pool A of the hockey (9.30pm).
Team Griffith
Current Students: Matthew Hauser (triathlon), Madison de Rozario (wheelchair athletics), Domonic Bedggood (diving), Tejaswinin Williamson (diving), Jesse Wagstaf (basketball), Brandon Wakeling (weightlifting), Stephanie Morton (cycling), Sara Tait (para triathlon), Jessica Ashwood (swimming), Georgia Bohl (swimming), Shayna Jack (swimming), Cameron McEvoy (swimming), Emma McKeon (swimming), Kiah Melverton (swimming), Leiston Pickett (swimming), Zac Stubblety-Cook (swimming), Matthew Denny (athletics), Riley Day (athletics), Liam Hunter (swimming), Skye Nicolson (boxing), John Lane (decathlon), Kelsey Cottrell (lawn bowls), Paul Adams (shooting), Georgina Friedrichs (rugby sevens).
Alumni: Michael Shelley (marathon), Shannon Parry (rugby sevens), Ash Gentle (triathlon), Deborah Acason (weightlifting), Katrin Garfoot (cycling), Chloe Hosking (cycling), Jake Fehlberg (lawn bowls, vision impaired), Tegan Napper (weightlifting), Murray Goodwin (athletics), Jordyn Holzberger (hockey), Sam Seghers (swimming), Michael Hosking (athletics).
Staff: Andrea Hams (weightlifting), Michael Bohl (swimming, coach).
Griffith Swimming Club: Madeline Groves, Grant Irvine, David McKeon.