Jells Park Cross Country Relays

The XCR13 season started with a flourish for the White Train as MUAC’s Division 1 Women took home bronze at the Jells Park Cross Country Relays on Saturday, 27th of April.
Lead off by Sarah McSweeney, New Zealand and Victorian 3000m Steeplechase Champion and bronze medallist at the Australian Championship in the same event, the team was never out of the medal positions.  McSweeney tagged Sarah James who kept MUAC in the hunt over the two laps of the undulating and windy Jells Park course. Ruth Mills, making her Melbourne University debut, took up the running for the third leg and tagged Julie McNamara knowing that a podium position was in the grasp of the team.  McNamara duly delivered, cross the line in third place and setting the Women’s Division 1 team up for a strong XCR13 season.
MUAC had 29 athletes in six teams in action on Saturday and there were more pleasing results.  The Division 1 Men’s team claimed 7th place off the back of strong runs by Mark Kirwan, Grant Morgan and Neil Sampson.  With the return of some big names the team should be challenge for medals in future rounds.
The Women’s Division 2 team of Alex Bull, Annie Carter, Melissa Nadia Natasha and Claire Boulange took to the windy course with relish, holding their own against the best runners in Victoria.
The Men’s Division 2 team of Chris ‘Animal’ Xu, Leigh ‘Galen Rupp’ Goedecke, Max ‘Road Warrior’ Ueda, Andy ‘Godzilla’ Selby Smith, Matt ‘I need a nickname’ Wason and Matt ‘Ironman’ Irons performed well, demonstrating the depth of the MUAC squad.  MUAC has teams in the top three mens Divisions, 1 of only three clubs to do so.  Club stalwart and racewalking legend Paul Kennedy returned to action with a fine couple of laps around the Jells Park circuit.
Later in the afternoon MUAC members returned to the Rawlinson Track for some post race frivolities and to take advantage of the new Sports Center Club Rooms that will be the home of MUAC for years to come.
MUAC will return to action at Sandown Racecourse on Saturday, May 11 for Round 2 of XCR13, the Sandown Road Relays.
Results

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