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This year's Sweeney Shield relay, contested by six teams, was won convincingly by the team comprising of Trevor Fulton, Abbey Green, Adele Marsh, Kane Green and Caleb Milne. They completed the 19.6km circuit in 78mins 32secs, a dominant 55 seconds clear of the gallant second team comprising of Craig Eustace, James Harris, Cheryl Simpson, Peter Gillies and Brendan Speakman.
On the opening lap of the relay, Fulton had lead the chase to the top of the Puketapu Hill, but was quickly joined by Eric Speakman on the fast decent. Speakman (18.26) produced the superior effort to win the sprint to the changeover by one second, with Craig Eustace coming in 21 seconds later.
Abbey Green inherited the lead, but was chased down by a determined James Harris (11.37) before the Puketapu garage. However Green (12.15) dug deep and restricted the deficit to only 17 seconds. Aleesha Heywood's (12.07) solid effort propelled her team from last to third, although an imposing 1½ minutes behind the leading team.
Cheryl Simpson (13.01) reinforced the leader's advantage, increasing the margin to 49 seconds by the next changeover. Adele Marsh (13.33) finished just 9 seconds ahead of Marilyn Brown (12.26), while Laura Smidt (12.10) ran the fastest time for the third lap.
Ryan Woolley took over from Brown, and produced the most impressive run of the relay. With a storming run up the Poraite Incline, Woolley (16.31) erased the 58 second deficit, to eventually catch Peter Gillies (17.45) on Fryers Road. Woolley managed to establish a 16 second lead by the final changeover. Kane Green (17.46) suffering from stitch was another 50 seconds adrift, but with Caleb Milne running the final leg against younger adversaries, pundits were picking this combination as the real threat.
Brendan Speakman (18.16) took only 400 metres to cut down Daniel Smith (19.39), but Caleb Milne had the ascendancy by Wharerangi Road. Once in front Milne (16.31) powered to the finish line at Taradale, easily recording the fastest time on the homeway leg of the relay.
report Trevor Fulton
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