EAGLEHAWK marked a hat-trick of overall team championships at Monday's finale to Athletics Victoria's country championships at Geelong's John Landy Field.
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The Hawks capped a successful run to regain the Margaret Saunders Country Cup as the number one team.
The David Kitt Memorial Trophy for men's team, and the Ex-Athletes Cup for women's team also stayed in Eaglehawk's hands.
Yet again it was the clubs from Flack Advisory Bendigo Region who were to the fore across three days of track and field action.
In the race for overall team honours, Eaglehawk scored 1554 points as South Bendigo was runner-up on 1055 from Geelong Guild on 1037.
Although entry numbers were down on recent seasons, Bendigo Harriers put in a great effort to rack up 527 points and be sixth overall.
Bendigo University was 21st on 70.
It was a closely-fought duel between Eaglehawk and South Bendigo for the Ex-Athletes Cup for leading women's team.
The Hawks ruled on 658 points from South on 608.
A score of 201 put Bendigo Harriers in eighth place as University was 16th on 55.
Eaglehawk's strength across a lot of the male age groups was a key factor in a score of 896 points to again claim the David Kitt Memorial Trophy which honours a key figure for Bendigo Harriers and athletics in the Bendigo region.
Runner-up for the men's team award was Athletics Chilwell on 516 as South Bendigo scored 450 to be third.
Bendigo Harriers were seventh on 326 points as University's tally of 15 put it on the 21st rung.
The Australia Day Medal for most outstanding performance by a female was awarded to South Bendigo's and reigning national open shot put champion Emma Berg.
Another highlight was the awarding of the Athletics Chilwell male veteran award to Eaglehawk's Terry Hicks.
Coach of many in the Hawks' squad and the general manager for Athletics Bendigo, Hicks starred in many track and field disciplines for the 60-plus class as "team first" and "have a go" are keys to his and the club's success.
Next year's AV country championships will be in Ballarat.
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