Newcastle, Big Foot dominate Oceania Long champs
- Last Updated: Saturday, 15 April 2017 19:51
Newcastle orienteers claimed three wins and Big Foot dominated the minor placings at the Oceania Long Distance champs in New Zealand on Saturday.
Siblings Alvin and Rebecca Craig, along with Damian Enderby, won their age classes among the pine forests at Lake Rototoa, about 80km north of Auckland.
Veterans Lyn Dabbs and Maureen Ogilvie were also victorious, while Big Foot runners claimed a second and three thirds.
NSW athletes to win medals were:
1st place: M14A Alvin Craig (Newcastle), M35AS Damian Enderby (NC), W10A Rebecca Craig (NC), W65A Lyn Dabbs (Western & Hills), W80A Maureen Ogilvie (Uringa)
2nd place: M55A Greg Barbour (Big Foot), W35A Phoebe Dent (Central Coast)
3rd place: M50A Jock Davis (BF), W10A Aoife Rothery (BF), W35AS Saacha Donaldson (BF), Jenny Hawkins (Northern Tablelands)
Results, Winsplits and Routegadget are here.
Sunday is the Relays, while the Middle Distance champs are on Monday.
Jenny Enderby wins muddy Sprint at Oceania 2017
- Last Updated: Friday, 14 April 2017 19:45
Newcastle's Jenny Enderby shone through the mud as the remnants of Cyclone Debbie left their mark on the opening Sprint event at the 2017 Oceania championships in Auckland.
Beneath sunny skies, more than 1,800 orienteers slopped wet ground at the Unitec campus on Good Friday in an unusually grinding start to the 4-day carnival.
Jenny Enderby won W45A by a comfortable 31 seconds, while Amy Harmer (Western & Hills) was the only entrant in W21AS and by finishing her course also took first place.
NSW athletes to win medals were:
1st place: W45A Jenny Enderby (Newcastle), W21AS Amy Harmer (WHO)
2nd place: W35A Phoebe Dent (Central Coast), W55A Gayle Quantock (Newcastle), W55AS Sandra Stewart (Southern Highlands), M14A Alvin Craig (NC)
3rd place: M45A Eric Morris (BN), M55AS Dale Wallace (Western Plains), M65A Gordon Wilson (BN), W12A Erika Enderby (NC), W70A Jenny Hawkins (Northern Tablelands)
Results, Winsplits and Routegadget are here.
Saturday is the Long Distance event.
Wagga school holiday pilot a hit
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 12 April 2017 16:19
Orienteering NSW put on a successful school holiday pilot program in Wagga this week.
Sixteen children from Wagga PCYC attended at downtown Collins Park in the morning, and a further 19 children from Coolamon OSHC came for the afternoon.
The primary schoolers knew nothing about orienteering before they arrived, but showed plenty of skill as they went through some of the game-based activities from the ONSW OK-GO kit, then set about the park to find controls on a star relay, loops course and finally a score course using SI sticks.
Coaches Ian Jessup (ONSW) and John Oliver (Waggaroos) were assisted by juniors Lachlan and Hannah Billett, Charlie Cheesley, and Clare and Krystal Jessup. ONSW thanks the vacation care centres and the coaches for ensuring the day was a big hit.
Funding for the pilot came from a grant through Orienteering Australia and the Australian Sports Commission. We hope this initial foray will be the pioneer for further school holiday programs in Wagga.
And in Sydney last Sunday, WHO put on a compass training day.
Barry Hanlon (pictured) put around two dozen charges through their paces, and it was great to see some young children trying a Very Easy course. Thanks Barry and WHO.
Rookies relish junior squad camp
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 12 April 2017 15:09
Our first junior squad camp for the year took place in Lithgow at the weekend, run by Barbara Hill and Bold Horizons.
A small but eager troupe of emerging talented juniors had three days of training in varying techniques and terrains on the Mt Piper, Gardens of Stone and Rydal Showground maps.
Big thanks to coaches Barbara Hill, Tony Hill, Stephen Craig, Toby Wilson, Colin Currie, Sally Devenish and Rob Bennett for their hard work.
Two gorgeous sunny autumn days were followed by a 5-degree chiller at Rydal (yes - that was the temp when we left at 1pm) on Monday. Plenty of tired kids and coaches all round, but plenty of skill advancement too. Thanks also to Maranatha camp for their hospitality.
"I really liked the rock navigation at Gardens of Stone," said camp first-timer Clare Jessup (Garingal, pictured on a rock picking activity).
"I also loved having three days in a row of intense practice, and of course it was great meeting all the other kids."
The next junior squad camp is scheduled for Coffs Harbour in the second week of the July school holidays, leading into the Newcastle State League weekend on July 15-16.
