A bumper turnout of around 120 students from across the state (and just as many parents) enjoyed perfect conditions for the annual NSW schools championships at Mittagong on Sunday.
The venue was SHOO's Boxvale Tramway map on the northern side of the Hume Highway. The bush setting proved challenging enough, as many of the participants' previous experience was in park surroundings for the regional events.
Many of the children saw kangaroos on the course which is always a nice bonus. Add in the tracks, termite mounds, rockfaces, tea tree bush, watercourses and they got a true picture of what our sport has to offer.
Champion primary school was Mawarra PS, champion high school North Sydney Boys, and champion region Sydney South West. Results and splits are on the SHOO site here. And check out the photo album on our Facebook page.
The early morning chill soon gave way to temps in the mid-to-high teens. A scenic 400m walk downhill and across a tiny stream set the scene, and after a briefing by the friendly start officials the kids were off!
What really impressed observers on the course was the calmness of the students when they realised they were slightly off course. Orienteering's key facet of decision making under pressure is excellent at building resilience and there were lots of happy faces out there, even after the hard slog uphill to the finish where parents awaited with cameras in hand.
Overall, the girls gave the boys a lesson in map reading, with only four mispunches. The courses were not overly difficult as such, but paying attention to the map ensured much quicker times.
Individual class winners were:
M9A, 1.9km: B Kynaston (Mawarra PS) 16m37s. M10A, 1.9km: W Moog (Kurrajong PS) 17m47s. M11-12B, 1.9km: A Soonius (St Ives North PS) 12m13s. M11A, 2.5km: E Shingler (Beaumont Rd PS) 21m7s. M12A, 2.5km: J McKenna (Mortlake PS) 27m15s. M13-15B, 3.2km: O Pittman (Knox) 42m53s. M13A, 3.8km: A George (Turramurra HS) 40m15s. M14A, 3.8km: J Koruga (North Sydney Boys) 59m3s. M15A, 6.4km: M Brereton (North Sydney Boys) 125m21s. M16A, 6.4km: D Hill (Normanhurst Boys) 64m30s. M17+A, 8.1km: L Jones (Sydney Grammar) 84m2s. W9A, 1.9km: J Kitchener (Cobbity PS) 19m5s. W10A, 1.9km: L Wood (Mawarra PS) 16m27s. W11-12B, 1.9km: C Brimble (Mawarra PS) 17m10s. W11A, 2.5km: S Jones (Ascham) 21m39s. W12A, 2.5km: J Smith (Narellan Vale PS) 45m46s. W13-15B, 3.2km: T Drayton (Macarthur Anglican) 50m34s. W15A, 4.5km: G Jones (Ascham) 69m54s. W16A, 4.5km: M Annetts (Cherrybrook Technology 93m11s. W17+A, 5.8km: A Robertson (St Philips Christian) 173m3s.
A massive thanks to Sue Davis, Sandy Stewart, Lyn Malmgron and the SHOO crew for all their work putting on the NSW schools champs for the past three years. Next year we are up to Newcastle for new challenges.
