The Sydney University Athletics Club (SUAC) men’s team wrapped up their second successive Winter Premiership on Sunday by winning the NSW Half Marathon Championships at Bankstown.
The Students have the NSW Premiership in hand with one event to be contested, the NSW Marathon Championships to be held September 16.
Needing only a minor placing yesterday to secure the premiership, the SUAC team did things in style, recording both a win for the team overall and a first individual placing for Russell Dessaix-Chin in a time just over 68min. Chin was joined in the teams race by Jack Colreavy (4th), Andrew Heil (11th) Drew Hoare (12th) and James Polson.
To top off a great day, Dessaix-Chin now leads the NSW Male Distance Runner of the Year points table. ‘Sweet Chin Music’, as he is known around the club, has been the backbone of the men’s distance and cross country team’s for the best part of a decade and is staking a claim to being the best ever SUAC male distance athlete at NSW level, having won more than 10 senior titles.
Chin described yesterday’s course as being quite difficult: “It’s really tough, you have to go in showing a fair level of respect considering all the hills and switchbacks out there,” he said. “I am really pleased with the run and very happy we could rack up another state title for SUAC.”
The NSW Winter Premiership is contested over nine events with cumulative points deciding the overall champion.
The events contested by SUAC were the NSW Novice Championships (SUAC finished 10th), NSW 10km Road Championships (SUAC 1st), NSW Cross Country Relay Championships (SUAC 1st), NSW Road Relay Championships (SUAC 2nd), NSW Cross Country Championships (SUAC 1st), NSW Short Course Championships (SUAC 2nd) NSW Team Walks (1st), NSW Half Marathon Championships (SUAC 1st).
SUAC will travel to Melbourne in a two weeks’ time to contest the Tan Relays, Victoria’s largest cross country relay event.
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