The unbeaten streak by Bendigo Bats in women’s Division four of Athletics Victoria’s cross-country series has reached six after Saturday’s racing at Bundoora Park. The Bendigo Bats men's team also reigned supreme in men’s premier, and division four, once again.
ONE of the young guns in the Bendigo Bats squad, Archie Reid returns to cross-country racing in Saturday’s sixth round of Athletics Victoria’s XCR series. Reid, 21, has not raced since leg two of XCR22 on May 28 at St Anne’s Winery in Big Hill.
AS THE second half of Athletics Victoria’s XCR22 season kicks off at Bundoora Park this Saturday, Bendigo Bats lead the premiership race in five divisions. A huge day of racing at Bundoora includes selection trials for the Australian Cross Country Championships and Victorian All Schools XC titles. Open and over-age men’s and women’s races will be 10km on the testing slopes. Juniors will race 3km, 4km, 6km, or 8km to decide the schools championships.
MARATHON champion Viriginia McCormick, nee Moloney, marked her first race in Bendigo Bats colours by being ninth fastest woman in the Sandown Road Relays on Saturday. McCormick teamed with Alice Wilkinson and Vanessa Bull to be number one in women’s division four as clubs marked the halfway mark of 10-leg cross-country series run by Athletics Victoria. The 16th placegetter in the marathon at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, McCormick is now a Mum and on the comeback to competitive athletics. 11 teams from the Bendigo Region participated on the day.
THE talent pool of the Bendigo Bats squad was on show in Saturday’s running of Ekiden Relays in the fourth round of Athletics Victoria’s cross-country series. Teams of six, five, four or three athletes ran varying distances in the relay legs at St Anne’s Winery in Myrniong. Despite being without number one runner Andy Buchanan and young gun Archie Reid, Bendigo Bats still finished more than 90 seconds clear of Glenhuntly to win men’s premier division. The Bendigo region also won the Women's Division 4, Men's Div 4, Junior Boys U/18 categories.