Savage course no obstacle for MUAC Women
Round 2 XCR16: Wandin Park Cross Country
A strong troop of MUAC athletes, under the command of MUAC Team Manager Max Ueda took to the hills of the Yarra Valley on Saturday, doing battle with an unrelenting foe: a cross country course packed with long, leg burning climbs, tough descents and technical obstacles to jump or clamber over. The formidable MUAC Women’s section, lead by Martine Botha, triumphed over the testing 6km of rugged terrain. The Premier Division team of Aislinn Prendergast, Ella Trimboli, Ellen Schaef, Lanita Steer and Alex Bull claimed an impressive fourth place, with all 5 inside the top 60, to start their long march up the premiership ladder, sitting just outside the top 5 at present . Captain Botha combined with Pippa Trevella, Julia Atkins and Liv Honore to lead the Division Two team into eighth place. MUAC fielded the fourth largest contingent of the day in the Open Women, relying on a massed forces approach to the competition. Allyson O’Brien, Courtney Parker and Cassie Cohen swept all before them, attacking the course with panache and stormed to second place in Division Four.
Captain Newman led the MUAC men into conflict with a stern resolve, counselling eager troops to reserve some ammunition for the latter stages of the fight where the decisive battles would occur. Isaac Hockey, in his MUAC debut, nearly fell victim to latter hills, coming in a creditable 5th in the U20 4km race, with Michael Dardis fighting well to take 29th.
The Premier Division section saw lots of kinetic action, Nick Earl leading the men home in 8th place in a strong field, with Zac Newman, Frankie Conway, Max Ueda, Julian Baker and forming the squad, which took a great fourth place, and move into fourth place on the ladder. MUAC’s Divison Two team locked up another good result taking 10th, and third amongst second teams. There were skirmishes all the way through the field, with trench and ditch warfare specialist Tony Brain ensuring that no man was left behind. The final team results from Central Command show that MUAC’s Division 3 team took a steady 11th to but it can already be determined through the fog of war that this was a good day to be fighting for MUAC.
Several athletes made their MUAC debut at Wandin Park. Congralations to David Candy, Isaac Hockey, Harry Ukich, Hamish Graham, Julian Baker, Courtney Parker.
Sadly the day saw several losses. Paul Munro lasted only minutes after arriving on the field of battle and will hopefully be back on the frontline in two weeks time. Marie Parsons took an unconventional route to Wandin Park; unconventional enough that it didn’t terminate at Wandin Park, but back in Melburne after a confused tour through the Yarra Valley. For such conspicuous bravery, Parsons was award the shiny warm up pants from current custodian Leigh Goedecke and will sport them in the next round.
Post race, MUAC executed a flawless resupply manoeuvre, slipping away from the forward operating base at Wandin Park, pausing our march home at the Coldstream Brewery and then requisitioning pizza to feed the troops before return to barracks in Parkville.
The conflict will continue in two weeks with Round 3 of XCR’16 heading to Cruden Farm on the Mornington Peninsula on Saturday, May 21. Click here to tell high command you are racing
