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.
