A great night of racing at The Vic Milers Meet 4 saw five Victorian boys run under the World Athletics U20 1500m qualifying standard — a huge statement for the depth of junior middle-distance running in the state.

Among them was Redline Runnings Jack Unthank, producing a breakthrough performance to join his twin brother Josh on the qualifier list.

And he did it in style.

Jack has been building steadily all season, but the last two races have marked a serious leap forward.

Coming in with a personal best at the start of the season of 3:56.61, Jack:

• lowered it to 3:50.67 in December, then

• backed it up with a superb 3:46.77 qualifier

That’s almost 10 seconds faster across just two races — a huge progression at this level and a reflection of months of consistent work finally clicking into place.

The result also made it a special night for the Redline boys.

For the first time, Jack lined up alongside Josh in the A 1500m. With Josh already securing a qualifier back in December he further raised the bar by improving his time from 3:46.01 to 3:45.11.

Earlier in the program, Lachie Thomas continued his strong run of form with another personal best, clocking 1:51.34 in the A 800m, while Hugh Knuckey took out the B 800m in 1:54.17.

For Jack 3:56 to 3:46 is a massive step forward and an encouraging sign of what’s ahead.

Well done Jack — and a great night for Victorian middle-distance running.