A field of sixty-seven assembled for the time honoured Newgrove Benchtops Eliminator at the South Barwon Reserve. The wind was strong in the exposed parts of the course. All entrants had to complete both the 4 km and 3 km events with the best performed twenty qualifying for the 2 km final. It was Tony McRae who emerged from the pack within 140 metres of the finish to go on to win by 20 metres from Marcus Gniel who held off the fast finishing Michael Morton by a whisker. McRae’s last win was in the King of the Mountains in 2015. It became an even more momentous day for him when he was announced as a life member of the club along with his fellow former handicapper, Phil Shay. Nicky Angus was acclaimed for reaching her 200 run milestone whilst Howard Bush from Deans Marsh was recognised for completing 100 club events.
Top 10 Placings
T.McRae, 6:59; M. Gneil, 8:13; M. Morton, 7:03; L. Haines, 6:35; S. Thompson, 7:56; J. Foran, 7:13; M. Paull, 8:59; G. Clark, 8:46; N. Angus, 9:07; S. Crossfield, 8:00.
