|
Saunders Shines at
Three Jacks
 |
| Gary
Saunders |
| |
Being
the oldest runner in the field didn’t
hold back Gary Saunders when he charged home to
take out the handicap section of the Stawell Amateur
Athletic Club’s combined Time Keeper’s
Handicap and 5km Championship, held last Saturday.
Staged as a sealed handicap, all runners set off
together, with first across the line taking the
championship points. Handicaps were then applied
post race to determine the overall race winner.
First
male and female runners across the line were
Horsham’s
Jade Merrett and Susie Ellis. Merrett took the
lead early in the first kilometer and was never
headed. He won the Open Male Championship from
Col Barnett and Adrian Tyler in a time of 18
minutes 3 seconds.
Ellis, who is training for a full Ironman event
later this year, also scored a comfortable win,
taking out the Female Championship from Ilana Jorgensen
and Margie Hide in a time of 21 minutes 56 seconds.
 |
| Nat
Watson |
| |
This was the third race of four in the Championship
series and leaves the event wide open in all senior
categories. The final 10k event later in the year
will decide the 2007 winners.
After handicaps were applied, Gary Saunders notched
up his first win for the year, 13 seconds ahead
of second placed Col Barnett, with Stan Watson
just two seconds back in third. Tight handicapping
saw the first 14 places separated by only 1 minute
18 sec, giving most runners a chance to get into
the places.
The juniors set off with the senior runners and
completed the same course. Daniel Faravoni ran
impressively to win his third Junior Boys Championship
race for the season in a time of 19 minutes 39
sec.
 |
| India
Burns |
| |
Faravoni was pushed all the way by senior
runner Adrian Tyler and ended up with the fourth
fastest time for the day. Emily Parnaby was also
impressive taking her third Junior Girls Championship
race for the year to go clear in the series. She
was the second fastest female overall with a time
of 22 minutes 30 sec.
After the junior handicaps were applied, Nat Watson
was a clear winner from Daniel Faravoni and Emily
Parnaby. The aggregate in the juniors is up for
grabs with only 8 points separating the top four
runners.
India Burns notched up another win in the sub-juniors
over the 1 km course. She won from Georgia Barnett
with Kye Merrett third. Fastest sub-junior boy
was Liam Burns in a time of 4 minutes 29 sec and
Somer Darnell was the quickest sub-junior girl
in a time of 5 minutes 8 sec.
|
