Hale runs into trouble

JACK Hale’s bid for Commonwealth Games selection ran off the track last night when the Tasmanian speed demon pulled up injured in the 100m final at the Australian Championships on the Gold Coast.

POWER HOUSEs printer Trae Williams has clocked the fastest 100m by an Australian sprinter in 11 years at the Commonwealth Games track and field trials on the Gold Coast.

Williams, 20, stopped the clock at 10.10 seconds — the slickest time by an Australian since Josh Ross ran 10.08 at the 2007 national titles.

The Queenslander, nicknamed Quadzilla, stripped 11 hundredths of a second off his personal best, set 24 hours earlier in the heats.

It earned Williams automatic selection in the Australian team for the Commonwealth Games where he’s set to square off against 2011 world champ Yohan Blake from Jamaica and Canadian Andre de Grasse, who won three medals at the Rio Olympics.

Second-placed Rohan Browning (10.20) is also likely to get the nod from selectors to run the individual 100 matt he April 4-15 Games.

But it was a horror night for Jack Hale, who suffered a leg injury midway through the race and failed to finish.

“I ran an awesome race,” said Williams, who moved to fourth spot on the Australian all-time list behind Patrick Johnson, Matt Shirvington and Ross. “Everything felt good and I’m stoked.

“The other guys pushed me towards the line.

“I probably couldn’t have run as fast as I did if they weren’t there.

“I knew I had it in me — I just had to execute everything right. “I knew I had a 10.10 in me; just to get it and run the A qualifier was awesome.”

Teenager Riley Day won the women’s 100m, but the time of 11.56 wasn’t quick enough to gain her an individual spot in the Commonwealth Games squad.

National record holder Melissa Breen withdrew after the heats.