ATHLETICS Bendigo Region capped a superb cross-country season by winning four premierships in the On-backed XCR series run by Athletics Victoria.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bats captured back-to-back men's premier titles and were number one in division three men and women, division six men, and 50-plus women.
Bendigo's rising stars were runner-up in the under-20 men's class.
Finale to the 10-round series was last Saturday as athletes raced the 3.8km loop in a relay format on the iconic The Tan in Melbourne's Botanic Gardens.
In the men's premier division Bendigo had a great duel with Mentone.
Archie Reid ran the opening leg for Bendigo and clocked 11.02 as the team was in third place behind Mentone, 10.37, and Western, 10.59.
The Bats' number one runner in Andy Buchanan ran leg two and fastest time of the day of 10.52.
From there it was Logan Tickell, 11.25; Nathan Stoate, 11.13; Angus Macafee, who ran his premier debut in 12.00; and Matt Buckell, 11.18, that teamed up to clinch victory.
The Bats completed the race in 1:07.50 as Western was second in 1:08.37.
Top three in the premiership race were Bendigo, 99 points; Western, 81; and Box Hill, 78.
Throughout the series the Bats also had Paddy Stow, Brady Threlfall, Bryan Keely, Jackson Eadon, Oscar Reid, Stephen van Rees and Harrison Boyd race in premier class.
Just two seconds separated Bendigo and South Melbourne in men's division three on The Tan.
Bendigo's team of Ben Powell, 12.01; Nathan Meade, 12.38; Oscar Reid, 12.33; Stephen van Rees, 12.20; and Glenn McMillan, 12.23; marked an overall time of 1:01.55.
Runner-up was South Melbourne in 1:01.57.
The Bats finished 31 points clear of South Melbourne in the premiership race.
An outstanding run by Bendigo's division three women's team kept rolling.
At The Tan it was Vanessa Bull, 14.50; Yazmin Hayes, 15.08; Phoebe Lonsdale, 14.53; and Taryn Furletti, 13.52; who charged to victory in 58.43.
Victory in nine of 10 rounds meant Bendigo won the title on 144 points from Glenhuntly, 97.
Virginia McCormick scored 22 points to be equal fifth in the champion athlete, and won the country athlete title on 31 points.
The Bats team of Luke Millard, Matt Schepisi, Jake Hilson and Jake Delaney won the division six men's race on The Tan in 55.11.
Bendigo led the ladder on 156 points.
The Bats also won the under-20 men's class on The Tan as Harrison Boyd teamed up with Jayden Padgham and Avery McDermid for a time of 36.33.
An exciting duel in the 50-women's class went the way of APS United, 49.24, from Bendigo, 51.07, which was represented by Jill Wilkie, Debby Kirne and Anne Buckley.
Bendigo took out the women's 50-plus premiership on 81 points as APS scored 80.
Other placings for the Bats on The Tan were division four women, 4th; under-18 men, 7th; under-16 girls, 4th; 40-plus men, 5th; 50-plus men, 9th.
In the race for champion athlete titles, Logan Tickell led the under-18 boys on 44 points.
Tullie Rowe was third in under-20 women; Avery McDermid was fourth in under-16 boys; and Tyler Fynch flew to victory in the under-14 boys.
