Briohny Seaman sets the kangaroos bouncing!
- Last Updated: Friday, 06 July 2012 15:44
Using the score event format of orienteering Don MacIntyre set a challenging course of 22 control sites at Pomingalarna Reserve, for which participants had 60 minutes to find as many as possible. Various features were used for the control sites including watercourses, pits, old horse jumps, and contour banks. Depending on distance and difficulty the controls carried different points values so some forward thinking was required to choose the best strategic route to gain as many points as possible.
Briohny Seaman chose well and managed to set kangaroos bouncing in all directions by finding all 22 controls and score the maximum possible 240 points. Alex Davey also scored exceptionally well finding 20 controls and scoring 215 points. Debbie Davey scored 190 points and just managed to hold out Trent Seaman (195) for third place. Nonetheless Trent’s effort earned him handicap honours for the day.
To score heavily required covering most of the reserve. Several chose to just locate controls along the main ridgeline and the eastern slopes. Julie Gooding took this approach and scored an excellent 130 points just ahead of Rob and James Boetto (110).
Results: Pomingalarna 60min Score Event: Briohny Seaman 240; Alex Davey 215; Debbie Davey 190; Trent Seaman 185; Julie Gooding 130; Rob & James Boetto 110; Matthew Thomas 85; Tegan Lee, Christine Lee & Courtney Whitton 85; Marguerite Caskie group 70; Beryl Latham 30.
The next Waggaroos event will commence at 10 am on Sunday 1 July in the Livingstone National Park and Nature Reserve.
Thanks to John Oliver for this report
40 glorious years of orienteering in Centennial Park, Sydney
- Last Updated: Friday, 06 July 2012 15:44
The Metroleague, Junior League and Come and Try It event at Centennial Park on Sunday was a big event but not just because of the numbers of orienteers out enjoying the sunshine. This past weekend marked 40 years of orienteering in Centennial Park. Dave Lotty, who has mapped all the 14 editions of the map, was on hand to show people the metamorphosis from simple black and white map to the sophisticated 6 colour map we use today.
Uringa Orienteers celebrated with a little champagne, and a fabulous cake which came complete with replica map in icing, created by President Linda Sesta's sister-in-law, Rose, and enthusiastically sliced into by the growing Uringa junior contingent.
As part of our continuing partnership with Centennial Parklands, Linda and Barbara Hill (ONSW Promotions Director) have been working with Centennial Parkland management to create a permanent orienteering course; Barbara showed off the new pack of map and instructions that will be available from the Parklands office later in July.
No escaping the mud at Glengarry MTBO
- Last Updated: Friday, 06 July 2012 15:44
Mountain Devils kicked off their winter season with a double header on the south coast on the weekend of 16th and 17th June. First up was the sprint course held on the Saturday at Glengarry the rural annex of Scots College.
The weather lived up to winter time expectations in the southern highlands with fog, mist and drizzle which whilst not a downpour was with us for the entire afternoon. The going was difficult in parts due to water on the course with slippery conditions making most of the riders cautious. No one escaped the mud with bikes covered with the stuff and drive trains seizing up. The course itself is a mountain biking delight with a surfeit of single track from smooth going in the forests to rocky switch backs on the climbs and descents. The attendance was slightly down on normal due to a clash with two other events on the weekend namely the 49th Paddy Palin Rogaine held at Clandulla and the Metro League event held at Centennial Park. The hard core MTBO crowd was in attendance with an especially strong contingent from Newcastle who took out four of the eight classes.
The rain cleared on Saturday night and Sunday dawned clear and bright. High wind was forecast but did not reach the 90kms predicted. It was just enough to dry out some of the tracks at Currambene forest where Sunday's long course was staged. And an excellent days racing was had. Currambene forest is perfect mountain biking terrain, fairly flat and with some nice single track. The mud was in attendance of course. It's not Currambene unless there is mud. But the weather was perfect. Once again Newcastle dominated on the podium winning 4 of the 9 classes.
The next events in the MTBO Super Series are SS3 & 4 to be held in the ACT on the 30th of June and 1st of July, followed by SS5 & 6 held at Penrose and Belanglo on 28th and 29th July. Check out the Mountain Devils web site for details and entry.
Thanks to Michael Roylance for this report and photograph.
Coaches have their hands full at the Sydney South West Regional
- Last Updated: Friday, 06 July 2012 15:44
With 438 students from 10 schools around the Camden area, the coaches supporting the Sydney West Regional Championships certainly had their hands full. Some of the students were back for their second year and were full of enthusiasm for the races. Coaches walked their allocation of students around a practice course before the individual races started. Some of the children were initially dismayed by the mud but after a while their excitement at being out and orienteering took over, and they developed a healthy disregard for white socks. 
Warragamba PS took the top three spots in the Under 10 boys event with Thirlmere PS girls doing the same in their class. Mawarra PS had some good results in M10 (1st) and W10 (2nd and 3rd) with Cobbity PS picking up the other placings in those classes. Narellan Vale PS had their success in the M11 with 1st and 3rd places. Camden South PS took 2nd place in M12 to prevent a strong Warragamba PS from collecting another clean sweep. For the secondary schools Chevalier College took 1st and 3rd in both M14/15 and W14/15 with Thomas Hassell in 2nd for those classes. Elizabeth Macarthur shone in the M16+ taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in this senior class.
After the individual races there was time for a quick lunch and then it was onto the relays. A mass start got pulses racing and 2nd and 3rd leg runners waited impatiently for their turn at the tagging area. Relay results:
Primary Schools
1st Camden South PS
2nd Thirlmere PS
3rd Camden South PS
Secondary
1st Chevalier College
2nd Thomas Hassell College
3rd Chevalier College
