VALLEY RALLY FOR THE RELAYS

The Diamond Valley Athletic Club fielded a total of 17 Relay teams at the Athletics Victoria’s 2023 Road Relay Championships held at the Sandown Race Course on Saturday 8 July. While the 51 athletes (21 Women & 30 Men) who took part in Relays were spared the rain that had been forecast they were exposed to very strong winds that cut across the course at various points. Matilda L’Estrange said that it felt like the wind was, “pushing you back” from the very start.

DVAC had a total of 17 teams compete in the Road Relays: there were 6 Open age teams, 5 Masters teams and 6 Junior teams. The juniors ran one lap of the 3.1km circuit while the Masters & Open age athletes ran two laps each to cover legs of 6.2km

DVAC WOMEN UNDER 16 WIN GOLD

Under 14 athletes, Heidi Kuppler and Matilda Johnson joined forces WU16 athlete, Georgia L’Estrange to form a team for the WU16 3 x 3.1km competition and emerged as winners by a margin of 19 seconds. Matilda Johnson, 11:07, and Heidi Kuppler, 11:02, had worked hard to hand over the lead to Georgia L’Estrange with a buffer that Georgia was able to defend with a courageous run. Georgia ran 12:23 for her lap of the circuit. The DVAC Women Under 16 team has emerged with a clear lead on top of the season ladder after five rounds of the winter season.

DVAC WOMEN UNDER 18 REIGN AT SANDOWN

The team of Matilda L’Estrange, Poppy Scot-Dalgleish and Ally Brooks were all in winter premiership teams in 2022 and they have now given their chances of defending that success with a win at the Road Relay Championships. Matilda, 11:07, crossed in third position to hand over to Poppy, 11:55, who handed over to Ally with a lead of 33 seconds. Ally, 11:01, extended that margin to 47 seconds by the time she completed her leg of the relay. The points won DVAC WU18 team at Sandown now move them to the top position on the season ladder.

DVAC DIVISION 2 MEN’S TEAM TAKES ANOTHER STEP FORWARD

After climbing one place off the bottom spot on the season ladder in Round 4, the DVAC Men’s Division 2 team had their best result for the season at Sandown, finishing 9^th in the 14 team competition and climbing up a further place on the ladder to be in 12^th place and clear of the threat of relegation for the present. In a very even team, Caden Murray posted the fastest time for the 6.2km leg, clocking 19:39. He was followed in by Chris Rancie, 20:39, Dylan Littlejohn, 21:51, Blake Barnes, 21:32, Jarryd Cripps, 22:28, James Telford, 22:23. This means they covered the total distance of 37.2km in an average pace of 3min27sec per kilometer.

VALLEY WOMEN NOW IN FIFTH PLACE IN DIVISION 2

The DVAC Women Division 2 team finished in 7^th position at Sandown and drop from 4^thposition to 5^th on the season ladder. Shania Murray ran her 6.2km leg in 22:27 and was the 14^thfastest Open Female on the day. Completing the team were Taylor Radatti, 26:21, Adina Morrow, 28:00, and Sarah Leeming, 27:11.

DVAC MEN 40+ TEAM FINISH IN THIRD PLACE

In the highly competitive Men 40+ division, the DVAC combination of Daniel Rees, 22:39, Charles Jacobson, 22:50, and Craig Cassidy, 23:29, finished in third place.

Spare a thought for Craig who had competed in the Duathlon at Sandown earlier in the day. That meant that by the time he set off for his leg of the Road Relay, Craig had already been around the 3.1km loop 8 times – twice on foot and six times on the bike. Throw in a lazy two more laps for the warm-up and cool down and that makes it ten laps. Craig was pleased that the pace of his run in the relay was almost the same as it had been earlier in the day. “It only dropped from 3:33/km to 3:43/km”, said Craig.

MOTHER & DAUGHTER UNITE

The DVAC Women Division 4 team of Rebecca Tonkin, 27:31, Lorna Maloney, 31:06, and Erin Maloney, 27:59, finished in third place to cement the teams standing in third place on the season ladder. Erin, 16, agreed to run the 6.2km distance at late notice but the positive was being able to run in the same team as her mother, Lorna.

Maryann Murray, mother of Shania, returned to competition after a long break and ran a leg of the Men 50+ team.

