12 km Cross Country – Bundoora Park

FINE RESULT FROM ANDREW WHITE AT BUNDOORA

The Bundoora 12 K Cross Country race is normally the main selection trial for the Victorian Cross Country team for the National Cross Country championships. Yarra Bend is this year’s Australian Championship venue, and Andrew White earned his place in the team with a fine second placing in the Under 20 race. Defeated by 11 seconds for the title, Andrew ran a strong race and looked to be travelling well for the whole journey. He recorded the time of 25:57 for the 8 K. course. Andrew has had a battle with ITB syndrome recently, and looks capable of improving further before the National Cross Country Championships. Club mate Adrian Vincent ran very impressively to record the time of 26:41 for 6th place. Adrian gained selection for the Coliban Relays in the first team on the basis of his improvements this year and it is very pleasing to see his emerging development as a distance runner. Michael Bourne ran very creditably to finish in 13th place in the Under 18 race over the 6 K Cross Country.

Only 8 athletes representing Box Hill contested the Open 12 CC race, a disappointing turnout, but all our starters completed the race. The ground conditions were soft, as a result of the moister conditions that we have been experiencing, but the course was not excessively slippery or muddy. Conditions were cool and windy.

There was strong competition at the top end of the field after one lap with seven athletes clear of the rest of the field: Lee Troop, the improving and talented Mark Tucker, Steve Moneghetti, Simon Field Nick Harrison, Shane Nankervis, and Nigel Adkins. The leading runners continued to move away from the rest of the field although Rod de Highden improved his position after the first lap.

Box Hill’s leading contenders were John Meagher (23rd), Dale Bickham (39th), Paul Boxshall (40th), and Graeme Olden (75th). These athletes were all placed in the first 80. Tony Bird (99th), Chris O’Connor (110th), Adam Pepper and Malcolm Hopkirk were further back.

As the race progressed, competitors peeled off the leading bunch. Troop was leading Moneghetti by 10 seconds at the end of the second lap. Tucker appeared to have run too fast in the first lap and he drifted back behind Moneghetti, but was clear of Nankervis and Harrison who were running together. John Meagher maintained his tempo and looked to be running confidently. Paul Boxshall over took Dale Bickham to lead him by a small margin, with quite a large gap opening up over Graeme Olden. Tony Bird ran marginally slower in his second circuit, with Chris O’Connor experiencing hamstring twinges which forced him to run more cautiously in the second and third laps.

Positions of the leading runners did not change at the end of the third lap, apart from Moneghetti drawing much closer to Troop ready to mount a serious challenge if Troop faltered. The next six places were thew same runners in the same order as for the previous lap. Box Hill’s athletes more- or-less maintained their relative order with John Meagher in 22nd position, Dale Bickham 38th, Paul Boxshall 40th, Graeme Olden 55th, with a long gap between Tony Bird in the 90s, Chris O’Connor about 18 places behind and Adam Pepper in the 160s.

Lee Troop managed to hold off Moneghetti’s challenge in the concluding stages to win the race by the slender margin of three seconds. Mark Tucker was able to hold off Shane Nankervis for third place with Nick Harrison placing fifth, ahead of Nigel Adkins, Simon Field, Dave Ruschena, Rod de Highden and Daniel Quin making up the first ten placegetters. Box Hill’s leading athlete, John Meagher ran a fine race, to finish 22nd. Dale Bickham completed the journey in 35th place, lifting in

the last lap, Paul Boxshall was 41st, and Graeme Olden picked up a few additional places in the last lap to place 52nd. Tony Bird 94th and Chris O’Connor 112th made up the Section 1 team. Adam Pepper placed 162nd and Malcolm Hopkirk was 233rd. Tony Bird won the silver medal in the 50 + years age group, a distinguished achievement.

Doncaster won the team’s race by one point from Glen Huntly with Ballarat YCW in third position. Box Hill was in 6th place (unofficially).

Ian Sloane

Results and Times of Senior Men’s 12 K Cross Country Race

Unofficial Team Results

1. Doncaster 100 pts
2. Glen Huntly 101 pts
3. Ballarat YCW 156 pts
4. Geelong 287 pts
5. APS 309 pts
6. Box Hill 354 pts

Under 20 8 K Cross Country

2. Andrew White 25:57

6. Adrian Vincent 26:41

Under 18 6 K Cross Country

13. Michael Bourne 22:20