Athletes on trial for Australian XC titles

SELECTION in Victoria’s open and under-20 teams for the Australian cross-country titles is up for grabs in this Saturday’s racing at Bundoora Park.

Leg six in XCR will be on the hilly slopes where the open classes race 10km as the under-20 men and under-20 men run 8km and 6km respectively.

Racing starts at 11am and includes 6km legs for a wide range of age groups.

Victory in teams relays at Calder Park Thunderdome put Bendigo third in the premier men’s race.

The Bats are on 36 points as Sandringham, 53, and Western, 42, lead the way.

Bendigo features highly in the champion athlete standings.

The men’s open is led by Glenhuntly’s Ed Marks on 22 points from Sandringham’s Logan Janetzki, 18, and Bendigo’s Andy Buchanan and Western’s Zayd Al Sayd locked on 17 points.

The open country athlete award race is led by Bats’ team-mates Nathan Stoate and Andy Buchanan on 20 and 11.

Bendigo has scored 21 points to be sixth in the premier women’s race led by Sandringham, 50, and Box Hill, 48.

In the country athlete award Simoen van der Meent is Bendigo’s best on nine points as Bec Wilkinson and Anne Buckley are on seven and six points.

Young guns in Bendigo’s squad include Abbey Reid, under-20; Chelsea Tickell, under-18; Jenna Gaskell and Lucy Jones, under-16; and Milanke Haasbroek and Lyla Edwards, under-14.

In XCR standings it’s South Melbourne and Bendigo who lead the division four men’s race on 52 and 49 points.

Diamond Valley has scored 44 points to lead the under-18 girls competition from Box Hill, 39, and Bendigo and Doncaster locked on 24.

The under-16 girls race is led by Knox, 55; Bendigo, 44; and Ballarat, 33.

It’s a great battle in the under-14 girls between Knox and Bendigo on 43 and 40 points.

The Bats have been represented in this season’s XCR action in division three women; division five men and women; men’s and women’s open short course; under-20 men and women; and under-18, 16 and 14 boys.

The Australian cross-country championships will be run on 22 August at Ballarat’s Victoria Park.