JOEL Bee has made the perfect Stawell Gift debut.
The Ballarat teenager powered to victory in his heat to qualify for Tuesday’s semi-finals.
Bee, 18, took out the 18th of 22 heats in 12.44 seconds. He edged out Augustine Carty-Cowling, with Commonwealth Games 400m gold medallist John Steffensen third.
“It’s good to get through,” Bee said.
Bee said he had been sore after a tough 400m campaign in the Australian Track and Field Championships in Melbourne a week earlier, resulting in a quiet lead to Stawell.
He had three runs in the open 400m at the nationals – making the final. The 400m final at the nationals provided a strong form line at Central Park.
Bee was one of three finalists to take out Gift heats.
He was joined by silver medallist Ben Offereins (WA) and Andrew Boudrie (Victoria).
Bee said the last 30m had been tough in Saturday’s heat.
Bee is one of two Ballarat youngsters in the semi-finals.
He will be joined by Matthew Wiltshire, in what signals a changing of the guard for the city’s professional sprinting ranks.
Wiltshire finished second to Queenslander Mitchell Williams in the opening heat.
His run of 12.52 seconds comfortably put him in the fastest 20 losers to go through to the semi-finals.
Bee has the fifth semi-final and will clash with 2006 Stawell Gift winner Adrian Mott and former national junior sprint beach champion Mitchell Williams and Josh Tiu, who finished fifth in the final last year.
Wiltshire goes away in the second semi-final against national 100m and 200m champion Aaron Rouge-Serret and one of the Gift favourites Andrew McCabe.
Picture: Taken by Adam Trafford from Ballarat Courier