NEWS

XCR’16: Double delight for open men at Anglesea Ekiden

Emma Files hands off to Sarah Guy
Emma Files hands off to Sarah Guy
Laura Patterson
Laura Patterson
Emilie Guy
Emilie Guy
Lisa Gunn
Lisa Gunn
Peter Vernon
Peter Vernon

Athletics Essendon’s open men kept their hopes of a double winter premiership alive with dual victories at the Anglesea Ekiden Relays on Saturday.

A brilliant run from Hayelom Dawit (17min 4sec) secured victory for the Division 2 team, with the up-and-coming junior reeling in Western Athletics’ Indiana Cooper over the final stages of his 4.9km leg to stop the clock in 2hr 35min 8sec for the 44.1km event made up of six legs of varying lengths.

The team enjoyed a see-sawing battle with Western Athletics all day, with juniors Dawit, Muse Tesema and Zach Mottram all stepping up to the open ranks and putting in strong performances to combine beautifully with Mitchel Brown, Toby O’Brien and Asmelash Tesema.

The result was purely academic for the Division 2 team, which entered the race with a near unassailable 17-point lead in Athletics Victoria’s 2016 season of cross country and road racing (XCR’16), but the Division 4 team took to the line needing a win to feel confident of staying in their title hunt.

It achieved it in emphatic style, with Damien Bruneau, Charlie Blanch, Danny Hawksworth, Daniel White and Walid A-Kurtu clocking 2:35:33 for their 39.2km relay to take victory by more than four minutes.

The team now trails Williamstown by three points and will need to win the two remaining rounds to be guaranteed the Division 4 premiership.

Also taking victory for Essendon was the under 20 women’s outfit of Emilie Guy, Emma Files and Sarah Guy, which clocked 1:20:48 for its 20km relay, while the under 18 women finished second in their 19.4km event and the Division 2 women fourth in their 29.5km event.

The XCR’16 season continues on Sunday, September 4 with the Burnley Half Marathon.

Results

Open Men Division 2 – 1st (2:35:08)
Mitchel Brown 33:25 (10.1km)
Toby O’Brien 32:08 (9.1km)
Asmelash Tesema 30:22 (8.2km)
Zach Mottram 22:54 (6.3km)
Muse Tesema 19:05 (5.5km)
Hayelom Dawit 17:04 (4.9km)

Open Men Division 4 – 1st (2:35:33)
Damien Bruneau 38:06 (10.1km)
Charlie Blanch 34:21 (9.1km)
Danny Hawksworth 32:30 (8.2km)
Daniel White 26:53 (6.3km)
Walid A-Kurtu 23:43 (5.5km)

Open Men Division 6 – 4th (2:49:48)
Peter Vernon 45:29 (10.1km)
Brian Anderson 43:01 (9.1km)
Justin McLaren 46:48 (8.2km)
Matthew Goodger 34:30 (5.5km)

Open Women Division 2 – 4th (2:10:35)
Laura Paterson 46:32 (10.1km)
Isabelle Gerardi 35:20 (8.2km)
Sandra Prosenica 28:00 (6.3km)
Erin Rayner 20:43 (4.9km)

Open Women Division 5 – 2nd (1:49:47)
Jaimie Vernon 43:59 (9.1km)
Madeleine Prosenica 41:14 (8.2km)
Elizabeth French 24:34 (5.5km)

Under 20 Women – 1st (1:20:48)
Emilie Guy 32:23 (8.2km)
Emma Files 24:05 (6.3km)
Sarah Guy 24:20 (5.5km)

Under 18 Women – 2nd (1:20:12)
Allison Rogers 33:46 (8.2km)
Emily Mizis 26:06 (6.3km)
Ruby Ali 21:25 (4.9km)