XCR’26 RD 5: ROAD RELAYS AT CALDER RACEWAY

VALLEY ATHLETES LAP UP THE CALDER CIRCUIT

Ethan Armstrong-Bourne weighed in with his verdict on the Calder Park Raceway as a new home for the AV Road Relays with, “Awesome! Just so fast! A perfect combination of fast but slightly difficult.”

Ethan was at Calder Raceway for the Road Relays as one of the 60 DVAC athletes (25 Female & 35 Male) who formed 18 teams (8 Female & 10 Male) and race around either one or two laps of the 3.7km course. Matilda L’Estrange was another athlete to give her approval of the new venue, “It was nice & smooth. I felt like I was Driftin’ on a Racetrack in California”.

Six DVAC teams collected medals at Calder.

The DVAC Female U18 team finished in second place and covered the 11.1km in a total of 39:30 with an average pace of 3:33/km. Matilda Johnson led the times for the F18 age group with a lap time of 12:38. Rose Jarvis, 13:06, and Isabella Napoletano, 13:46, completed the team. The team remains on top of the season ladder with a lead of 5 points.

The Male 18 team came through in second place, covering the total of 11.1km at an average pace of 3:01/km. Brodie Batt: 10:51, Asher Knuckey: 11:54, and William Quigley: 10:53 were ranked 2^nd, 3^rd and 12^th out of the 35 athletes in their group. The DVAC M18 currently sits in third position on the season ladder.

The Men 20 finished in third place and covered the total of 22.2km in 1:12:07 to average 3:14/km. Ethan Armstrong-Bourne: 22:15, Thomas Short: 25:07, and Rhodri Whelan: 24:45, were ranked 2^nd, 10^th & 11^th in their age group. The M20 team will retain it’s position on top of the season ladder.

The DVAC Female 40+ combination Alison Knuckey, 30:07, Debbie McKenzie, 34:17, and Jo Moxon, 39:52, collected Bronze medals.

The DVAC Male 60+ Short Course team of Lyal Douglas, 16:25, Andrew McKenzie, 15:01, and Ross McDonald, 13:45, were the first team home and closed the gap on Mornington Peninsula in the race for the season premiership. Ross McDonald ran the fastest time for the 3.7km lap in the M60 age group.

The DVAC Female Open Short Course team of Sarah Papadopoulos, 19:46, Maryann Murray, 22:41, and Kate Ryan, 15:56, won top points for the event in Round 5 and further tightened the grip that the Valley has on the season premiership.

The flagship teams for the Valley, Female Division 2 and Men’s Division 2 each had successful campaigns at Calder Park.

Matilda L’Estrange covered the 7.4km in 27:31 and led the F Div 2 team off with a good start. Mikaela Gray, 28:20, Shania Murray, 28:07, and Jesse Mayne, 28:06, showed the depth of talent that DVAC has in distance running. The team finished in 3^rd position out of the 10 teams in the Division.

Caden Murray covered the 7.4km in 21:35 to record an average pace just under the 3min/km mark as he worked in an aggressive lead pack. Caden was backed up by Tim Logan, 23:01, Vincent Donnadieu, 22:21, Dylan Littlejohn, 25:00, Joel Imbriano, 25:33 and Lachlan Deller, 24:15, in an evenly balanced team that finished in 6^th position out of the 14 teams in M Division 2.

The two fastest laps of the 3.7km course for the DVAC Female team were recorded by Heidi Kuppler, 12:03, and Poppy Scot-Dalgleish, 12:15. Of the 120 females to run the 3.7km course Heidi was ranked second, Poppy fourth, and Matilda Johnson 6^th.

Inessa Stabb (F16) and Madeleine Arvaji (F18) made their first appearance for the Valley and both acquitted themselves very well.

A big Thank You goes out to Brooke Rudd, Darren Rudd and Catherine Avarji who were the DVAC Club Helpers at Calder on Sunday.

Thanks to all who contributed to the great spread of food on the Valley table at Calder.

A few more quotes to finish with:

Matilda Johnson: “There was NO HILL! What were they talking about?

Rose Jarvis: “Better than Sandown.”

Thomas Short: “It was tougher than it looks. Deceptively long straights.”

Lucy Johns: “Good weather. Good atmosphere”.

