CROSS COUNTRY DODGE BALL:
Escape the Rain & Welcome the Pain
A report on XCR25 Rd 3: Cross Country Relays at Jells Park
Anyone due to run the Cross Country relays at Jells Park on Saturday 7th June and woke up to the sound of heavy rain outside could have been forgiven for feigning an instant injury or illness. The prospect of running a 3km or 6km leg for DVAC in saturating & soggy conditions was a real test of commitment. By the start time of 12:30pm, 50 DVAC athletes (16 Female & 34 Male) had gathered around the Valley Tent at Jells Park having passed the test of commitment. Their initial reward was to find the weather at Jells Park to be cold but dry.
All runners found the course at Jells Park to be full of challenges with the constant turns, hill climbs and prevailing wind cited as the main difficulties. DVAC finished the day represented by 16 teams (6 Female & 10 Male) with the greatest success claimed by the Female 60 team (Karen Quinn, Michelle King & Jo Moxon) claiming Gold and the Male 40 team (Dylan Littlejohn, Charles Jacobson & Craig Cassidy) winning the Silver medal.
Mikaela Gray (24:45) led the DVAC Female Div 2 team off and handed over to Sarah Leeming (28:28) who returned to Valley colours after a break. Then followed Matilda L’Estrange (26:44) who stepped up the Open age ranks before Shania Murray (23:20) ran the fastest leg for the Valley women. The team finished in 7th place out of the 10 teams.
The Male Division 2 team was led off in fine style by Vincent Donnadieu (19:08) who clocked the fastest 6km leg for the Valley on the day. He was followed by Blake Barnes (21:00), Michael Martello (22:07), Caden Murray (19:56), Lachlan Deller (22:03) and Anthony Lynch (22:08). The DVAC team covered the 36km in 2hr:06:22 and finished in 10th place from the 14 team division.
Ethan Armstrong-Bourne went under the 20 minute mark for a 6km leg when he led the DVAC M20 team off in 19:56. Joel Imbriano followed with a leg of 21:26, and Cameron Ellis brought the team home with a run of 20:33. The DVAC M20 team finished 5th out of the 8 teams: their time of 1:01:57 was just 40seconds off the second placed team in a desperately tight race.
DVAC welcomed a number of new faces to the winter season at Jells Park. Samuel Reeve (10:22) made his winter debut in the M16 team. Lucas Camuncoli (22:48), Martin Lavery (23:08) and Matthew James (25:59) all ran in Valley colours for the first time to make a team with Jesse Littlehales (31:00).
Felix Morgan (10:49) was welcomed back by the M18 team. Zoe Bastian was the sole F20 team member on her first run with the club and ran 14:44 for her 3km leg. Ryan Li (11:31) ran with DVAC for the first time & made a M14 team possible along with Oskar Jacobson (11:20) and Jett Hollingsworth (10:21). Their team finished 8th/15.
DVAC had three Club Helpers work for the whole program at Jells Park and all members should be grateful for the support they have been given by ALEXIA MOXON, CHRIS WHELAN and DARREN RUDD.
The Valley Tent was the centre of activity all day and thanks go to DAVID ARMSTRONG for his generous support. (Thanks to to Angela Hennel for those delicious cakes). There was a good team to help with the pack-up at the end of the day.
Athletics Victoria: XCR25 RD 3
CROSS COUNTRY RELAYS
Jells Park
Saturday 7th June 2025
Female:
Female Open
4x6km: Division 2: (Mikaela Gray: 24:45, Sarah Leeming: 28:28, Matilda L'Estrange: 26:44, Shania Murray: 23:20) Total: 1:43:17; Place 7th/10 teams
3x6km: Division 4: (Kate Ryan: 30:18, Sarah Papadopoulos: 37:18) Total: 1:07:36; Place 7th/8 Teams
Female 20
3x3km: (Zoe Bastian: 14:44) Total: 14:44; Place: 11th/11 Teams
Female 18
3x3km: (Rose Jarvis: 11:12, Georgia L'Estrange: 12:35, Isabella Napoletano: 12:27) Total: 36:14; Place: 7th/13 Teams
3x3km: (Lucy Johns: 14:06, Zoey Ryan: 14:07, Holly Gregory: 14:30) Total: 42:43; Place: 11th/13 Teams
Female 60
3x6km: (Karen Quinn: 39:03, Michelle King: 34:37, Jo Moxon: 36:36) Total: 1:50:16; Place: 1st/3 Teams
Male:
Male Open
6x6km: Division 2: (Vincent Donnadieu: 19:08, Blake Barnes: 21:00, Michael Martello: 22:07, Caden Murray: 19:56, Lachlan Deller: 22:03, Anthony Lynch: 22:08) Total: 2:06:22; Place: 10th/14 Teams
4x6km: Division 5: (Rhodri Whelan: 21:24, Flynn Connolly: 24:02, Jordan Rudd: 25:19, Aaron Bourne: 29:07) 1:39:52;
4x6km: Division 7: ( Lucas Camuncoli: 22:48, Martin Lavery: 23:08, Jesse Littlehales: 31:00, Matthew James: 25:59) Total: 1:42:55; Place: 6th/14 Teams (Invite)
Male 20
3x6km: (Ethan Armstrong-Bourne: 19:56, Joel Imbriano: 21:28, Cameron Ellis: 20:33) Total: 1:01:57; Place 5th/8 Teams
Male 18
3x3km: (Glen Imbriano: 10:50, Felix Morgan: 10:49, Matthew Layton: 11:14) Total: 32:53; Place: 14th/19 Teams
Male 16
3x3km: (Logan Armstrong-Bourne: 10:53, Samuel Reeve: 10:22, Ethan Atkin: 13:07) Total: 34:22; Place: 13th/17 Teams
Male 14
3x3km: (Jett Hollingsworth: 10:21, Oskar Jacobson: 11:20, Ryan Li: 11:31) Total: 33:12; Place: 8th/15 Teams
Male 40
3x6km: (Dylan Littlejohn: 21:49, Charles Jacobson: 22:55, Craig Cassidy: 22:53) Total: 1:07:37; Place: 2nd/12 Teams
Male 50
3x6km: (Scott Barnes: 26:10, Jeff Young: 34:39) Total: 1:00:49; Place: 16th/16 Teams
Male 60
3x6km: (Martin Murray: 29:50, Rob Wendel: 31:09, Greg Luck: 37:00) Total: 1:37:59; Place: 10th/12 Teams
