NSW junior boys starred at the Australian Schools Sprint Champs on Wednesday as the senior boys blew it with two mispunches.
Year 7 student Alvin Craig (Newcastle) was second overall and first Australian, covering the 2.8km course at All Saints College Bathurst in 12m24s. Ewan Shingler (Big Foot, pictured) was almost a minute further back in third overall and second Australian in a fantastic result for the 'Carbines'.
Curiously, of all the schools starters, 11 boys mispunched and only three girls. New Zealand took out both boys divisions while the Melhuish sisters (ACT) won the girls classes.
But their older counterparts Alastair George (BF) and Duncan Currie (Garingal) were left ruing some crucial inattention as they recorded the dreaded 'mp'. That left Wagggaroos' Lachlan Billett as the leading NSW senior boy in 11th place overall and seventh fastest Australian.
Claire Burgess (NC) was again the best of the senior girls in 15th place, while Nea Shingler (BF, on debut) was our best in the junior girl in 16th place.
In the public races that preceded the schools, these ONSW runners finished in the top three:
1st: Tony Woolford (BB) Men C, Oliver Freeman (BF) Men H, Paula Shingler (BF) Women C, Airdrie Long (GO) Women D, Cassandra Thompson (NC) Women E, Wendy McConaghy (GO) Women G, Ben McConaghy (GO) Open Very Easy
2nd: Mark Freeman (BF) Men C, Ross Barr (GO) Men D, Seth Sweeney (WH) Men G, Oliver Freeman (BF) Men H, Saacha Donaldson (BF) Women D
3rd: Andy Simpson (BF) Men C, Carolyn Matthews (NC) Women C, Jane Boland (UR) Women G.
Lastly, we had the pleasure of showing Prime TV Central West sports reporter Tom Corrigan (second from left, in red shirt) and his cameraman James how to orienteer. They filmed as they went around the EOD Easy course, and the report featured on the Wednesday night news.
