Each year Country Championships is the highlight of the Summer athletic calendar. The Championships are full of fun, friendships and competition with both juniors and masters competing.
The epitome of the event is undoubtedly the RELAYS! Nowra fields many teams across the age categories but the BIG focus is on the MASTERS relay!
In 2011 the Country Championships Relay – 10 Second Challenge was born. That year Andrew Havadjia rounded up new relay team members and made the ‘A’ team, the “Havadjia’s Jets”, with ‘hot’ masters athletes. They were Andrew Havadjia aged 44, Paul Musgrove 41, David Webb 42 and Andrew Rodda 42 for a total of 169 years.
The ‘B’ team, the “Master Blasters”, were the older team with Doug McNally aged 60, Geoff Crook 51, Glen Mustapic 40 (a ‘young’ ring-in) and Bernie Condon 75 for a total of 226 years.
Back then the relay classification was 160+years for combined ages, whereas now it is simply 30+ years for each athlete. Back then, the teams for Nowra were decided by age, making up ‘a young team’ versus an ‘old Masters Blasters team’.
That year, Andrew Havadjia was so excited by the prospects of his team he stated that his ‘A’ team would beat the Master Blasters ‘B’ team by 10 seconds. Doug McNally was quick to take up the challenge and bet beers that this would not happen. The Challenge was on!
The Havadjia Jets Team ‘A’ took silver in 50.44 whilst the Master Blasters were 6th in 59.84 however that meant the Master Blasters were only 9.4 seconds behind Team A so they effectively won the challenge and collected their beers at a dinner that night.
The friendly contest has been going on ever since, with members changing each year, depending on attendance at Country Championships. The team make up has slightly altered over the years too, with less focus on age. But the Challenge has always essentially remained the same, and whilst Team A has always beaten Team B across the line they have never actually won the 10 second challenge.
However, in 2021, rather controversially the challenge was declared by Club Captain Mel Mustapic, a 15 second challenge based on the speed she estimated each athlete could run 100m. Original team member Paul Musgrove highly disputed this decision and argued it should remain a 10 second challenge.
in 2021 Team A was made up of Paul Musgrove, Erin Smart, Dennis Smart and Matt Reid whilst Team B was Mark O’Leary, Geoff Crook, Matthew Watson and Marcus Baxter. Team A won silver in a combined time of 50.99 whilst Team B took bronze in 1.02.78. The margin difference was 11.79 seconds. So, some could argue that Team A did in fact finally break their ‘losing streak’ and win the beer challenge by beating Team B by 11.79 seconds. Whilst others (mainly Team B) argue that the challenge was not won because it was only 11.79 seconds and not 15!
Either way, the relays remain the highlight each year at the Country Championships.
At the recent Presentation Day, the beers were handed out to both ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ for 2021.
Covid meant that we missed celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the Relay Challenge last year so this year, in honour of its long Nowra history the Committee called upon past and present members of this elite group of relay runners and presented them with special engraved pens.
It was noted that both Paul Musgrove and Geoff Crook are the longest serving members, both only missing 1 year – Paul in 2012 due to injury sustained at the Championships in an earlier event and Geoff Crook who missed 2019. Note was also made to Glen Mustapic who has participated in eight relays, and special recognition was given to founding members Andrew Havadjia and Bernie Condon who were in attendance at the Presentation.
The honour roll:
Paul Musgrove (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020,2021)
Geoff Crook (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021)
Andrew Rodda (2011, 2012. 2014, 2015, 2016)
Andrew Havadjia (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
David Webb (2011, 2012)
Doug McNally (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
Bernie Condon (2011, 2012)
Glen Mustapic (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020)
Peter Dooley (2012)
Danny Brian (2013, 2016)
Scott Richardson (2013)
Chris Johnson (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
Barry Creer (2014, 2016)
Tim Musson (2015)
Scott Dobson (2015)
Mel Mustapic (2017)
Alison Havadjia (2017)
Darlene Musgrove (2017, 2020)
Paul Beresford (2018)
Gavin Dyball (2018, 2019, 2020)
Dennis Smart (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
Scott Johnson (2018, 2019)
Steve Thomson (2018)
Jeff Power (2019)
Kane Barrett (2019)
Erin Smart (2019, 2021)
Mark O’Leary (2019, 2020, 2021)
Carl Heidke (2020)
Matt Reid (2021)
Matthew Watson (2021)
Marcus Baxter (2021)
For the history buffs, here are the statistics of the 11 year history of the Relay Challenge.