Amid the jubilant scenes of Cooper Lubeck being swarmed after claiming the sash in the 550m open and Ian Porter’s dive across the line in the world’s richest 300m Masters race, one win carried a bit of extra significance.
Having progressed through to the final of the 70m open final, Hayden Anderson stormed home off 3.75 metres to claim an emotionally charged victory, which ranked as perhaps the most popular of the day.
“It was my first final win since I started back running, so it was pretty special, and I just had no clue (I was in the mix to win),” he said.
“I was hoping to make the final for both events, the 70m and the 120m, and then yeah, to win the final, it wasn't even on my mind, so it was pretty special.
“I thought (a win) would be a bit further (away), a couple of meets or even, you know, three or four meets later.
“I knew I was getting there eventually, but first win and it's Seymour, home track, it was pretty special.”
The return to running Anderson speaks of comes after a fairly lengthy period away from the sport he reigned over as a junior, having sustained an ACL injury playing football.
Coming through the ranks, the Nagambie resident’s leg speed meant his fellow competitors stood no chance, earning him eight state little athletics titles across 70m, 120m and 200m.
But the success came at a cost, with the prodigious young talent falling out of love with the sport due to the rising pressure that he felt came with winning.
“At the time when I was peaking in the juniors, it definitely wasn’t the first thing that was on my mind,” he said.
“I was probably a little bit more interested in the footy, even just fishing and doing other stuff.
“It sort of ended up being a little bit of a chore, and I think I put a lot of pressure on myself mentally too, which didn't help. It made it not enjoyable at all.
“As soon as I won that first year at state, I just thought I had to win it every year after that and it just made it not very fun.
“But then I did my knee, and it was sort of my way out as such, and so then I never went back to running.”
Despite giving footy another chance after rehabbing his knee, before that too fell by the wayside, Anderson stayed well clear of the track he once dominated.
It took six years post-injury and the creation of the Kelfit program for Anderson to finally give it another crack, thanks to some persistent nudging from master trainer Kelvin Lubeck.
“Every time I ran into Kelvin — we’re good family friends — he’d tell me how much I should be running and should be doing this and that,” he said.
“I had recovered from my knee and played two years of under-18s (football) and then both of my knees started playing up, so I thought ‘nah, I’m not playing footy any more’.
“For four years or something I just kept myself fit and then I saw the crew that ‘Kel’ had going, so I thought ‘stuff it, I’ll give it a go’, and as soon as I came back, I absolutely loved it, so now it’s a big passion and it’s all I think about, really.”
With the fire back in his belly and his love for the sport reignited, Anderson is fully committed to reaching the lofty heights that both he and Lubeck know he is capable of: taking out the richest foot race in Australia — the Stawell Gift.
"The Stawell Gift is the goal for sure, because I know I can do it,” Anderson said.
“Not everyone can win the Stawell Gift and Kel has just always encouraged me that I have it in me to win it.
“I’ve sort of put that into my own head as well and I definitely believe in myself that it is definitely possible, so we’ll see how we go with it.
“That’s the end result for sure, to try and win at Stawell, that’d be pretty special too.”
Anderson has only recently returned to a full program after a hamstring injury, which means Stawell’s blue ribbon 120m race — which will feature sprinting sensations Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy this year — might be a stretch too far off limited preparation over the Easter weekend.
But Anderson heads to the VAL’s grand final equivalent with his eyes set firmly on shaking things up over 70m.
“The (hamstring) is going really good at the moment. As long as it stays together, I'll be happy,” he said.
“I’d be rapt if I made a semi for the 120m, that’d be pretty cool just because of the hammy and, you know, I’ve missed half the season, basically.
“But the 70m, because I won off that 3.75m (handicap) or whatever, I think it was 3.75m, here at Seymour, I get to run off that at Stawell, so that’s pretty good, I’m pretty happy with that.
“To make a final or a semi for the 70m, I’d be rapt with that. The final would be grouse, so that’s what I’ll be aiming for.”
