Sport
2 January, 2026
Cooney Hunt wins gift by three milliseconds
Many elite professional sprinters dedicate their entire lives to the physical art form with the aspiration of winning a race as prestigious as the Maryborough Gift.
For 2026 Glenn Hooper Women’s Gift winner Eleanor Cooney Hunt, it took four Victorian Athletic League (VAL) race meets.
After being knocked out in the semi-finals in 2025, Cooney Hunt was awarded the coveted sword and trophy by one of the narrowest margins in the Maryborough Gift’s illustrious history, with the top three separated by an astonishing seven milliseconds.
At the immediate conclusion of the race, frontrunner and 2025 Highland Gathering 70 m women’s winner Lavinia Male was provisionally announced as the winner before the official timings showed Cooney Hunt edged Male with a time of 13.899, three milliseconds quicker than Male.
It’s an astonishing achievement for the track jumper turned sprinter, who said she amazed herself by winning such a prized race so early into her sprinting career.
“It means so much, I’m usually a long and triple jumper and my coach really took a chance on me to do sprinting instead this season,” she said.
“I really put in a tough training block and showed up for the 34 degree sessions and 12 degree sessions, so I really feel like it’s paid off.
“I’ve only done three gift races. I’ve never really seen myself as a sprinter, but I feel like I’m very positive and everyone around me is, so I feel like without expectations, it made it easier.
“Honestly, a lot of the girls I train with have done VAL for quite a while. One of my close friends, Cassandra Wang, won two years ago, so it’s pretty special to be winning when our squad has a history here.
“It means a lot, we love Maryborough, it’s such an exciting gift — I feel like it’s a whole fanfare.”
Cooney Hunt said her expertise in long jump and triple jump set a strong foundation for her transformation into a formidable sprinter.
“I feel like a lot of the explosiveness that you need for jumping is really good for grass tracks, I think it translates really beautifully — especially with starting,” she said.
“I feel like it’s been a smooth transition for me and it’s been supported by the girls I train with.”
After starting her journey with a convincing victory in heat five, Cooney Hunt booked her place in the final with a second place finish in the second semi-final, ironically finishing behind Male.
With an extended wait before the deciding race, Cooney Hunt said she embraced the atmosphere of the Highland Gathering to help contain her nerves.
“All the other events that are on throughout the day really help me remain calm because there is so much else to see and do,” she said.
“The event is much bigger than myself, so I feel like it’s not particularly stressful or anything like that compared to some of the track and field meets that are very intense.
“I really like that about the Highland Gathering, everyone is so much friendlier, even our competitors, and that makes it really nice.”
Lining up in lane three from a 6.50 m mark with only Ilana Grandine and Shauna Herbst trailing behind, Cooney Hunt’s strong start out of the blocks gave her an edge on her closest adversaries as she gradually caught up to the frontrunners.
While simultaneously holding off a bursting Herbst, who finished in third, Cooney Hunt managed to catch Male, who started with a 12 m mark, just in the nick of time.
“I feel like I’ve never run a faster final 10 metres in my life — I worked out I had a chance and thought ‘you know what, it would be really cool to win a sash’,” Cooney Hunt said.