The 2012 Metroleague kicked off on Sunday at Cecil Hills and everything was a little on the big side. With a new division to take account of the large numbers of runners wanting to take part, there was plenty of competition amongst the clubs. Garingal fielded a full eight teams, and yet that was still not enough places for their aspiring team members, with nearly 20 members entering courses on the day. The results from the Enter On the Day courses showed that Garingal have some formidable depth and strength and will definitely be a team to contend with through the Metro League season.
And it was not only the teams which were on the large side. The recent rains made for incredible new growth, with competitors having to force their way through long grasses all around the course. It was definitely a day when a late start was helpful as later runners had the advantage of large elephant tracks to follow, although with so many runners and courses it was important to choose the right one. Increased insect populations had produced enormous fat spiders weaving the most incredible webs and there wasn't an orienteer who didn't have sticky lines of spider silk all over their club shirts when they got back. Two competitors lost their SI sticks, one complaining that a spider ambushed her, though this seemed rather unlikely.
The wins were shared evenly around the clubs with wins being gained by narrow margins, and in one case unusually achieving a draw (IKN and WH in Division C). Bennelong was the only club with a full sweep of winning matches but generally the wins were evenly distributed around the clubs, and some achieved with the narrowest of margin. Rookies from club training courses were out for their first taste of bush orienteering. Eric Charpentier, a recent joiner to Uringa running for the first time in the league, was quickest around the Division D 3.9km course, and the rookie team running for Uringa of Chris Barraza, Matt Nicols, Celine Samba and anchored by Jane McKenna scored an exciting win in Division E. Their win over WHO was despite the WHO team fielding the quickest runner, Daniel Smith, on the E course in 46:10. Metro League results can be found here; EOD and results by course here.
