THE Flack Advisory Bendigo Region teams starred at Saturday’s running of the Athletics Victoria relays at Sandown Park.
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Many athletes were in hot form at the renowned motorsport complex.
Bendigo’s division five men’s team started 100 metres behind 60 line-ups as division one were on the front of the grid.
After completing just over one lap of the 3.1km course, Bendigo University’s Andy Buchanan led the race as he passed opponents from cross-country powerhouses Box Hill, Glenhuntly and Doncaster.
Buchanan achieved the fastest men’s time of the day of 18.01 for the 6.2km relay leg.
Bendigo led all teams to the 10km mark as University’s Nigel Preston smashed the 20-minute barrier in a time of 19.52.
University’s young gun Kye Jenkyn, 20.11, and Ben Stolz from Bendigo Harriers, 21.57, ran strongly as Bendigo took top honours in division five.
They were 4.42 clear of the runners-up and lapped the third-placegetters.
The division seven men’s team won its class in the 4 x 6.2km relay.
South Bendigo’s Adam Parker capped his XCR debut for Benndigo in a superb time of 21.32.
Clubmate Daniel Plowright, 22.46; University’s Craig Green, 22;23; and Harriers’ Rossi Evans, 23.02; all ran brilliantly in the tough conditions.
The 40-plus men’s team performed well to be ninth in a 12-team field.
Despite illness, Greg Hilson from South Bendigo did not let the region down as he completed his leg in 25.13.
University’s David Heislers, 25.31, and South Bendigo’s Leigh Browell, 26.49, put in top runs.
Junior teams ran one hot lap, 3.1km, in three relay legs.
The charge for the under-18 girls was led by South Bendigo’s Taryn Furletti.
A slick 10.52 by Furletti put the team in fourth place.
Matilda Moore from Bendigo Harriers ran 11.29 to hold fourth going into the final leg where South Bendigo’s Yazmin Hayes ran a superb time of 10.54 to claim the silver medal.
The under-16 boys were not daunted by the task in their XCR debut.
University’s Wil McCaig led the way in a time of 9.58 to be just 13 seconds behind an athlete who has dominated the age group all season.
Ned Buckell from Bendigo Harriers and Bendigo Little Athletics started the second leg in fourth place and ran 10.29 to put Bendigo in front.
The second of the Buckell brothers, Matt from Harriers and Little Aths put in a terrific effort to run 20.37 as Bendigo captured another silver medal.
Bendigo’s under-18 boys team of Harriers’ clubmates Ben Powell 10.12, Riley Osborne 10.03, and Anthony Dempster 10.39, teamed brilliantly to be seventh in a field of 15 teams.