Latest ONSW News
Rob Preston and Julian Dent were among the selections for the Australian team for the WOC announced last week. Both are veterans on the international stage with Julian having represented Australia in four previous WOC matches, and Rob first having run for Australia in the World Cup 2000, and then more recently on the WOC team last year. Both men are racing well, recently posting a 1 and 2 at the Tasmanian Long WOC Trial.Rob has been showing real consistency, finishing in the top three of recent Australian 3 Days in Western Australia, and winning the Silva National League No3. He attributes his recent return to form to changing his focus to faster training, and dropping some of his adventure racing which had left him quite fatigued for orienteering in recent years. Rob’s favourite race, the Long Distance, presents him with his best chance of success but he is also looking forward to the Relays. ‘It has been a dream of mine for a long time to run in the WOC relay, and it will be great to race with Simon and Julian, who are very experienced at this level.’Julian is having a great season taking out first in all the WOC trial races in Tasmania, and being unbeaten in all the races he has contested this season. He will be racing in all three disciplines at WOC, hoping for a top 10 result, particularly in his favourite distances, Sprint and Long. Having been injury free for 18 months, and with some encouraging results from his recent April Internationals in Sweden he says ‘my confidence has never been higher’. With Simon Uppill completing the squad they are looking forward to a chance to feature on the leader boards.
Western & Hills Orienteers participated at the Narimba TAFE's "Health & Well-Being Expo" at Rouse Hill Town Centre on Saturday 4 June. The expo was set-up by community services students and was a huge success.
Newcastle Orienteers have a set of night courses running set by Scott Simson. Saturday’s event was set on the Cocked Hat Creek map.
Basil Baldwin set up a training session for Goldseekers this weekend on the Oaky Creek North map in the southern part of the Mullions Ranges State Forest. Basil sets short training sessions before each month’s club event, which focuses on a particular skill or technique. This month, club members were practising aiming off and using collecting features. As well as Goldseekers, Western Plains Orienteers were also represented and there were some new faces.
Uringa had a club training event at Callan Park this weekend. Helen Murphy organised the session using maps from the Sprint race in March earlier this year. Junior squad members Lawrence and Georgia Jones, seasoned club campaigners Lisa Lampe and Jane McKenna, and Garingal’s Currie family, were amongst those using this event to prepare for next weeks QB3 triple header. More details on the Uringa blogspot.
The Waggaroos had an inter club match with Albury Wodonga (AWOC), the second of the annual four, on Mount Terrible. By narrowly winning this match two courses to one, AWOC have pulled ahead in the series, but with two matches more to come, there is still plenty of time for the Waggaroos.
Saturday saw the first of the double header this weekend for the MBTO State Series races 3&4 set by Newcastles Mountain Devils. Both the Middle Distance courses at Brush Creek and Sunday's Long Distance courses at Walleroo were point scoring for the 2011 NSW MBTO Superseries. Results, Reports and Route Gadget will be available on the Mountain Devils website.
The 37th NOSH race was held this Sunday on the traditional course from Lindfield Oval through the beautiful Middle Harbour bushlands to Seaforth Oval. Organisers Darren Slattery and Joel Putnam reported pre-entries up on previous years with nearly 150 entering on the day with all running classes fielding large numbers. The NOSH is a full on trail run with runners having to be light on their feet to negotiate their way through narrow tracks, rocks and bushland. Recent wet weather made conditions somewhat slippery and so whilst course records set by Anthony Scott 54.22 (Male) and Nicki Taws 64.34 (Female) in 1998 were not going to be broken by this year's winner, there were still some great times being posted. In the men’s race Thomas do Canto had a scorching run in with Julian Dent close on his heels. The women’s race was even closer with 2nd place Barbara Hill of Garingal Orienteers only 23 seconds behind Shona Stephenson who posted a winning time of 77:50. Full Results are now online on the Bennelong website.