XCR’26 Round 5

ROAD RELAYS

Calder Park Raceway

Sunday 28 June 2026

DVAC Results:

Female Open
Division 2: 4x7.4km: (Matilda L'Estrange: 27:31, Mikaela Gray: 28:20, Shania Murray: 28:07, Jesse Mayne: 28:06) 1:52:04;
Total: 1:52.04; Place 3^rd/10 teams (9 Ladder Points)

Division 4: 3x7.4km: (Alana Barnes: 30:03, Sarah Leeming: 29:05, Tayla Borg: 32:42) 1:31:50

Total: 1:31:50; Place4^th//7 teams (12 Ladder Points):

Division 5: 3x7.4km: (Lily Barnes: 34:10, Lucy Johns: 37:14, Elyse Littlejohn: 46:36) 1:58:00;

Total: 1:58:00; Place5^th//10 teams (7 Ladder Points)

F Open Short Course: 3x3.7km: (Sarah Papadopoulos: 19:46, Maryann Murray: 22:41, Kate Ryan: 15:56) 58:23;

Total: 1:58:00; Place1^st//1 team (11 Ladder Points)

Female 20: 3x3.7km: (Poppy Scot-Dalgleish: 12:15, Madeleine Arvaji: 13:45, Zoey Ryan: 14:14) 40:14;

Total: 40:14; Place4^th/10 teams (7 Ladder Points)

Female 18: 3x3.7km: (Matilda Johnson: 12:38, Rose Jarvis: 13:06, Isabella Napoletano: 13:46) 39:30;

Total: 39:30; Place2^nd/8 teams (9 Ladder Points)

Female 16: 3x3.7km: (Heidi Kuppler: 12:03, Inessa Stabb: 13:40, Sanna Kersten: 14:53) 40:36;

Total: 40:36; Place4^th/9 teams (7 Ladder Points)

Female 40: 3x7.4km: (Alison Knuckey: 30:07, Debbie McKenzie: 34:17, Jo Moxon: 39:52) 1:44:16;

Total: 1:44:16; Place3^rd/4 teams (8 Ladder Points)

Male Open:

Division 2: 6x7.4km: (Caden Murray: 21:35, Tim Logan: 23:01, Vincent Donnadieu: 22:21, Dylan Littlejohn: 25:00, Joel Imbriano: 25:33, Lachlan Deller: 24:15) 2:21:45;

Total: 2:21:45; Place6^th/14 teams (9 Ladder Points)

Division 4: 5x7.4km: (Blake Barnes: 25:37, James Telford: 25:56, Lucas Camuncoli: 26:15, Jordan Rudd: 28:30, Glen Imbriano: 27:42) 2:14:00;

Total: 2:14:00; Place5^th/11 teams (9 Ladder Points)

Division 7: 4x7.4km: (Martin Murray: 34:24, Adam Scott: 31:37, Jarryd Cripps: 26:46) 1:32:47;

Total: 1:32:47; Place8^th/10 teams (3 Ladder Points)

Male 20:

3x7.4km: (Ethan Armstrong-Bourne: 22:15, Thomas Short: 25:07, Rhodri Whelan: 24:45) 1:12:07;

Total: 1:12:07; Place3^rd/6 teams (8 Ladder Points)

Male 18:

3x3.7km: (Brodie Batt: 10:51, Asher Knuckey: 11:54, William Quigley: 10:53) 33:38;

Total: 33:38; Place2^nd/11 teams (9 Ladder Points)

Male 18:

3x3.7km: (Zander Botha: 12:36, Jack Daley: 12:37, Walter Somers: 13:23) 38:36;

Total: 38:36; Place9^th/11 teams (2 Ladder Points)

Male 16:
3x3.7km: (Samuel Reeve: 12:06, Jett Hollingsworth: 12:44, Ryan Li: 13:04) 37:54;

Total: 37:54; Place6^th/15 teams (5 Ladder Points)

Male 40
3x7.4km: (Craig Cassidy: 27:25, Rory McPhillips: 28:48, Jamie Hollingsworth: 31:41) 1:27:54;

Total: 1:27:54; Place5^th/7 teams (6 Ladder Points)

Male 50
3x7.4km: (Scott Barnes: 29:07, Damien Clifford: 34:07, Patrick Clarke: 36:52) 1:40:06;

Total: 1:40:06; Place7^th/8 teams (4 Ladder Points)

Male 60
3x3.7km: (Lyal Douglas: 16:25, Andrew McKenzie: 15:01, Ross McDonald: 13:45) 45:11;

Total: 45:11; Place1^st/3 teams (11 Ladder Points)

JUST IN CASE YOU FORGOT …

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