Tahmoor, Mawarra rule Sydney South West primary champs
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 21 June 2017 19:38
More than 300 excited students showed their skills at the annual Sydney South West schools championships on Wednesday.
Gorgeous weather and a relatively dry course meant the kids could speed around Camden Bicentennial Equestrian Park - as long as they read their maps carefully!
A small army of SHOO organisers, SI gurus and coaches ensured a seamless day capped off by the 3-person relay - always a hoot as 100+ students scarper off in different directions (see pic for a shot of the start).
Age race winners came from Tahmoor PS (2x), perennial champs Mawarra PS (2x), Holsworthy PS and Narellan Vale PS.
Mawarra then claimed a trifecta in the boys' relay and two of the three placings in the girls' relay.
Entries open for 2017 NSW Schools Champs
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 20 June 2017 19:19
This year our NSW schools champs are in Wollongong on August 19-20. The weekend is hosted by Illawarra Kareelah and staged in conjunction with State Leagues 10 and 11.
Entries are now open, with this reminder:
* all students entering the NSW schools champs must do so via Trybooking
* all non-students entering the State League events must do so via Eventor
* you may enter Saturday, or Sunday, or both days
Please note that Sunday consists of two sprints: both at Uni of Wollongong. Times will be added to calculate the winners in each class. Presentations will be held straight after.
Saturday's Middle Distance event is at Cataract Scout Park. Non-orienteers should refer to the information sheet for descriptions of courses; it contains links to map examples.
Parents of competing students again have the opportunity to go on a map walk with a coach, or try a free course and compare their route with their child.
Entries close August 12.
ONSW scholarship applications open
- Last Updated: Thursday, 15 June 2017 13:52
Orienteering NSW is seeking applications for 1-2 visiting orienteering scholars this summer (September 2017 to March 2018).
Applicants should email Jim Mackay (development @ onsw.asn.au) ASAP, as should clubs willing to host. Hosting is for a minimum of 2 weeks duration and families will receive a small stipend to help cover costs.
Scholars can contribute greatly to local clubs through mapping, coaching and event organisation. Our inaugural scholar, Atte Lahtinen from Finland, has just left Australia after an extended stay.
More information about the scholarship program can be found here.
By George, a dam fine Sprint finish to the Aus 3-Days
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 13 June 2017 19:25
The Australian 3-days carnival finished on a spectacular note at CSU Wagga on Monday, with a Sprint event mixing rock with campus to throughly test brains and brawn for a third straight day.
And in the washup, it was Big Foot junior Alastair George with arguably the best NSW result of the long weekend - third overall in the junior men's elite class. Congratulations Al - we hope that JWOC selection lies in the near future.
Now, how could a seemingly urban sprint possibly have tricky rock? Easy - thanks to a new map extension on a steep hill to the west. After a short, sharp climb to the start (past a few curious kangaroos), runners were confronted with half a dozen controls in a small hilly area littered with boulders.
As usual, the race won't be won here but can certainly be lost. (Your tired scribe blew 4 minutes overshooting two controls on Course 5, but we digress!) From there it was a careful drop to the western edge of the built-up area.
Nothing about the campus section looks particularly difficult - until closer inspection reveals pedestrian overbridges, impassable building corners and a plethora of uncrossable garden beds.
Decision making at speed, and speedy decision making. An error of mere seconds can mean the difference between first place and merely second... or further down the results list.
The course climax provided a wonderful spectacle - runners converged from two or three directions on the last control (a sculpture, pictured top) in the corner of a large pond with two small bridges for access, then a 50m dash to the finish.
Innovative course planning by SHOO's Melbourne-based NSW Stinger Dave Meyer and a great venue for the presentations, for which we had the pleasure of the company of Wagga Deputy Mayor Dallas Tout.
Our list of thank yous is extensive: organising clubs Waggaroos, Southern Highlands, Illawarra Kareelah, Uringa; carnival organiser Ron Pallas; all our course setters and controllers; and the generous landowners.
The Oceania and World Masters champs in New Zealand in April forced OA to move this carnival from its usual Easter date, so we are grateful to the 550+ participants who made the effort to enjoy three quality maps in glorious winter sunshine.
You can find all the results on Eventor, splits on Winsplits and Attackpoint, and courses on Routegadget.
