Cross Country State success despite challenging conditions

25/07/2024

SCHOOL SPORT VICTORIA: STATE FINAL

Cross Country

On Thursday 18 July the Catherine McAuley College Bendigo (CMCB) Cross Country Team travelled to the Yarra Valley Racing Club to compete at the School Sport Victoria State Cross Country. On arrival it soon became evident that this year’s course would be quite challenging. The track was muddy, slippery and boggy with the primary students who competed first looking like they had been in a mud fight.

Eighteen students competed for CMCB across eight different age groups, and despite the challenging conditions, with multiple students slipping over during the race they all had the poise to re-gather themselves and continue to push on and finish the event.

A special mention to Grace Mulqueen who slipped to the ground at the very start of her race but showed extraordinary resilience by picking herself up (once everyone had run over and around her) and began the huge task of making her way through the field from dead last. By running wide, she was able to pass her fellow competitors one by one, and slowly close the gap to the leaders. Grace eventually finished the race in third place thanks to this monumental effort. Well done for never giving up in incredibly challenging conditions Grace.

In the team events our CMCB students shone brightly with the 13 and 14-year-old girls’ teams both finishing as State Runners Up.

13-Year Girls: Mila Childs, April Wainwright, Molly Beasley and Emma Colt

14-Year Girls: Imogen Brown, Zara Mould, Erin Bradshaw, Jessica Wilson and Alexis Arundell

Congratulations also to the following students who finished in the top twenty of their respective age groups.

Grace Mulqueen: 3^rd place – 13:57.480 (3km)
Imogen Brown: 8^th place – 13:44.473 (3km)
Mila Childs: 11^th place – 13:55.433 (3km)
Asher Miller: 15^th place – 18:41.530 (5km)
April Wainwright: 18^th place – 14:19.327 (3km)
Charlie Bannan: 19^th place – 19:09.850 (5km)

Thank you to the parents, carers and extended families who attended the event and supported the team. We hope the stain remover and laundry detergent has worked getting the students runners and shorts back to their original colours.