A small but excited contingent lapped up a sunny day at the Riverina schools championships yesterday. Waggaroos event organiser John Oliver reports camaraderie between students from different schools was high.
Most entries were from Wagga High School and The Riverina Anglican College. Kudos to the two keen travellers: 1 from Ladysmith Public School (20km east of Wagga) and 1 from St Pauls College, Walla Walla (100km SW of Wagga).
Scott James, a first-time orienteer, was the standout performer: slow around the individual course, he had no partners for the relay, so he ran all three legs himself and finished in second place! A superb effort matching that of Lachlan Billett last year.
About one-third of those participating had been to one of the previous Riverina schools champs.
Courses were between Easy and Moderate in navigational difficulty. Most coped very well. One or two did not complete their individual courses but were keen enough to front up and compete in the relays.
The event was conducted from the Music Bowl in the Wagga Botanic Gardens. Courses encompassed tracts of rough open land which afforded good visibility and then moved uphill through the eucalypt and cypress pine forest on the western side of Willans Hill. Some courses ventured to the very top. Features being sought were mainly landscape derived linear features such as earth walls and watercourses. Pits and individual trees were the main point features.
All thoroughly enjoyed the day and seemed to get a lot from it.
