NSW orienteers were among the spoils at the Oceania championships and Hobart Shorts earlier this month. Representatives from ten NSW clubs took home medals, with an impressive six clubs boasting series winners.
The biennial Oceania champs were held in conjunction with the opening round of the 2015 IOF World Cup and as such attracted about 100 European elites and around 900 competitors all up.
Michael Burton (Big Foot), James Lithgow (Garingal) and Nicola Blatchford (Newcastle) took out both series. Well done!
Our overall placegetters were:
1st: M50A Michael Burton (BF), M60A James Lithgow (GO), W10A Erika Enderby (NC), W20A Nicola Blatchford (NC), W21A Phoebe Dent (CC), W35A Anna Fitzgerald (GS), W40A Tracy Marsh (BF, pictured), W80A Maureen Ogilvie (UR).
2nd: MOpenB Dean Gingell (GO), M10A Oliver Freeman (BF - Big Foot had 5 boys in this class!), M20A Aidan Dawson (GO), M40A Matt Sherlock (BF), WOpenB Steph Sherlock (BF), W50A Karen Blatchford (NC),
3rd: M21AS Jose Zapata (CC), M55+AS Rob Spry (SH), M75A John Hodsdon (SH), W21AS Margaret Peel (NC), W45AS Barb Dawson (GO), W55+AS Julie Mann (IK), W60A Lyn Dabbs (WH), W65A Val Hodsdon (SH).
Immediately following that, Hobart hosted their annual 6-event sprint program offering a wide range of terrains (campus, bush, sand dunes, urban). NSW overall placegetters were:
1st: M50 Michael Burton (BF), M60+ James Lithgow (GO), w17-20 Nicola Blatchford (NC)
2nd: M16 Duncan Currie (GO)
3rd: M60+ Gordon Wilson (BN), W60+ Julias Prudhoe (CC)
