Chalk it up to experience!
- Last Updated: Monday, 23 July 2012 11:01
Chris Brown and Alison Pearce are fresh to the game of organising events, but they are bringing some interesting new ideas with them. They were the organisers at the Uringa club event at Callan Park this weekend. In the weeks before the race they were out planning when they came up with a new way of telling people about it. All along the parkways and pavements of the park messages to the general dog walking, bay running, children minding public began to appear in chalk. 'Can you think and run? Come on Sunday 22 July at 10am for some orienteering?' Ron Garner, who was running the SI at the event for the first time, threw his weight behind it and laminated signs with more details for posting around the park for people whose interest had been piqued.
So did it work? Certainly despite the poor weather the turnout was good, on a par with the previous year's event which was bathed in sunshine. Alison had a call the night before from someone who had seen the signs and googled 'orienteering', and a local runner tried out the courses, having seen the chalk messages. One local club member even heard people talking about the event in the local coffee shop the week before. Whether it can be proved it worked or not it is rumoured that Dave Lotty, Sydney Southern Series Co-ordinator has now got a 'chalk box budget' in his plans.
MTBO racing action on 28 & 29 July
- Last Updated: Thursday, 19 July 2012 18:08
Mountain Devils is headed back to the Southern Highlands for some mid-winter MTBO racing! On Saturday 28 July, we'll be at Penrose SF for SS5, which hasn't seen a Mountain Devils event for a number of years. So come and re-acquaint yourself with the forest! Stay overnight at Belanglo Hut in Belanglo SF, ready for Sunday's SS6, which will be an exciting mass start and Score Course that will really test your decision making on the fly.
Both forests are a mix of open pine and eucalypt, with easy riding for short courses and longer courses venturing into steeper and undulating terrain. Whilst both forests lend themselves to long distance courses we have made some courses on Saturday a bit shorter to suit a winter afternoon.
Entry is open now on the Mountain Devils web site until Sunday 22nd July.
http://mountaindevils.nsw.orienteering.socialfx.net/
NSW Selectors announce Schools Squad for 2012
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 18 July 2012 19:03
After consultation with the selection panel, the squad that will travel to Tasmania this year to contest the 2012 Australian Schools Championships was announced this week. This year's squad has a balance of new faces combined with those who already have experience running at State level, as well as Junior Elite international Michele Dawson, recently returned from competing at JWOC 2012.
The squad to represent NSW in the 2012 Australian Schools Championships in Tasmania, is as follows.
Junior Girls
Georgia Jones, Rebecca George, Melissa Annetts, Kate Kennedy, Samantha Wallace
Senior Girls
Michele Dawson, Nicola Blatchford, Felicity Barker Smith
Junior Boys
Daniel Hill, Scott Charlton, Toby Wilson, Callum Davis, Alex Kennedy
Senior Boys
Matthew Hill, Aidan Dawson, Lawrence Jones, Daniel Parton
Selector Geoff Todkill sends his congratulations to all squad members who will be contacted in the near future by Team Managers Karen and Russell Blatchford. He reminds the squad to keep training hard, as the final selection races are still ahead in State Leagues 10 and 11. The selection of the final teams, including naming of reserves, will occur at the presentations following the NSW Schools Champs, and will also be published on the ONSW website.
Julian Dent in fantastic form at the World Orienteering Championships in Lausanne
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 17 July 2012 11:02
Julian Dent's move to Sweden is paying off with some fantastic performances at this year's World Orienteering Championships in Lausanne. He qualified for the Sprint Final by coming 6th in his heat, a mere 12 seconds behind heat winner Adam Kovacs of Hungary. He finished in 32nd place in the final with fellow Australian David Brickhill-Jones in 39th. They were the only two Australians to make it to the Sprint Final, but there were some near misses with Simon Uppill narrowly missing out with an 18th place in his heat and Rachel Effeney even closer in 16th (the top 15 go through) and only 14 seconds behind the 15th place runner Esther Doetsch of Germany. Lizzie Ingham of NZ won her heat and followed it up with a terrific finish in 9th place in the final which was won by the seemingly unbeatable Simone Niggli-Luder of Switzerland.
Julian's form continued into the Long Distance Qualification race with a 7th place in his heat. Rachel Effeney and Vanessa Round had good runs in their heats but missed out on qualification so it will only be Aislinn Prendergast running for Australia in the Womens Long Distance Final after qualifying in 14th place in her heat. Vanessa Round does get a run in the Middle Distance Final qualifying in 12th in her heat.
The racing continues with the Middle Distance Final with full GPS tracking, live blog and internet TV at 8pm AEST 17th July. Julian races again in the Long Distance Final on Thursday 19th July at 9.17pm AEST with Aislinn Prendergast off at 7.43pm AEST. Follow all the action on the WOC site http://woc2012.ch/en/live-centre.html
