Who will be crowned local soccer’s fastest?
Who are the fastest men and women in South Australian soccer? We got an early insight during preliminary rounds for the inaugural IGA Dash for Cash at Hindmarsh Stadium on April 19.
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Two African-born soccer gems and a Japanese player are among the fastest men in SA’s national premier league.
The IGA Dash for Cash final will be a 70m penalty box-to-box race at halftime of the Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory clash at Hindmarsh Stadium on April 19.
It will be raced among the fastest men and women from nine NPL clubs and eight NPLW clubs.
SEE WHO WAS THE FASTEST AT YOUR CLUB BELOW
In preliminary heats at Mile End on Monday night, South Adelaide’ Panthers’ Japanese player Masahiro Haruoka was the quickest recording 8.23 sec, equal to 30.62km/h, ahead of Campbelltown City’sLachlan Barr 8.34 sec and Adelaide City’s Sam Di Cicco 8.37 sec.
Adelaide Comets Caitlin Stalker won the women’s heats in 9.09 secs ahead of Adelaide Uni’s Hannah Fidler’s 9.27 sec and youngster Emilia Murray in 9.85 secs.
Sierra Leone-born Blue Eagles attacker Sheikman Hutton-Addy was among the fastest runners but perhaps had a head start, revealing he had a background in athletics.
Hutton-Addy recorded a speed of 29km/h for his 8.68 sec time in cool conditions.
The 25-year-old Hutton-Addy revealed he was the fastest teenager in Guinea’s capital Conakry before shifting to Adelaide a decade ago.
“I grew up in Guinea, Conakry because my grandfather was there, he was an ambassador for Sierra Leone,’’ Hutton-Addy said.
“For four years in a row I was the fastest runner in the whole country for the English schools in Conakry, I was the fastest 100m, 200m sprinter and it’s not surprising the way I ran here I felt good.
“My mum said I should have stuck to running but for me I just wanted to play soccer, I just love it a lot more.
“Being fast helps a lot, me playing on the wing and taking on defenders, speed helps.
“I was very, very quick but not as quick as I used to be.”
However, Hutton-Addy — a Bachelor of Social Science student — was in the company of other speed kings at Mile End.
Adelaide Olympic’s Mamadi Kamara was sixth fastest at 28.47km/h in 8.85 sec.
Guinea-born Kamara, 22, is, like Hutton-Addy, another sprint scholar after arriving in Adelaide from his homeland nine years ago.
“I learned how to sprint properly when I first came here from Guinea,’’ said Kamara who is a personal trainer.
“I went to Underdale High School and I did the sports athletes stuff at school.
“I came here (Adelaide) to meet my dad Vasco Ziaty who lived here, he came here in 2000 by himself.
“I have played soccer since I was five in Guinea for a club named Lille FC.”
Kamara has represented Croydon Kings, Raiders, Adelaide City and now Olympic.
He has ambitions of playing A-League beside his good mates Valentino Yuel and Elvis Kamsoba who recently signed professional contracts.
A budding star with Aboriginal and Greek heritage, 14-year-old Emilia Murray’s eyes lit up when she was told that teenage Matilda Ellie Carpenter was a champion runner before featuring at last year’s AFC Asian Cup and probably the FIFA women’s World Cup in France this year.
Carpenter was an under 12,13 and 14 national 100m and 200m sprint champion.
Murray ran 70m in 9.85 secs and is treading the same pathway as Cowra-born Carpenter, 18.
Murray, a year nine student at Henley High school, moved to Adelaide with her family five years ago.
“I have also done Little Athletics here and went to the nationals for athletics, did the 100m and did the long jump,’’ Murray said.
“I do know Ellie Carpenter and wow (she was a great sprinter too).”
“I prefer to be called Millsy,’’ said the Football Federation SA NTC squad member.
“My three older siblings got into soccer when we lived in Wodonga (Victoria) and I started playing small-sided games when I was about three years old, I played for Boomers.
“But I love playing in the WNPL for the NTC, it’s my first year and it’s a bigger challenge.
“I have had some training sessions with the Adelaide United women’s team and I want to continue that this year, hopefully sign for them and hopefully play for the Matildas.”
Murray is hoping to snare $2500 in prizemoney in the final IGA Dash for Cash race at Coopers Stadium on April 19.
“I have never played at Hindmarsh before so this is huge for me,’’ Murray said.
Zac Mina, IGA’s general manager of SA and Northern Territory says the company has grand plans on supporting community soccer.
Mina thought up the sprint concept after captaining Queensland’s underage state sides where he played against Socceroos legends Stan Lazaridis (WA) and Mark Bosnich (NSW).
“When I played you always wanted to know who the quickest player was,’’ Mina said.
“Speed in soccer is a great asset, you build that in your game, you also need some actual talent, speed and skill.
“But what a great way to bring the clubs together, wearing club colours and racing for $10,000 which the local club will win and the individual $2500.
“It’s a great way to connect to grassroots football and IGA is giving back to the community.”
WNPL
Adelaide City
Paige Heron 9.92
Chrissie Zikos 10.15
Shae Blackwood 10.46
Adelaide Comets
Caitlin Stalker 9.09
Georgia Johnson 9.53
Hannah Wall 9.85
Adelaide University
Hannah Fidler 9.27
Laura Johns 9.62
Meleri Mullan 10.04
FFSA NTC
Emilia Murray 9.85
Abby Middleton 9.93
Fulham United
Sarah Milis 9.93
Lilly Bills 9.96
Metro United WFC
Mille Scott 10.12
Kristy Moore 10.26
Isabella Scalzi 10.30
Salisbury Inter
Nicola Frazzetto 10.27
Sinead Parobiec 10.29
Erin Hood 10.55
West Adelaide
Siena Convino 10.16
NPL
Adelaide Blue Eagles
Shekubah Hutton–Addy 8.68
Emanuele Verbi 9.16
Alex Faraonio 9.73
Adelaide City
Sam Di Cicco 8.37
Adelaide Comets
Taki Tsalafos 8.61
Billy Amanatidis 8.72
Wren Amazon – Beneviste 9.22
Adelaide Olympic
Mamadi Kamara 8.85
Tito Bontor 9.15
Campbelltown City
Lachlan Barr 8.34
Leigh Zanatta 8.57
Jozef Kogoj 8.98
Croydon Kings
Ramzy Hussein 8.73
Anthony Buccella 9.28
Christian Gasparin 9.34
MetroStars
Mathew Dawber 8.70
Benjamin Head 8.27
Faisal Malikyar 9.01
Para Hills Knights
No representation
Raiders
No representation
South Adelaide
Mashiro Haruoka 8.23
Kotaro Konishi 9.13
West Adelaide
Joesph Rositano 9.13
Dieusile Kandundaho 9.20
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