Strong XCR Results and National Success for Maccabi Athletics Club

Big Results, PBs and Growing Depth at Maccabi Athletics Club

There has been plenty happening at Maccabi Athletics Club over the past few weeks, with strong XCR results, personal bests on the national stage and growing momentum across the club’s junior and senior squads.

The Athletics Victoria Cross Country (XCR) season continued at the Jells Park Relays on Saturday 16 May, where Maccabi athletes gathered under the club’s new marquee for another impressive day of competition.

Maccabi entered three teams across the event, with standout performances throughout the day. The Division 3 men’s team produced an excellent result to finish 2nd overall, while Division 6 placed 5th and the Under 14 boys team finished 6th against older competition despite all three runners still being under 12 years old.

The Division 3 team featured Jarrod Zuchowski, Nick Hershan, Noah Star, Asher Grodski and Ariel Golvan, with Jarrod recording the club’s fastest 6km leg in 19:32.

Division 6 runners included Jacob Feldman, Davin Traub in a welcome return to Maccabi competition, Asher Myerson and Nathan Guttmann.

The Under 14 team of Yuval Berry, Josh Godlewicz and Asher Brown also impressed, with Yuval running a strong 10:43 over 3km.

The event also marked a proud moment for the club, with Maccabi officially presented with the Athletics Victoria XCR pennant for winning the 2025 Division 4 Premiership.

Attention has now shifted to the next round of XCR competition at St Anne’s Winery in Bendigo on 30 May, where Maccabi athletes will compete over 8km and 5km cross country events. The club heads into the round aiming to maintain its strong Division 3 position while continuing to climb the ladder in Division 6.

Away from the XCR circuit, club para-athlete Ori Drabkin continues to make strides at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Darwin. After running a strong 13.35 into a headwind in the 100m, Ori backed it up with another personal best in the ambulant open 200m, improving his previous best by almost 0.8 seconds.

The performances represent another important step forward for Ori following an injury-interrupted 14 months, as he works towards qualifying for future Australian representative teams.

The club has also celebrated the achievements of many junior athletes competing in school athletics and cross country competitions across Victoria, including the EISM Athletics Carnivals and district and divisional championships.

Meanwhile, distance runner Emma de Jong has returned to Melbourne during her college break from Princeton University in the United States after a breakout season in American collegiate athletics.

Emma recently ran a personal best of 16:00.86 in the 5000m, a performance that would have placed her inside the top 10 in the women’s open competition at the recent Australian Track and Field Championships.

Over 30 athletes trained hard and well last Sunday at Duncan Mackinnon.
A REMINDER: 
Please register https://www.revolutionise.com.au/maccabi/registration/

Maccabi Athletics Club is reminding athletes currently training with the club, but not yet registered, to complete their registration for the 2026-27 season, with more competition and cross country action still to come across the winter months.