THE TOP TWENTY IN THEIR DIVISION

AV provided the lists of times for the individual laps at Sandown for the 6.2km and 3.1km legs in rank order. DVAC athletes who appear in the top ten for their age group were:

Women:

3.1km:

Under 14: Heidi Kuppler 11:02 (1^st); Matilda Johnson 11:07 (2^nd)

Under 16: Georgia L’Estrange 12:23 (15^th)

Under 18: Ally Brooks 11:01 (6^th); Matilda L’Estrange 11:07 (7^th); Poppy Scot- Dalgleish 11:55 (12^th)

6.2km:

Under 18: Erin Maloney 27:59 (6^th)

45-49 Yrs: Lorna Maloney 31:06 (15^th)

50-54 Yrs: Debbie McKenzie 29:21 (15^th)

55-59 Yrs: Joanne Clarke 31:48 (18^th)

55-59 Yrs: Karen Quinn 34:08 (20^th)

Men:

3.1km:

Under 14: Logan Armstrong-Bourne 12:01 (18^th); Sebastian Morgan 12:20 (20^th)

Under 16: Ethan Armstrong-Bourne 10:05 (9^th)

40-44 Yrs: Daniel Rees 22:39 (18^th)

45-49 Yrs: Craig Cassidy 23:29 (15^th)

50-54 Yrs: Aaron Scot-Dalgleish 24:26 (18^th)

55-59 Yrs: Andrew McKenzie 27:09 (20^th)

60-64 Yrs: Peter Ramsay 27:19 (20^th)

65-69 Yrs: Rob Wendel 29:22 (4^th)

DVAC CLUB HELPERS

Lyn Davis and Alexia Moxon were the DVAC Club Helpers at Sandown. Paul Schofield was on hand to offer assistance as well. A huge thanks to each one.

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD

Thanks to all who brought food along to share with the team. It was fully appreciated on such a cold day.

XCR23 ROUND 5: ROAD RELAYS

Sandown Race Course

Saturday 8^th July 2023

DVAC Results:

Women:

Female Open

Women Division 2: 4x6.2km:

(Shania Murray: 22:27, Taylor Radatti: 26:21, Adina Morrow: 28:00, Sarah Leeming: 27:11) 1:43:59;

Team Result: 7^th/ 12 Teams

Women Division 4: 3x6.2km:

(Rebecca Tonkin: 27:31, Lorna Maloney: 31:06, Erin Maloney: 27:59) 1:26:36;

Team Result: 3^rd/ 7 Teams

Women Division 5: 3 x 6.2km:

(Karen Quinn: 34:08, Elyse Scheuermann: 39:15, Sarah Papadopoulos: 37:26) 1:50:49;

Team Result: 7^th/ 9 Teams

Female 20
3x3.1km: (Lucy Johns: 12:57) 12:57;

Team Result: 7^th/ 7 Teams

Female 18: 3x3.1km:

(Matilda L'Estrange: 11:07, Poppy Scot-Dalgleish: 11:55, Ally Brooks: 11:01) 34:03;

Team Result: 1^st/ 12 Teams

Female 16: 3x3.1km:

(Matilda Johnson: 11:12, Heidi Kuppler: 11:02, Georgia L'Estrange: 12:23) 34:37;

Team Result: 1^st/ 10 Teams

Female 50: 3x6.2km:

(Debbie McKenzie: 29:21, Joanne Clarke: 31:48, Jo Moxon: 34:26) 1:35:35;

Team Result: 7^th/ 10 Teams

Men:

Male Open

Division 2: 6x6.2km:

(Caden Murray: 19:39, Chris Rancie: 20:39, Dylan Littlejohn: 21:51, Blake Barnes: 21:32, Jarryd Cripps: 22:28, James Telford: 22:23) 2:08:32;

Team Result: 9^th/ 14 Teams

Division 5: 4x6.2km:

(Paul Schofield: 29:11, Brody McCarthy: 23:22, Matthew Thompson: 25:17, Aaron Bourne: 27:46) 1:45:36;

Team Result: 8^th/ 10 Teams

Division 7: 4x6.2km:

(Dillon Vidanapathirana) 31:52

Team Result: 14^th/ 14 Teams

Male 18: 3x3.1km:

(Joel Imbriano: 10:42, Jordan Rudd: 12:10, Rhodri Whelan: 10:48) 33:40;

Team Result: 10^th/ 10 Teams

Male 16: 3x3.1km:

(Ethan Armstrong-Bourne: 10:05, Jack Daley: 13:46, Felix Morgan: 11:28) 35:19;

Team Result: 15^th/ 20 Teams

Male 14: 3x3.1km:

(Logan Armstrong-Bourne: 12:01, Sebastian Morgan: 12:20, - ) 24:21;

Team Result: 6^th/ 6 Teams

Male 40: 3x6.2km:

(Daniel Rees: 22:39, Charles Jacobson: 22:50, Craig Cassidy: 23:29) 1:08:58;

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