Romanin entered the race as one of the favourites and in great form after becoming a state champion with a gold medal winning performance in the Victorian 100 yards at December’s Zatopek10. 

He delivered on the hype, executing a well-run final to take out the crown.

Running off the backmarker of 3m he flew home on the wide lane.

Romanin only turned 21 two weeks ago, but he raced a mature 120m and looked very good through his heats.

The boy from Preston was rapt to come through against such a competitive field with the likes of Tim Escheback and Jojo Kwenin staking strong claims. 

Romanin delivered a time of 12.362 seconds on his way to victory and said he would love to come back and defend his title, saying it was great to run in such an atmosphere in front of a packed grandstand at Princes Park. 

“A lot of hard work over the last few months (has gone into this),” Romanin said.

“It was a tough field, so coming out and running against these guys, I had to work pretty hard.

“It’s really good, nice to have on my running resume.

“I’d like to come back, it’s pretty cool.”

It was the perfect start to a year that has been the focus for a long time for Romanin.

The Commonwealth Games is the priority for the promising runner with the hard work sure to continue if he is to make that dream a reality.

Romanin said he would be looking to fine-tune all aspects of his running in the lead-up to the National Championships and what he hopes will be a Commonwealth Games campaign in April.

“(I’ll be working on) everything – blocks, driving out real hard, just keep building and building and the rest will come.

“I think any athlete would love to represent their country in any national competition.”

If he does not manage to qualify, the Stawell Gift will become the focus.

Romanin finished fifth at Stawell last year and if he falls short of the Commonwealth Games, the much-coveted Stawell Gift will be the next best thing.

Ballarat hope Mason Keast ran well in his heat, but did not manage to qualify for the final.

Meanwhile, Olivia Russo claimed the women’s Maryborough Gift with an impressive run in a strong field on Monday.

The 21-year-old from Brighton said it was without a doubt her biggest win and said she would definitely be back to a meet that had exceeded all expectations.

After tasting success in the 100m at Northcote three weeks ago, she continued the good form with victory over the 120m. 

Russo said the focus for her and her coach had been on running relaxed during the pro races and it seems to be bringing out her best form.

“I just need to focus on my lane when I start to feel others around me,” Russo said.

“Ideally I’ll be doing as much as I can of these pro races.

“I’ve never really had a consistent season...this year’s been my first where I’ve been here throughout winter and then here for summer, so it’s looking promising, so hopefully I don’t get injured and can stay in form.

Russo will now turn her attention to Castlemaine and Rye.