Athletics: O'Callaghan walks for Lake City

The first road relay of the 2012 cross-county and road season was contested at the weekend, when 35 teams from athletic clubs in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions took part in the Matamata Around the Streets relay.

This was the 42nd annual event of this popular relay catering for all ages of running and walking over a 3.3.km lap of central Matamata.

Lake City Athletic Club teams were prominent in several divisions, with wins coming in the senior and masters men's five-person grades. The senior men won in a team time if 51.15 from Hamilton City Hawks and host club Matamata.

Steven O'Callaghan was the fastest member of the Lake City senior team in 9.51, but had to be satisfied with the second-fastest lap time of the day, behind Hawks' Tim Stewart who recorded 9.45.

In the masters men's division, Chris Corney returned the fastest time for Lake City members when he recorded 10.50.

The female fastest lap time went to Tauranga Ramblers' Sally Gibbs (11.16), who anchored her team to win the senior women's section. Hannah Barker, of Lake City, recorded 12.18 for the 3.3km distance for second-fastest female of the day.

In the three-person walking section, Lake City teams nabbed the first four places.

Next Sunday, club members travel to "The Lakes" at Tauranga to contest the Athletics Waikato Bay of Plenty running and race walking road championships over varying distances. As well as the judged race walking event there is an open non judged 10km walk.

Overall Lake City placings:

• 
  Senior men: 1st.
• 
  Masters men: No 1 team, 1st; No 2 team, 3rd.
• 
  Masters men 60-plus: 1st.
• 
  Senior women: 3rd.
• 
  Masters women: 3rd.
• 
  Boys under-16: 4th.