"This was the best ever," was the cry from excited students at the annual South Coast primary schools championships at Albion Park on Wednesday.
55 students from Mt Keira, Sussex Inlet and Scarborough public schools turned up at Croom Sporting Complex.
ONSW coaches took them for a map walk across open parkland into thick bush crisscrossed with dozens of tracks, then back out along a creek to the assembly. They were introduced to all sorts of orienteering features and became more excited and harder to hold back as they rushed ahead to find the next ‘trick’.
Then came the age races. Finding out that orienteering is an individual sport came as a bit of a shock as they lined up at the map boxes. But one by one, they discussed their course with their coaches and disappeared around the bend in the path - out onto an individual adventure. The coaches stationed around the courses (with the mosquitoes) were a comfort to some runners but most runners were champing at the bit to get a fast time.
Ron Pallas was wonderfully calm as usual as very excited runners got to the finish and wanted to know how they went. Next came the bit when they had to hang their slat up and they fought their way through all the crowd at the boards. All hoping that no one would hang a slat on top of theirs.
Thanks to Keith Jay for setting the courses, IKO for a lovely day, Kev Curby for his organisation and Lyn Malmgron for this report. It was good to see a parents and teacher team in the relay: they came 4th.
