Cross-country action back at Ravenswood

INCLINES at Ravenswood will test athletes in this Saturday’s third leg in Athletics Victoria cross-country series.

Bendigo Region’s team, aka Bats, will be aiming to capitalise on home-track advantage at St Anne’s Winery at the foot of Big Hill.

After no leg at Ravenswood last season, AV has put the course back on the schedule.

Two years ago Bendigo outran Glenhuntly to win the men’s premier division duel.

Saturday’s 8km or 5km showdowns across open; 40, 50 and 60-plus; under-20, 18, 16 and 14 have drawn big fields.

First wave of racing will be at 12.15pm and be followed by start times of

In the race for the men’s premier division, Sandringham leads the way on 22 points from Western Athletics, 17; and Bendigo, 14.

The Bats’ fastest runners, Matt Buckell and Australia’s marathon record-holder Andy Buchanan are second and third in the race for the champion athlete award led by Ed Marks from Glenhuntly.

Round two in XCR was the Jells Park relays where Bendigo was third in the men’s premier division as Sandringham and Western led the way.

The Bats’ squad which each ran 6km legs at Jells Park was Logan Tickell, Andy Buchanan, Nathan Stoate, Jayden Padgham, Jake Hilson and Matt Miller.

In the women’s premier division it’s Box Hill and Sandringham locked on 20 points.

Bendigo is equal fifth on 10 points.

Leading runners in the Bendigo line-up are Bec Wilkinson, Yazmin Hayes, Ingrid Woodward, Phoebe Lonsdale and Simoen Van DerMeent.

There have been some outstanding runs by Bendigo’s juniors in the Lakeside 5km at Albert Park and in the Jells Park relays.

Rising stars for the Bats include Benji Carfoot, Lyla Edwards, Tyler Fynch, Jenna Gaskell, Milanke Haasbroek, Lucy Jones and Chelsea Tickell.

In the masters categories Bendigo will have Anne Buckley, Debby Kirne, Anne McIntosh and James Russell among the hundreds winding their way through the vines and along the tracks at St Anne’s Winery.

Clubs and regions represented in XCR include APS United, Ballarat, Coburg, Collingwood, Diamond Valley, Essendon, Geelong, Knox, Melbourne University, Mornington, Nunawading, Richmond, South Melbourne, St Kevins and Traralgon.