Cross Country
Shore Invitational, Sydney Park – Saturday 27 May 2023
The boys came into the meet with a message to send as Shore hosted on the gruelling Sydney Park Course. Shore decided to run the tough ‘four hills’ course, which included quad-shattering hills and little room for rest. The gruesomeness of the course did not seem to deter the Shore lads but rather increased our spirits. This lift was evident in the outstanding results this week.
After a passionate huddle on the start line, the junior field graced the course early in the morning. Heading straight up a steep grass hill, a few boys were rudely woken up. The Shore boys had the best race of their season so far, with the usual candidates of Toby Ward and Hugo Stewart pushing each other around for 10th and 11th, respectively. Well done, lads! However, the fun did not end there! Ben Frantz (21st), Archie Watson (22nd), and James Warren (23rd) put on a show, running a clinical team-based run to land the junior boys 64 points and 4th in the GPS.
The intermediates sought to back up the performance of the juniors. This was made evident by a fast start from Fraser Pandit and Thomas Gray. The multiple steep descents, unfortunately, got to Fraser’s knees. However, Tom came through for a strong 15th place in the GPS. Daniel Becker and JJ Black came through soon after for a solid top-30 position. James Thompson’s increased fitness from his disciplined training was shown off as he powered home to close the Shore intermediate Top Four. The Shore lads remained in 7th place without one of their star runners; well done, lads!
The senior boys displayed a true performance of grit, morality and determination to send a message to the GPS field. Lachy Brown looked strong from the gun as he controlled the front pack throughout the race. Lachy powered up the hills and stretched the field enough to place himself 2nd overall! Ryan Gilmour had the race of his season, building into the race and pacing himself well. Ryan finished strong, picking up two Scots boys and setting up the team for a great score. James Bestic, returning from COVID-19, showed his strength to close out the Shore Top Four in first place overall. Jesse Cochrane and Vice-Captain Jock Fenwicke worked well with each other around the course until Jesse showed a great display of class, helping a struggling Joey’s boy get through the race. Well done, Jesse!
Special Note: A few of the boys consisting of Matt Hogg, James Bestic, Jock Fenwicke, James Thompson, Will Thompson and Lachy Brown, competed in the Humpty Dumpty Balmoral Burn the day later. The Shore Firsts Team, consisting solely of members from the Cross Country team, took a dominant win in the ‘Head of the Hill Senior Schoolboys Relay’ in a tough field. Well done, lads!
Machine of the Week: (selected by the coaches and Mr Spratt) Ryan Gilmour.
Next week the team returns to the grassy, rolling hills of Upjohn Park, where the open boys have an opportunity to be selected for the open GPS team. The lads have another opportunity to take the lead in the overall rankings and show off the hard work that they have been putting into the sport.
Cam Burnett
Shore Cross Country Captain 2023
