News
GOLDEN GLINTS UNEARTHED AT BALLARAT
Published Mon 14 Jul 2025
GOLDEN GLINTS UNEARTHED AT BALLARAT
The Diamond Valley Athletic Club had 38 athletes (16 Female & 22 Male) journey to Victoria Park, Ballarat to compete in Round 6 of the 2025 XCR season and by the end of competition there were plenty of smiles around the Valley tent. The smiles most commonly reflected the sense of individual achievement that comes with having tackled a technical and challenging course and required some courage to complete. “I was almost out of gas on that final lap. I found it very hard”, said Vincent Donnedieu who still managed to finish 6th in the Open Men’s field of 290.
When the results came up on Results Hub with Team placings for Round 6 the smiles grew even wider. Blake Barnes yelled out, “Have a look at this! Our Men’s Division 2 are listed on top. And our Men’s Division 5 team has finished 2nd.” Shania Murray chimed in, “How good is this. Our Division 2 Women have managed to finish 3rd even though we didn’t have a complete team”.
Yes, those team results did add a golden touch to the day and certainly will push the Open teams up the season ladder. The Men Division 2 team will move from 7th on the season ladder to 4th place while the Men Division 5 team will move from 6th place into 3rd position on the 2025 Winter ladder. For the DVAC Female Division 2 team the nine points they earned at Ballarat will push the team into 5thplace. Not bad pickings on the Goldfields of Ballarat.
The Men 60+ Short Course combination of Martin Murray, Lyal Douglas and Rob Wendel produced a remarkable set of results in the team competition. Their combined total of 1hr30:51 for the 18km (3 x 6km) they covered not only earned them a Gold medal for the M60+ Short Course, but a second placing in the M40+ Short Course and the M50+ Short Course categories as well. This result will further tighten their grip on the season Premiership as the DVAC team went into Round 6 with a five point lead. Greg Luck, another member of the winning team also ran the course at Ballarat.
The Female 60+ Short Course team of Jo Moxon and Karen Quinn were placed second in their division at Ballarat. The DVAC team currently hold second place on the season ladder. Jo Moxon was placed third in the F60+ results at Ballarat.
There were more golden moments with other individual placings by DVAC athletes. In the FU16 3km event, Matilda Johnson won a Bronze medal with a time of 10:54. Jordan Rudd raced in the MU20 3km Para Championship and crossed the finish line in 11:33 to win the Silver medal. This means that Jordan has qualified to compete at the Australian Cross Country Championships that will be held at the same venue on Saturday August 23rd.
Vincent Donnadieu is another DVAC athlete that will have satisfied the Victorian selectors criteria of finishing in the top 12 to gain selection for Team Victoria at the National Championships in August. Vincent finished in sixth place in the Men Open race covering the 10km in 30:30. Cameron Ellis, MU20, finished in 13th position and should have a good chance of selection. Cameron completed the 8km course in 26:38.
THE VERDICT ON THE BALLARAT COURSE FOR THIS YEAR’S NATIONALS
MIKAELA GRAY: Instead of the 2km, 2km, 3km, 3km why not make it 3km, 2km, 3km, 2km
CADEN MURRAY: It is a technical course with lots of twists and turns. Picking the best line was important.
ELYSE LITTLEJOHN: I’ll admit – I ran around the logs and all other obstacles. But I did power up the hill both times!
MIKAELA GRAY: Make the logs longer so people have to jump over them. It was too easy.
MARTIN MURRAY: Seven seconds! That’s all I needed and I could have been four places up.
DYLAN LITTLEJOHN: As a Post Marathon (Gold Coast) run, that was awesome. I would have been happy with a sub 40 and I got 37:42.
OSKAR JACOBSON: You had to jump over logs and go up this steep, short hill.
SHANIA MURRAY: I found the last 500m of each lap a test. You definitely had to watch the ditch. I had a good tussle with a few at the end.
