Shield Round 10

Nineteen members of the White Train, as the Melbourne University Athletics Club team is known, shrugged off festive feasts and cricketing catastrophes to return to competition at Meadowglen for Round 10 of Athletics Victoria’s Shield Competition.  Many athletes had taken part in intensive training camps over the holiday break, with sprinters and vaulters taking their training to the next level at the Rawlinson Track at Melbourne University.  Distance athletes sought the altitude, trails and cooler temperatures of Falls Creek to lay the foundation for a strong second part of the track and field season.  MUAC’s Mens’ Division One team bounced back from a close loss to Essendon in Round 9 to comprehensively win Round 10.  The White Train’s Womens’ Division One team took third place and remain in second place on the ladder with four rounds to go.

The Women’s 4x400m team of Kath Clarke, Rachel Painter, Emma Doyle and Ilka Barr streeted the field to win by more than the length of the straight.  Jordan Mayston ran a brave, solo 800m in windy conditions to win in 2:00.37, boding well for the rest of his season.  Paul Kennedy played Socrates to Tom Barnes’ Plato, as the wily veteran won the 2000m walk in 9:10.49 with Barnes, the rising star taking second in 9:39.14. Barnes celebrated his return to club competition with impressive efforts in the long jump and shot put as well.

The White Train returns to competition on Saturday, 15^th of January at Aberfeldie as Athletics Victoria’s Shield Final rapidly approaches.

Results