Cooper Sherman has joined an elite group of the modern era as a hometown winner of the Ballarat Men's Gift.
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The Ballarat 19-year-old showed his class and enormous potential by charging past his rivals from the back mark of one metre at the City Oval on Sunday to claim one of the most prestigious features on the Victorian Athletic League calendar.
He was not far away from completing the sprint double at the two-day carnival, having to settle for third in Saturday's 70m final.
There was no stopping him over the 120m though.
Sherman joins the likes of Nathan Dixon (2006), Rod Mathews (2009) and Peter O'Dwyer (2010) as Ballarat winners of the Gift in the past two decades.
Sherman said although he was starting to feel the wear and tear of a busy program over the two days, he had been spurred on by watching the women's Gift final while waiting to face the starter.
"It gave me a whole lot of adrenalin and motivation, and once the gun went another gear just clicked."
He said he could not have been happier with his performances.
"With these races I do a conversion to my 100m times. They've all been around my pb, so the times are looking pretty quick at the moment."
Sherman said it had been a great thrill to win in front of people he knew - family and friends.
Ballarat is his second Gift win of the season, having won at St Albans after finishing second at Maryborough on New Year's Day.
There's little time for rest for Sherman, who is coached by Neville Down.
He now goes to the international Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne on Thursday as part of the World Athletics Continental Tour.
Sherman, who competed in the Victorian Country Track and Field Championships in Ballarat last month, will then go to the state championships, Stawell Gift and the nationals.
HOW THEY FINISHED
Cooper Sherman (1m) 12.52sec 1, Seth Kennedy (6m) 2, Jackson Bennett (4.25m) 3. Then Tom Templeton (4.75m), Tom Perry (9m), Ryan Camille (9.5m), Kevin Brittain (10m), Murray Goodwin (6m).
