TARA BEASLEY AND LEROY DEMPSEY WIN 70M, SEMIS ANNOUNCED IN MENS AND WOMENS GIFTS

Date: 5th April 2026

The hotly contested 70m finals were completed today, while the semi final draws for the 2026 Powercor Stawell Gift and the Powercor Women’s Gift were officially announced in advance of a highly anticipated Easter Monday.

Tara Beasley claimed the Change Our Game Women’s Handicap 70m and Leroy Dempsey was victorious in the Arthur Postle Handicap 70m.

Coached by Peter O’Dwyer, Beasley was swamped by her POD Squad training group after narrowly pipping fellow Ballarat sprinter Armani Anderson in a thrilling finish to seal her Easter Sunday triumph.

Running from a mark of 7.25m, Beasley stopped the clock in 8.25 and reflected on a long-awaited breakthrough. 

“I first ran at Stawell in 2006 (as Tara Domaschenz) and here I am 20 years later, a mother of twins with my first sash in the 70m, it means so much, it’s very, very special.” 

On his first visit to Stawell, Leroy Dempsey, from Toowoomba, and trained by Jackie Gallagher, managed to take the 70m crown in 7.46 off a handicap of 3.25m. 

“I love it here, after an 18-hour drive down, that was the only bad part, otherwise I’m loving the experience, the crowd’s amazing, the other athletes are friendly to talk to, I can’t complain about anything.

“All the family back in Toowoomba, all the family up in Mount Isa, where dad’s side is from, are all watching on TV, cheering me on. The other teachers, because I work at a school, they’re all watching and cheering me on too.”

Easter Monday is finals day with the Powercor Women’s Gift semi-finals commencing at 12:00pm, featuring US sprint stars Sha’Carri Richardson in semi-final number 6, with the final at 1:45pm. 

Christian Coleman, the 60m world record holder will also run in the semi-finals of the Powercor Stawell Gift which start from 12:43pm with the final at 2:20pm. Coleman will run in the sixth and last semi-final.

19-year-old Charlotte Nielsen from Carnegie, Melbourne, recorded the fastest time in the Powercor Womens Gift heats. Her time was 13.32 and her handicap is 9m. Olufemi Komolafe from Adelaide was fastest in the Powercor Stawell Gift off 5m, having time up of 12.11.

All eyes will be on the two last semi-finals as Richardson and Coleman will attempt to become the third male and female to win the major races off scratch in the 147 history of the Powercor Stawell Gift.

Sha’Carri Richardson will have to race down a field which includes three athletes running off 10m including one of the favourites, Ballarat’s Halle Martin in semi-final 6.

Nielsen will run in semi-final 5 with 70m runner up, the in-form Armani Anderson.

Second fastest heat time yesterday was recorded by 2025 runner up Chiara Santiglia who will feature in semi-final 2 with 400m star Morgan Mitchell.

70m winner Tara Beasley will line up again in semi-final 1 of the Powercor Womens Gift against Commonwealth Games athlete Maddie Coates and third fastest in the heats, Emma Carr.

Leroy Dempsey is with Komolafe in semi-final 5 as well as 2022 finalist and son of AFL legend Guy McKenna, Jesse McKenna.

Frontmarkers Spencer Browne – with the second fastest heat time – is in semi final 4 off 8.85m with earlier favourite Will Adams on 8.5m.   

The winners of today’s Under 18’s finals were Christian Pasquali in The Stawell Times News Under 18 Boys Handicap 100m who recorded a time of 10.86 and the SkillInvest Under 18 Girls Handicap 100m went to Jazmyn Cartledge in 11.51, while Bryce Fiedler took out the Series Final Under 14 Handicap in 11.99. 

On the circle track Mitch Fitzgerald won the Victory Restricted Handicap 1600m in a time of 4.11.40, Charlie Sutherland won the Official Supporters Club Frontmarkers 1600m in 4:02:1 and Declan Gall took out the WH Earle Handicap 550m in 1:06:61.

Easter Sunday is Family Day at Central Park. “It was a great day as it always is on Sunday, starting with the Kids Clinic run by Matt Beckenham’s squad, and a lot of Little Athletics action which is the future of our sport, as well as a packed Easter Egg hunt which was great to see,” said Matt McDonough president of the Victorian Athletic League.

“Some fantastic races including the 70m finals, the Under 18 boys and girls races, 550m and another mile race where we crowned a few new winners which was great to see, setting us up for a fantastic Monday that we’re all looking forward to with a lot of anticipation around what’s going to happen.”

Easter Monday at the Powercor Stawell Gift is broadcast live and free on Seven from 11:30am – 2:30pm AEST. All races outside of the Seven broadcast will be livestreamed on 7Plus.

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