Maryborough Gift: Relief as Pike finally claims his sash

FRUSTRATION at being so close, so many times made Travis Pike snap.This time he wanted to prove he had what it took to pull on a sash.Pike had notched up eight runner-up finishes and seven third placings in four years on the Victorian Athletic League circuit.The Ringwood-based athlete left Maryborough yesterday with the Novice 120m handicap prize, shaking off his novice sprinting status. “It’s a massive relief,” Pike said.“It has been frustrating, particularly when you almost win so many times and you hear other runners say ‘Trav, you are so close, you are nearly there’.“To do it, prove it and actually come first is great.”Pike (11.25m) clocked a time of 12.72 seconds to hold off Sandringham’s fast-finishing Paddy McDonald (7.75m).New South Welshman Brady Lehman (11m) was third. So what was the difference to Pike’s race at Maryborough?“I got to about the 50-metre mark and I could hear my crew yelling ‘stand up’ – I tend to bend over and dig into the ground when I run, when I really need to stand up taller and keep my head up to help with that extra stride.“It’s about technique.”The winner of last year’s Novice 120m was Ararat speedster Lachie Dalgleish, who was listed by Essendon in last month’s AFL rookie draft. Meanwhile Pike, trained by Nick Fielder, said he wanted to soak up and enjoy the win as much as possible before plotting his next major athletics move.He hoped the New Year and 2012 would bring out the best in everybody this season.Driven by his taste of a sash, Pike almost backed up the victory in the Novice 400m handicap but was forced to settle for second place again.