By JARROD POTTER
THE hills of Dromana proved no challenge for the local contingent in this season’s opening mountain bike round of the Victorian Schools Cycling Championships (VSCC).
Medallists came from a number of local schools along with riders from Pakenham to Cranbourne who excelled in the three-kilometre race around the Mountain Bike East Zone’s Hillview Trail.
Oatlands Primary School dynamo Adele Hanley claimed the first win of the day in the JR13 Female Novice, edging out Beaconsfield Upper’s Phoebe Thompson with Pakenham Lakeside Primary School’s Coby Stagg finishing third.
St Margaret’s School/Berwick Grammar (SMS/BGS) team won a number of medals – including wins for Sienna Grove (JR 13 Female Racing), Susanna Bates (JR 15 Female Novice) with school mate Erin Hanley finishing third in the same event while Sam Clarke from SMS/BGS came third in the 15 junior male novice.
Elise Hutchinson (SMS/BGS) edged out Nossal’s Amelia-Jane Bates and classmate Nicole McClary in the 17 girls novice while Lachlan Clarke won the equivalent boys’ race for the school and Saffron Button rounded out the St Margaret’s success with a triumph in the JR19 female race.
Oliver Beaumont from Casey Grammar won the JR Male 15 racing category with Joshua Hardy-Brown from Hillcrest coming third and Berwick College’s Ben Walkerden placed second in JR 17 Male racing category.
The next stage is Thursday 31 July as the VSCC Road Series kicks off in Bendigo while the next mountain bike stage will be held on 17 August at You Yangs.
