Booked for Bathurst: Rose Davies and Leanne Pompeani

15 January 2023

Booked for Bathurst: Rose Davies and Leanne Pompeani

On Sunday morning the best line-up of Australian distance running battled the challenging Stromlo hills for places in the Australian team for the 44th World Athletics Cross Country Championships set down for Bathurst next month.

NSW pair, Rose Davies and Leanne Pompeani were the only two to confirm their positions with automatic selections, while another seven NSW athletes are in the box seat to be named later this week, making the home State representation nine.

Those in the mix include Jessica Hull (4x2km mixed relay), Rorey Hunter & Jackson Sharp (men 10km), Holly Campbell (women 10km), Ciaran Rushton & Bailey Habler (men U20 8km) and Claudia Meaker (women U20 6km).

OPEN WOMEN 10KM

At one stage NSW held the top-3 positions, with Holly Campbell having the race of her life and leading the pack for nearly half the race. The initial pace was set by Queensland Russian Olga Firsova, was largely ignored by a large pack, that eventually swallowed her on the second lap of the 2.5km course.

Always prominent, Newcastle Olympian, Rose Davies, made a move late on the second lap.

“Just before the third lap I thought I would make a move on the hill as there was quite a big group there and I wanted to break it apart and see who would come with me,” recalled Davies.

“I found myself in the lead with a gap so I thought let’s hold on to it. I had been at Falls Creek in the last few weeks and I had found myself strong on the hill so I wanted to use that advantage in the race.”

She gradually extended those few metres as she moved away from the field in the second half of the race, going on to win in a time of 33:33 - 8 seconds ahead of the field.

With the win, Davies, booked a place in the Australian team for her first off-track world championships.

“This is my first ever world cross country team and to have it in my own State is amazing. I’ll have friends and family there to come along and watch us which will be awesome, so it will be special.”

With the first three across the line automatically selected, it ensured a battle for the places behind Davies. At one stage Holly Campbell, Leanne Pompeani and Davies with the top-3, but Holly was passed by a few, as Leanne ran on strongly to place second.

“It was so good today as top-3 was a big goal, and I ticked that off with an auto-spot,” said Leanne who clocked 33:41. “I just know we will have a strong team, I’m no selector, but roughly that team.”

She was determined to make this National team.

“I made the team to Denmark (2019 WXC team) and ever since I wanted to make the next team. In cross country you are bringing in distance runners from every distance together.”

The Canberran will have lots of support in Bathurst.

“Some have already booked accommodation and others will do the day trip. I’m hoping people from all over Australia will make the effort to get there.”

Holly Campbell pushed on the place a magnificent fifth – one of the performances of the day under coach Jeremy Roff. She was just three seconds from third and an auto spot. Two seconds behind Batt-Doyle a 31:40 10,000m athlete. She certainly is a strong hope of selection.

OPEN MEN 10KM

The strong Victorian distance running cohort, along with WA’s Matt Ramsden were the favourites here. Ramsden, who was spotted two days before the race, checking out the course, decided he would not die wondering, taking an early lead which build up to about 40 metres. On the last lap they eventually caught him, but he remained strong, placing second to National 10,000m record holder Jack Rayner. He held off new marathon record holder Brett Robinson who was third. Running together for much of the second half of the race was Commonwealth Games Marathoner Andy Buchanan (Vic) and NSW 1500m specialist Rorey Hunter. But over the later stages, Rorey was able to sneak past Andy to take fourth in 29:40 – three seconds ahead of Buchanan. A sign of how good the performance was, Hunter was just 14 second behind the winner.

US-based Sydney athlete, Jackson Sharp was in the top-8 for much of the last two laps, but steamed home over the later stages to place a brilliant sixth in 29:45 – well ahead of seventh in 30:05.

Like Rorey Hunter, it was one of the performances of the day. He now is on a strong hope of selection as he placed in the top-6, but has a nervous wait.

“A little higher up would be nicer, but we will wait and see,” said Sharp. “Ramsden took it out and a couple of guys went with him, while I raced in the pack, then pick as many guys off as I could at the end. I knew I was sitting right on the bubble.”

Jackson studies in the USA at Wisconsin University, the same college that Ollie Hoare and Morgan McDonald attended. He returned to Australia before Christmas to prepare for the race, but will return to the US in a few days where he will start Indoor racing soon.

OPEN WOMEN 2KM

The line-up for this race was the three fastest 1500m athletes in Australian history, plus our Commonwealth Games medallist. By about 1km, National 1500m record holder, NSW’s Jessica Hull had moved ahead with Victorian Abbey Caldwell hot on her heels. They continued to dual, but Abbey passed Jess late in the race going on to win in 5:48, from Jess in 5:55. They are expected to be Australia’s pairing for the 4x2km mixed relay at the World cross country.

In fifth Jaylah Hancock-Cameron was competitive with 6:06, ahead of dual Olympian Jenny Blundell with 6:08.

U20 MEN 8KM

The Victorian pair of Logan Janetzki and Archie Noakes were two strong, clocking times of 24:18 and 24:44 respectively. But NSW athletes Ciaran Rushton and Bailey Habler were always in the mix, sitting in the top-8. They were particularly strong over the later stages, going on to place fifth and sixth respectively and put themselves in key positions to be selected. Rushton clocked 25:28 and Habler 25:40, both ahead of World U20 Championships representative Flynn Pumpa from Queensland.

U20 WOMEN 6KM

New Australian under-18 3000m record holder Amy Bunnage (Victoria) ran away from the field to score a decisive win in the junior women’s race in a time of 20:22. Sydney’ Claudia Meaker, only just 15, sat around top-8 for much of the race, but steamed home over the last 500m to move from seventh to fifth to clock a time of 22:15 – just 14 second from an auto third position. The Australian All Schools U16 3000m champion will wait to be announced this week in the team.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Rose Davies, Holly Campbell and Leanne Pompeani (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)