Cross-country running and close results were the order of the day as our MetrO League kicked off for 2017 at WSU Penrith.
Courses were on the long side due to the flattish, open nature of the campus grounds - but the winning times in each division confirmed that setters John Brayan and Carolyn Haupt were spot on in their assessments.
In the top grade the new-look WHO team, bolstered by Bennelong and Uringa Division 1 runners, beat defending champions Garingal 29-26, while Big Foot just held off the newly promoted SHOO-IKO 28-27.
It was just as tight in Division 2, with two results of 28-27 and one of 29-26. Two more nailbiters in Division 3, and three of them in Division 4, made for intense interest around the whiteboards. Division 5 saw greater winning margins.
It was wonderful to see many MetrO first-timers and a photographer from the Penrith Press. Keep an eye on the newspaper's website this week for a story and hopefully a photo album.
The day's fastest time went to KNOX's Carl Joisce who sped around the 5.4km Division 3 course in 30m14s.
Check out all the courses on Routegadget. All the results have been uploaded onto the ML web page.
Thanks to Garingal for a flying start to the season. Next round is May 21 on a new forest area at Wianamatta Regional Park.
