Sport
27 January, 2025
Postle Gift spotlights new talent and honours a legend
A high calibre of athleticism was on display at Club Pittsworth on Saturday for the 2025 Postle Gift in honour of Pittsworth’s legendary sprinter Arthur Benjamin Postle “The Crimson Flash”. Brisbane athlete Hamish Macintosh won the prestigious Bayer Crop Science - Arthur Postle Gift 75 Yards in a time of 7.86 seconds.
Macintosh was hard to beat with an eight metre handicap and led from the front the entire race.
He received a trophy donated by Heritage Bank and $1500 prize money.
The 23-year-old said his focus is now on preparing for the upcoming athletics season.
Second place went to Reggie Botchwey and third place to Pais Wisil, who was the younger sibling of Papua New Guinea Olympian Toea Wisil.
Nineteen athletes registered for the Arthur Postle Gift 75 Yards and one Toowoomba man, Leroy Dempsey, made it through to the final, placing sixth.
The Crimson Flash set the world record for the 75 yards at 7.2 seconds in his heyday, proving just how accomplished Postle was as an international sprinter.
There was a good mix of local talent and professional athletics competing across nine events on the day, with various age groups and distances.
Some familiar faces returned to the field to compete including the 2022 Postle Gift winner Anas Abu-Ganaba.
The John “Cracker” McDonald AM 300m Open was new to the program this year, in honour of the late Toowoomba sprinter, rugby league footballer, coach and administrator.
First place went to Abu-Ganaba who completed a sensational run, having started from the back with only a 15 metre handicap.
He charged past his competitors to finish the race in 38.81 seconds.
The McDonald family, namely John’s wife Joan, son and Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald and his wife Lisa, presented Abu-Ganaba with his trophy and $500 prize money.
The Mayor’s brother, Grant McDonald ran in the final and placed fifth.
The amateur races on the day were no less competitive with Wagners sponsoring the Fastest Male Footballer and Fastest Female Footballer, both across 75 yards.
The Danes veterans were watching on in anticipation, that is to say, the fastest footballers from 1988/89/90 Greg Quinn and 1992 Shayne Moore (1991 Scott Stower).
Only five women entered the Fastest Female Footballer race and Pittsworth boasted two of them - Morgan Prentice and Holly Moore.
The biggest draw card was Gold Coast Titan’s winger Georgia Sim.
Prentice started the strongest out of the blocks and led the race, only to be pipped at the post by the Titan, in the final yards.
Third place went to Reagan McMillan of Allora, who is team mates with Prentice at the Highfields Eagles Rugby League Club.
The fifth competitor was Latoya Challenor.
The finalists of the Fastest Male Footballer over 75 yards included Oscar Vukovich (Western Clydesdales), Will Flegler (Highfields Eagles) and Leroy Dempsey (Royals Touch Club Toowoomba).
Representing the red and green for the Pittsworth Danes were Tyson Moore, Clay Dempsey and Patrick Quinn.
It was a last minute decision to participate for Clay, who walked out of the crowd in comfortable footwear (crocs or similar) and onto the field to have a crack at the title of Fastest Footballer.
But it was Clay’s cousin Leroy, who earned the title with the fastest sprint.
A group of young athletes from European Gold Athletics Club (EGAC) in Brisbane travelled to Pittsworth for the day, competing in the under 18 races.
Their coach, Yevgeniy Tkachenko from the Ukraine, was a world champion triple jump athlete.
His students have set their sights on the ultimate goal - the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
The Postle Gift will be back again in 2026.