VINCENT DONNADIEU: In the last lap I COULD NOT jump the logs and I was VERY SCARED of the hole.
BIRTHDAY BOYS:
What better way to celebrate your birthday than by running a tough Cross Country! On Saturday RHODRI WHELAN turned 18 and JACK DALEY turned 16.
THANK YOU:
The Valley Tent was the focus of DVAC activity all day at Victoria Park. Great position too. Thanks to David Armstrong for this valuable contribution to the success of the day. Thanks to the great team of helpers with the pack up. Thanks to all those who contributed food to share with the team.
DVAC RESULTS
XCR Round 6: Cross Country Championships
Newington, Ballarat
Saturday 12th July 2025
DVAC Results:
Female Open
10km: Shania Murray 38:52; Mikaela Gray 41:03; Sarah Leeming 45:41;
6km: Jo Moxon 35:31; Sarah Papadopoulos 38:10; Karen Quinn 40:57; Elyse Littlejohn 43:34;
Female 20
6km: Matilda L'Estrange 25:00; Poppy Scot-Dalgleish 28:22; Zoe Bastian 29:08;
Female 18
6km: Rose Jarvis 24:27; Georgia L'Estrange 26:17; Holly Gregory 30:06; Lucy Johns 31:59;
Female 16
3km: Matilda Johnson 10:54; Isabella Napoletano 12:32;
Male Open
10km: Vincent Donnadieu 30:30; Caden Murray 31:27; Blake Barnes 34:37; Lachlan Deller 35:20; Joel Imbriano 37:04; Dylan Littlejohn 37:43; Charles Jacobson 38:04; Glen Imbriano 39:50; Rory McPhillips 43:22; Scott Barnes 47:06;
6km: Martin Murray 29:11; Lyal Douglas 30:43; Rob Wendel 30:57; Greg Luck 35:44;
Male 20Para
3km: Jordan Rudd 11:33;
Male 20
8km: Cameron Ellis 26:38; Rhodri Whelan 28:12;
Male 18
6km: Ethan Armstrong-Bourne 20:24; Jack Daley 25:31;
Male 16
3km: Myles Boyle 10:14;
Male 14
3km: Jett Hollingsworth 10:44; Oskar Jacobson 11:25;
DVAC TEAM RESULTS
Female Open: (3 member team): 10km: (Field of 113)
FOpen: Division 2: (4 member team): Shania Murray 38:52; Mikaela Gray 41:03; Sarah Leeming 45:41; (Field of
Place: 3rd/11 teams: Score: 127 (3) 21, 39, 67 Ladder Pts: 9
F Open Short Course: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 25)
Jo Moxon 35:31; Sarah Papadopoulos 38:10; Karen Quinn 40:57;
Place: 4th/14 teams: Score: 56 (3) 16, 18, 22 Ladder Pts: 7
F Open Short Course: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 25)
Elyse Littlejohn 43:34;
Place: 13th/14 teams: Score: 24 (1) 24 Ladder Pts: _
F 40+ Short Course: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 21)
Jo Moxon 35:31; Karen Quinn 40:57;
Place: 6th/12 teams: Score: 33 (2) 14, 19 Ladder Pts: 5
F 50+ Short Course: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 20)
Jo Moxon 35:31; Karen Quinn 40:57;
Place: 6th/11 teams: Score: 31 (2) 13, 18 Ladder Pts: 5
F 60+ Short Course: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 8)
Jo Moxon 35:31; Karen Quinn 40:57;
Place: 2nd/4 teams: Score: 10 (2) 3, 7 Ladder Pts: 9
Female 20: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 29)
Matilda L'Estrange 25:00; Poppy Scot-Dalgleish 28:22; Zoe Bastian 29:08;
Place: 7th/15 teams: Score: 70 (3) 16, 26, 28 Ladder Pts: 4
