Record numbers for 2019 MetrO League
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 22 May 2019 15:11
The Sydney MetrO League starts up this Sunday at Manly Dam with a record 32 teams from nine clubs competing across five divisions.
This will be the 25th anniversary (by location too) of the very first ML event, the brainchild of the late competition founder Frank Assenza.
We have 4 teams in Division 1 and 7 teams in each of Divisions 2-5. Some teams will run two matches each round as result.
Entries are now open on Eventor and club members are asked to pre-enter. There will be Enter on Day in all five ML divisions as well as Very Easy and Easy.
MetrO League is a great step between street/park orienteering and bush orienteering. Contact your club captain to arrange to be in a team.
Matches are run between competing teams of five. The fastest runner in a match gets 10 points and the slowest gets one point. Add up your team's points to determine the winner of each match.
All the 2019 MetrO League information can be found on the ML web page.
Dam fine weekend for NSW Champs
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 21 May 2019 13:29
We doubt there has been a more ideal weekend for the NSW Championships than the one just conducted near Cowra.
Clear skies, midday temps just above 20C, calm days and nights, two contrasting maps and terrains - and fantastic courses. All wrapped into a National League round and the final selection trial for the Australian team.
Our WHO club - ably assisted by Garingal - hosted us on the steep open rocky slopes of Wyangala Dam on Saturday for the Middle Distance.
They were out at the crack of dawn again at Roseberg SF for Sunday's Long and Ultra Long in gently undulating pine and eucalyptus forests with small rocky outcrops.
Saturday's assembly area was high above the dam, offering 360-degree views - while Sunday was tucked away in a small forest clearing with a huge rock for kids to climb all over and keep amused.
Canberra Cockatoos swept six of the eight elite races, thwarted in the Senior Men each time by Simon Uppill (SA, Middle) and Brodie Nankervis (Tas, Long). We take our hats off to the two WA men who persevered and took just over five hours to finish the 25km Ultra Long course!
The NSW Stingers achieved respectable results in both races, headlined by our Junior Men, with Alvin Craig coming second behind Patrick Miller (ACT) on both days, and Ewan Shingler achieving third and fifth.
In the other classes our best results in the Middle were Tshinta Hopper (W17-20E) in 5th and Briohny Seaman (W21E) and Toby Wilson (M21E) in 7th. In the Ultralong, Claire Burgess (W17-20E) and Jenny Enderby (W21E) came in 5th, while Rob Bennett (M21E) finished 8th.
You can find results, splits and Routegadget links on our State League page, while Attackpoint has splits by course rather than class.
Our OY point score tables will be updated later this week.
Photos by John Harding and Ian Jessup have been posted on the ONSW Facebook page, while Tony Hill (who took these two pics) has posted an album on Smugmug.
All competitors are asked to please fill out the very brief Course Setter of the Year surveys. These help inform our setters and controllers.
We'd like to say a massive thank you to setters Rob Bradley and Steve Dunlop, organiser James McQuillan, controller Rob Vincent, the WHO-GO SI team, the commentary team of Arpad Kocsik, Jim Russell and Ian Jessup, and all the other helpers who made it such a lovely weekend.
A reminder that our next State League outing is the QB III carnival in the Southern Highlands on the June long weekend. Entries close this Sunday night. See the flyer for details.
Lunchtime legends launched
- Last Updated: Thursday, 16 May 2019 18:04
As part of a drive to attract new people into orienteering, we have started putting on lunchtime courses at Sydney Olympic Park.
Initially the 4-week series is targeted at SOP Lifestyle members - residents, workers and those who just visit regularly.
Thursday's first event was taken out by ONSW Admin Officer John Murray, who cleared the 20-control score course with two minutes to spare. Hot on his heels was young local resident Lachlan Horlyck who missed two controls but is very keen to make amends next week.
We will be having a parallel series in Pyrmont and Barangaroo on Tuesdays in August.
Please spread the word to anyone you know who lives or works at Sydney Olympic Park.
WOD gets the WOW factor
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 15 May 2019 23:18
City and country; bush and big end of town. You'd be hard pressed to find two more contrasting locations for World Orienteering Day than rural/suburban Maitland and beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
An initiative of the International Orienteering Federation, WOD aims to promote our sport worldwide - and actually runs for a full seven days now. This year could see participation on WOD top 500,000 for the first time.
In NSW, the first event on Wednesday was at Islington Park in Maitland just west of Newcastle. Participants had the choice of a free 1km MINI course, or 2km and 3km courses.
Back in the big smoke by Milsons Point station, we doubt WOD has ever had a better location than Bradfield Park for the second Moonlight Madness event for the year.
This replicates the Sydney Summer Series format of a 30-control score course with 45 minutes allowed.
110 participants, including 22 scouts, took in the Sydney Harbour foreshore, Luna Park and other North Sydney landmarks under torchlight. The top photo was taken at 4.30pm as organisers were setting up. WOW!
Course setting thanks to first-timer Fergus Dixon and seamless organisation by Garingal. A great way to cap off a gorgeous May day.
