The 24-year-old middle distance runner has just returned from completing a four-year scholarship at Villanova University in Philadelphia and ran down some quality opposition from the back mark time of 33 seconds over the six-lap, handicap event.

Australian 2012 Olympic 1500m representative Zoe Buckman was the front marker off go, with Riverside High junior Sam Clifford starting off 10 seconds, Dylan Evans and Deon Kenzie off 20, Josh Harris and Pat Smith off 24, Jordan Tyler off 25, last year’s winner Kale Adams off 28 and Williams off 33 seconds.

Williamsz worked his way through the field over the first five laps catching the leaders Buckman and Clifford on the bell and powered home over the final lap for a standout victory in 4 minutes, 37.52 seconds from Clifford (4:39.34) and Harris (4:39.760 who finished strongly for third place.

“ It was definitely tough – I’ve run indoors over in America but this a bit of a different sort of race,” the Nick Bideau-trained Williamsz said.

“I’m really happy – I went out pretty hard and I knew I would have to – it would be huge for a guy like me to get some bodies early and I did that.

“It sets me up pretty well for the weekend and hopefully I don’t get pulled back on my handicap.”

Williamsz, based in Melbourne, said he was enjoying his first carnivals campaign and will run the 800m at Devonport and the mile at Burnie on New Year’s Day.

His Villanova Australian mates were Patrick Tiernan, 10,000m national champion and Sam McEntee, the 5km national champion who both represented at the Rio Olympics.

“I had a crack at the Olympics but it didn’t quite pan out for me – it was hard graduating and then turning that around because it is a real big emotional high and trying to make Olympics which I couldn’t quite do,” Williamsz said. “Now I am back and really focusing 110 per cent on my running I don’t see why I can’t make world champs, Comm games and Olympics and I am really happy at both the 800 and 1500m.”

The 800m junior race was taken out by 13-year-old, Kings Meadows High student Sam Talbot who was the backmarker off 18 seconds.

The Newstead runner successfully chased down the front marker Jesse Dean who ran off go, and Milli Smith who finished third off her mark of five seconds. “I was feeling good over the first few laps and picked it up on the last lap and I felt confident I could catch them,” he said.

Other runners were Alex Zegveld, Will Bottle, Montana McKenzie and Madison Brazendale.