On the biggest day on the South Australian athletics calendar, two Mount Gambier athletes ran like lightning to steal the show at the 2021 Bay Sheffield last week.

Running in the 135th edition of South Australia’s richest and most prestigious foot racing event, Limestone Coast Regional Sporting Academy teenagers Hayden Crowe and Leila Croker stunned the crowd.

Croker lined up in a competitive field chasing glory in the 120 metre Under 18 Girls race.

The Mount Gambier talent rose to the occasion to improve her time throughout the day before storming to a thrilling win in the final.

Crowe also had a huge day running in six races which including lining up against the state’s best in 120 metre dash for the prestigious men’s Bay Sheffield.

The 17-year-old was also on fire in the Under 18’s Boys race and flew into the final off the back of some dashing heats.

Crowe was forced to overcome a harsh handicap mark of 1.75m which forced him to start well behind his rivals.

However, he put on the afterburners to charge through the pack and snatch third in an exciting sprint to the line.

Although Crowe finished sixth in the men’s main event, he can hold his head high after an exhausting, but rewarding afternoon.

“It was a brilliant day to make the open final and finish third in the Under 18’s race,” he said.

“It was my first Bay Sheffield so I was not sure what to expect.

“I thought it was quite intense and full on doing six races, so I was pretty buggered by the end of it.

“But it was definitely worth all the pain I put myself trough.”

After setting the time sheets alight in the semi-final, Crowe was the only Under 18 boy to break the 13.2 second barrier and carried plenty of confidence into the big one.

Despite being forced to start well behind the field, the Mount Gambier sprinter was not deterred from the setback and ran to third place after a breathtaking finish where less than a tenth of a second separated the top four.

“I was extremely happy with my semi-final which gave me a lot of confidence,” Crowe said.

“I am pretty comfortable and used to (the starting mark of 1.75m) now,” Crowe said.

“We do a lot of it at training, but it is still difficult to push so hard and chase everyone down.

“I just had to stay relaxed and let them come to me.”

Crowe hardly had time to savour his third place with his Open Men’s campaign still ahead.

With 48 of the state’s fastest men striving for just the six tickets to the final, the heat was on and the Mount Gambier teenager stood tall in the furnace.

A pair of strong second places were enough for Crowe to reach the big one and he found himself in the fight for the biggest running prize in South Australia.

Crowe did not look out of place in the competitive dash for glory, being in the mix until the finish crossing the line sixth, but only two tenths behind the winner.

He said it was an honour just to start the race and was the perfect way to complete a busy year.

“I did not have too many expectations going in because I just wanted to see how far I could go,” he said.

“My coach said if I make the open semi-final that would be very good.

“Running against some of the open men was an honour because they are very fast and experienced, so to stick close to them was really cool.”

Croker arrived at the Bay Sheffield for the first time only looking to have a bit of fun and returned home with a winner’s sash around her neck.

A heptathlete by trade, the 15-year-old is not a regular pro runner, but appeared made for the event blitzing her heat and semi-finals with big wins.

As a result, Croker was marked to start well behind her rivals, but no one could stop her from flying through the pack and snatching the win with the super time of 14.491 seconds.

The youngster was stunned at her success.

“I have only done a few pro races this season, so I was quite nervous beforehand and it was big shock to win,” she said.

“I definitely did not expect the outcome because I just went to have a run and have some fun, so it was a great feeling to win and everyone was so happy.”

One of the trademarks of Croker’s performance was her ability to increase her pace throughout the day.

She won her heat in a shade under 15 seconds, but slashed half a second off that benchmark to win the final and beat her personal best.

Croker said the adrenaline built during the event helped her reach top gear.

“I just took each race as it comes and it ended up being one of my best runs ever.

“One thing that helped me was the great atmosphere because the crowd made it so special.”

Despite winning the Under 18 Girls 120m events at both the Bay Sheffield and Mount Gambier Gift, pro running is not Croker’s specialty with the races used as preparation for her heptathlon commitments which begin as early as this week.