Female 18: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 27)
Rose Jarvis 24:27; Georgia L'Estrange 26:17; Holly Gregory 30:06; Lucy Johns 31:59;
Place: 5th/15 teams: Score: 68 (3) 19, 23, 26 Ladder Pts: 6
Female 18: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 27)
Lucy Johns 31:59;
Place: 15th/15 teams: Score: 27 (1) 27 Ladder Pts: _
Female 16 (3 member team): 3km: (Field of 20)
Matilda Johnson 10:54; Isabella Napoletano 12:32;
Place: 4th/13 teams: Score: 19 (2) 3,16 Ladder Pts: 7
Male Open
MOpen: Division 2: (6 member team): 10km: (Field of 290)
Vincent Donnadieu 30:30; Caden Murray 31:27; Blake Barnes 34:37; Lachlan Deller 35:20; Joel Imbriano 37:04; Dylan Littlejohn 37:43;
Place: 1st/14 teams: Score: 432 (6) 6, 21, 71, 86, 117, 131: Ladder Pts: 15
MOpen: Division 5: (4 member team): 10km: (Field of 290)
Charles Jacobson 38:04; Glen Imbriano 39:50; Rory McPhillips 43:22; Scott Barnes 47:06;
Place: 2nd/10 teams: Score: 785 (4) 139, 172, 220, 254: Ladder Pts: 16
Male 40+: (3 member team) 10km: (Field of 123)
Dylan Littlejohn 37:43; Charles Jacobson 38:04; Rory McPhillips 43:22;
Place: 11th /53 teams: Score: 120 (3) 24, 27, 69: Ladder Pts: _
Male 40+: (3 member team) 10km: (Field of 123)
Scott Barnes 47:06:
Place: 48th/53 teams: Score: 92 (1) 92: Ladder Pts: _
Male 50+: (3 member team) 10km: (Field of 78)
Scott Barnes 47:06:
Place: 30th/38 teams: Score: 52 (1) 52: Ladder Pts: _
M 40: Short Course: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 32)
Martin Murray 29:11; Lyal Douglas 30:43; Rob Wendel 30:57;
Place: 2nd /19 teams: Score: 58 (3) 17, 20, 21: Ladder Pts: 9
Greg Luck 35:44;
Place: 19th/19 teams: Score: 29 (1) 29: Ladder Pts: _
M 50: Short Course: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 27)
Martin Murray 29:11; Lyal Douglas 30:43; Rob Wendel 30:57;
Place: 2nd /17 teams: Score: 43 (3) 12, 15, 16: Ladder Pts: 9
Greg Luck 35:44;
Place: 17th/17 teams: Score: 24 (1) 24: Ladder Pts: _
M 60: Short Course: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 14)
Martin Murray 29:11; Lyal Douglas 30:43; Rob Wendel 30:57;
Place: 1st/10 teams: Score: 17 (3) 4, 6, 7: Ladder Pts: 11
M 60: Short Course: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 14)
Greg Luck 35:44;
Place: 10th/10 teams: Score: 11 (1) 11: Ladder Pts: 1
Male U20 Para Championship: 3km: (Field of 4)
Jordan Rudd (T20) 11:33 (32.61%;
Place: 2nd/4:
Male 20: (3 member team): 8km: (Field of 35)
Cameron Ellis 26:38; Rhodri Whelan 28:12;
Place: 8th/19 teams: Score: 38 (2) 13, 25 Ladder Pts: 3
Male 18: (3 member team): 6km: (Field of 21)
Ethan Armstrong-Bourne 20:24; Jack Daley 25:31;
Place: 6th/12 teams: Score: 29 (2) 8, 21 Ladder Pts: 5
Male 16: (3 member team): 3km: (Field of 29)
Myles Boyle 10:14;
Place: 14th/19 teams: Score: 14 (1) 14 Ladder Pts: _
Male 14: (3 member team): 3km: (Field of 40)
Jett Hollingsworth 10:44; Oskar Jacobson 11:25;
Place: 11th/21 teams: Score: 37 (2) 12, 25 Ladder Pts:_
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