Lt Bec Lacey, Gallipoli Barracks, lifts the spoils of victory for the Athena Trophy. Sig Daniel Hamel gets the high fives as he ends 3CSR's 6hr 58min 47sec campaign to take out the 2003 Caduceus Cup. Photos by WO2 Graeme McBean, 25/49RQR

Caduceus Cup glory

By WO2 Graeme McBean
SIGNALS Corps' big day of the year proved to be a hotly contested romp around 7 Sig Regt at Carbarlah for the annual running of the Caduceus Cup.

3CSR-A team won the 108km relay on what proved to be a steamy Queensland day in just 6hr 58min 47sec after grabbing the lead in the fourth of 30 laps and holding first place from then on.

Sig Ross Myhill turned in a Personal Best (P.B) to take the lead for the Townsville based signallers with a 3.6km lap of the course in just 12min 43sec.

3CSR-A team captain Sig Daniel Hamel said it was great feeling to be taking the trophy back to Townsville for the first time.

"We just came here hoping to be competitive," Sig Hamel said.

"Ross [Sig Myhill] kicked it off for us with his P.B. and we grabbed the race from there."

The week-long signals celebrations culminate in the Caduceus Cup which is run concurrently with the Athena Trophy (women only), Commander's Cup (minor units) the Reserve Cup and the Gretian Trophy for over 35-year-olds.

Gallipoli Barracks Athena Trophy team took out the honours in the women's competition.

Team captain Lt Bec Lacey said the Athena Trophy was a very sought-after prize and the team was "stoked" by the win.

"A lot of the team had been training individually in the lead up to the race and we actually joined together as a team on the morning of the race for the first time," Lt Lacey said.

"We really just thought we would give it our best shot - we didn't expect to win."

While the races are hotly contested, event coordinator Lt Phillipe Lopez said the carnival was a very important event in the corps' calendar.

"There is a lot of history in the event, which reflects the early days when signallers actually did run as a means of communication," Lt Lopez said.

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