BALLARAT Gift winner Cooper Sherman has been handed the toughest task at Easter's Stawell Gift, handed the backmarker position of just half a metre, as he looks to add Australia's richest footrace to his outstanding season.
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Sherman, who has also entered the 400m at Saturday night's Sydney Track Classic, has been in blistering form this season, breaking through the 46-second barrier in the 400m as well as running a 100m at a career-best 10.45 seconds.
He was a dominant winner of the Ballarat Gift, storming to a big victory in February over 120m at City Oval.
"Even though I have had success in the gifts recently, Stawell will be an extremely difficult win," Cooper told stawellgift.com last month.
"Winning Stawell would be a game-changer. It would not only validate my abilities but also serve as a springboard for my career in athletics."
For the 20-year-old, the allure of pro-running lies in its equitable nature, offering athletes of varying speeds an equal chance at victory and fostering intense competition that pushes him to reach his peak performance.
"I find myself often racing the clock rather than others. Gift running gives me an opportunity to consistently have neck and neck finishes and that's what makes it so exciting," he said.
Former Stawell Gift winner, and last year's runner-up, Ballarat's Grace O'Dwyer will have a tough task to replicate last year's performance having been handed a handicap of 3.5m.
O'Dwyer ran into second place behind Bella Pasquali off a handicap of 7m last season, and will need to be at her absolute peak to be able to reach another final. Pasquali herself faces an even tougher test, handicapped at just 2.5m, as opposed to last year's 7.25m.
Young rising star Armani Anderson will also make her Stawell Gift debut and has been offered a good opportunity to shine, off 6.25m. Another rising start, Nyajima Jock, from Mount Clear, will run off 6m.
They are among a group of 16 female Ballarat runners who will look to play huge role in proceedings including Halle Martin (11m), Talia Martin (10.25m), Grace Crowe (6m) and Tiana Shillito (9.25m).
Ballarat's Hugh Hoffman has been given the frontmarker position in the men's gift off 10m, while Lincoln Barnes will run off 9.5m and Patrick Martin is off 8.75m
BALLARAT RUNNERS STAWELL GIFT HANDICAPS
MEN'S 120m GIFT
Lincoln Barnes - Ballarat North - 9.5m
Campbell Butson - Brown Hill - 8.75m
Elijah Cross - Redan - 8m
Hugh Hoffman - Ballarat - 10m
Lachlan Kinnersly - Lucas 8.25m
Patrick Martin - Nerrina - 8.25m
Thomas Moloney - Lucas - 8.75m
Cooper Sherman - Alfredton - 0.5m
WOMEN'S 120m GIFT
Armani Anderson - Cambrian Hill - 6.25m
Tara Beasley - Canadian - 7.5m
Charlotte Cross - Redan - 11m
Grace Crowe - Ross Creek - 6m
Lucy Fraser - Carngham - 7.5m
Molly Fraser - Carngahm - 7m
Nyajima Jock - Mount Clear - 6m
Chloe Kinnersly - Lucas - 9.75m
Livinia Male - Ballarat - 11m
Halle Martin - Ballarat - 11m
Talia Martin - Ballarat - 10.25m
Grace O'Dwyer - Ballarat - 3.5m
Kathryn O'Dwyer - Ballarat East - 11m
Olivia Parnell - Black Hill 9.25m
Mikala Shannon - Alfredton - 6.5m
Tiana Shillito - Buninyong - 9.25m
