NSW XC Relays: Bankstown men claim second title

4 June 2023

NSW XC Relays: Bankstown men claim second title

At the 32nd edition of the NSW cross country relays, held at Upjohn Park at Rydalmere on Saturday, Bankstown won just their second men’s title, following their 2019 victory. Although there was a late rally by some clubs, in the end Bankstown coasted to victory with their athletes clocking three of the top-6 fastest individual leg times.

LEG 1:

UTN 11:55, BAN 12:01, KEJ 12:03, SYU 12:15, RCR B 12:23, RBH 12:23, RCR 12:24

In contrast to the women’s open race, from the gun there was a pack of athletes piloting the field. Despite being in his final preparations for a marathon on the Gold Coast, US Norths’ Ed Goddard held a slight lead over most of the teams leading athletes, positioned on leg one. Ed clocked 11:55 for his leg, ahead of other solid runs from Arron Spiessberger-Parker for Bankstown, with 12:01, and Luke Hince (KEJ) with 12:03. In a very solid run, Run Crew B team athlete, Ben Jagger, ran 12:23, to finish the leg ahead of the A team.

LEG 2:

BAN 24:08, UTN 24:37, RBH 24:46, SYU 24:49, SYU B 24:57 KEJ 24:59

Bankstown’s Harrison McGill setup the win for his club on this leg with a quick time of 12:06. Bankstown now led the race by a commanding 29 seconds from UTS Norths. The battle now seemed to be for the silver and bronze medals with just 22 seconds separating five teams – UTS Norths, Randwick Botany, Sydney Uni A & B teams and Kembla Joggers.

LEG 3:

BAN 36:48, RBH 37:02, SYU 37:15, UTN 37:20, SYU B 37:45 KEJ 37:48

With the medal battle hotting up, there was a decisive run on the third leg for Randwick Botany by 17-year-old Jonathan Meaker, the older sibling of world cross country representative Claudia Meaker. Jonathan split 12:16, the fastest time by any third leg runners, and took his team to within 14 seconds of clear race leaders Bankstown and 13 seconds clear of Sydney Uni in third, who just led UTS Norths.

LEG 4:

BAN 48:43, RBH 49:16, SYU 49:29, UTN 47:37, SYU B 50:35 KEJ 50:39

Anchoring Bankstown was a regular on this team, Joshua Johnson, who was running scare of the serious threat posed by Randwick Botany’s Bailey Habler, who had placed an outstanding 31st in the under-20 event at the world cross country championships. Bailey was gallant in his attempt, but Josh is a special talent, who himself has competed at two world cross country championships. Josh was pushed to the day’s fastest split, 11:54, bringing Bankstown home for the win, with a 33 second margin.

Bailey was rewarded with a quick leg time of 12:14 – the sixth fastest of the day.

There were also some very fast anchor leg times by Sydney Uni’s Joe Burgess and UTS Norths’ Cameron Gorman. Joe split 12:14 to lock up the bronze for his club, while Cameron clocked 12:17 as Norths missed a medal by just eight seconds.
 

MEN Open 4km splits (sub-13:00 minutes)

11:54 Joshua Johnson BAN

11:55 Ed Goddard UTN

12:01 Arron Spiessberger-Parker BAN

12:03 Luke Hince KEJ

12:06 Harrison Mcgill BAN

12:14 Bailey Habler RBH

12:14 Joe Burgess SYU

12:15 Drew Fryer SYU

12:16 Jonathan Meaker RBH

12:17 Cameron Gorman UTN (10th)

12:23 Hamish Hart RBH

12:23 Ben Thomas RBH

12:23 Ben Jagger RCR B

12:24 Zachary Johnson RCR

12:26 Luke Schofield SYU

12:28 Ben Bishop SYU B

12:28 Martin Cooper SYU B

12:31 Lachlan Stanfield DEL

12:33 Lachlan Townsend SYU

12:39 Luke Young NEW (20th)

12:40 Alexander Gruen BAN

12:40 Gavin Eccles RCR

12:41 Isaac Shaw BAN

12:42 James Starkey GOS

12:42 Lachlan Bryant UTN

12:42 Luke Boyes UTN

12:42 Harm Schaap BAN

12:45 Liam Hinchcliffe BAN

12:46 Alexander Seal KEJ B

12:47 Dylan Offord SYU B (30th)

12:48 Ciaran Rushton RCR

12:48 Hamish Longworth BAN 

12:49 James Tunbridge KEJ

12:50 Obssa Youssouf SYU B

12:50 Tom March KEJ

12:53 Russell Dessaix Chin SYU C

12:54 Matthew Cox RCR

12:56 Samuel Jones KEJ

12:57 Kurt Fryer RBH B

12:59 Louis Donovan KEJ B (40th)

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: The battle was on from the first led with Ed Goddard leading the field early (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)