Latest ONSW News
We are delighted to announce entries are now open for the long-awaited and much delayed Port Macquarie State League weekend!
These are the first major events for our newest club, Hastings Orienteering Group.
If you entered last year before the COVID postponement, please check that your age class in Eventor is correct for 2022.
There will be a Sprint on Saturday afternoon at Mackillop College, and a Middle Distance on Sunday morning in Broken Bago State Forest.
ONSW says a big thank you to our Newcastle club for all the mentoring work they have done to prepare the HOGs for this great occasion.
We'll also be having a junior squad camp leading into the SL weekend - stay tuned for details.
Andrew Power (Newcastle) won all three races at a muddy Victorian MTBO Champs at the weekend.
Andrew's domination of M60 in Ballarat shows how much he relishes competition after skipping the Australian champs because he was overall controller.
And the mud would have been little concern after the events at Cessnock in March!
Special mention to Uringa's Ori Gudes who finished third in M40 in the Middle despite his map board snapping off the handlebars mid-race.
The only other ONSW winner in Victoria was Hamish Mackie (Big Foot) who took out the Middle and Sprint on Saturday in M50.
Minor placegetters were:
* Ori Gudes (UR, M40) 3rd in all 3 events
* Hamish Mackie (BF, M50) 2nd in the Long
The next MTBO event in NSW is on July 3 in conjunction with the Turkey Trot at Castle Hill.
Terrific technical terrain met competitors at Wyangala Waters for State League 5 – a middle distance event hosted by Western and Hills Orienteers.
Recent rain made the rocks slippery and there are lots of rocks! But the full dam and steep banks created a picturesque setting.
Rebecca George (BF) set wonderful courses with Sheralee Bailey (BN) doing the controlling.
The tightest competition came in both 20A classes, where Sam Woolford (BB) edged out Alvin Craig (NC) by a mere 31s and Eszter Kocsik (GO) pipped rising star Erika Enderby (NC) by 39s.
The following day, Goldseekers organised a long distance event in Roseberg SF.
James Lithgow’s (GO) courses used the Southern and Western parts of Roseberg, which haven’t seen any orienteering competition in over 15 years.
The spur gully terrain with large rocks scattered all over the place makes for a wonderful orienteering playground.
It can be easy for times to blow out in a long distance event but only 2s separated Newcastle clubmates Martina Craig and Jennifer Enderby in W50A!
In 21A Rebecca George, fresh off setting the day before won. Martin Dent up from Canberra was the best in M21A.
Please fill in the Course Setter of the year surveys at - CSOTY
Ian Jessup, ONSW's long-standing Marketing and Communications Officer, is finishing up this week after 11 years of dedicated service.
Ian came into the newly created role in 2011 and has helped transform ONSW from a one-person operation into a vibrant body that delivers orienteering on many fronts.
He says his three proudest achievements are:
* creating the OK-GO kit for use in the popular Sporting Schools program
* setting up our newest club in Port Macquarie
* generating widespread media coverage of orienteering - especially at the 2017 Australian champs where TV covered nearly every day of the 9-day carnival
Ian was awarded ONSW's Cox's Cup Encouragement Award in 2019 and in 2017 made the shortlist for Sport NSW Administrator of the Year.
"I have had the privilege of working with many wonderful people in orienteering, especially my colleagues John Murray and Jim Mackay," said Ian.
"It's a fantastic sport and I wish I had started a long time ago. You'll still see me at events and I wish ONSW the very best under new management."
Ian will still be involved as co-ordinator of the Sydney Summer Series and MetrO League.
