Latest ONSW News

Congratulations to Big Foot Year 12 student Alastair George who has been chosen in the Australian team for the junior world champs in Hungary in July.

Alastair had a fantastic Easter carnival, finishing third across the four days in Tasmania - including a second and a third placing - in the strong M20E age class.

"Stoked," was all the Turramurra HS student could utter - the huge smile across his beaming face making conversation difficult! 

Our best performers in the other elite classes were Toby Wilson (Garingal, 7th in M21E), Anna Fitzgerald (Goldseekers, 10th in W21E) and Al's sister Rebecca George (BF, 14th in W20E). 

The final day was at Curryjong Rivulet on Monday and NSW athletes had these top-3 placings:
1st: M20A Angus Leung (Garingal); M45A Scott Simson (NC); M50A Andy Simpson (BF); W50A Jenny Enderby (NC); W65AS Barbara Junghans (GO); WJuniorB Serena Doyle (UR); Very Easy Alton Freeman (BF).

2nd: M21A Chris Fitzgerald (Goldseekers); M40A Damian Enderby (NC); M60A Geoff Todkill (NC); W12A Erika Enderby (NC); W14A Mikayla Enderby (NC); W21A Lucy McGarva (Waggaroos); W45A Martina Craig (NC); W21AS 2nd Alice Martin (CC). 

3rd: M12A Tommy Mella (Newcastle); M14A Sam Woolford (Bush n Beach); M16A Ewan Shingler (Big Foot); M50A Paul Marsh (BF);  M65A Rick Steele (Uringa); M80A Brian Cleland (UR); W50A Linda Sesta (UR); W55A Jo Parr (BF); W65A Robyn Pallas (CC); M35AS Dan Martin (Central Coast); M45AS Robert Bradley (WHO); M65AS Jeff Carberry (IKO); W55AS Sandy Stewart (SH). 

On Sunday at Lovelybanks, our men swept M60A. Day 2 Top-3 placings:
1st: M12A Alex Woolford (Bush n Beach); M14A Sam Woolford (BB); M16A 1st Ewan Shingler (Big Foot); M20A 1st Angus Leung (Garingal); M50A Andy Simpson (BF); M60A Mel Cox (Bennelong); M70A 1st Steve Flick (BN); W14A 1st Nea Shingler (BF); W45A 1st Martina Craig (NC); W50A 1st Jenny Enderby (NC); W65A 1st Lynn Dabbs (WHO); M45AS 1st Robert Bradley (WHO); Very Easy 1st Alton Freeman (BF).

2nd: M21A Chris Fitzgerald (Goldseekers); M40A Damian Enderby (NC); M45A Scott Simson (NC); M50A Mark Freeman (BF); M60A Malcolm Roberts (NC); M80A 2nd Brian Cleland (UR); W55A Gayle Quantock (NC); W70A Carol Jacobson (GO); W21AS Alice Martin (CC); W55AS Sandy Stewart (SH); WJuniorB 2nd Serena Doyle (UR).

3rd: M60A Nick Wilmott (Uringa); W12A Erika Enderby (NC); W14A Mikayla Enderby (NC); W70A Val Hodsdon (SHOO); M55AS Peter May (NTOC); M65AS Jeff Carberry (IKO); W65AS Barbara Junghans (GO).

Bennelong Northside couple Terry and Cheryl Bluett enjoyed a 1-2 placing on the first bush day at the Easter carnival in Tasmania on Saturday.

Terry took out M70A and Cheryl was second in W65AS, on the Lovelybanks map an hour north of Hobart. Our best elite competitor was Alastair George (BF) with an outstanding 3rd placing in M20E.

Day 1 we had quite a list of top-3 placings as follows: 
1st: M14 Sam Woolford (Bush n Beach), M20A Angus Leung (Garingal), M45A Scott Simson (Newcastle), M60A Geoff Todkill (NC), M70A Terry Bluett (BN), W12A Erika Enderby (NC), W21A Lucy McGarva (Waggaroos), W50A Jenny Enderby (NC), W55A Paula Shingler (BF), M45AS Robert Bradley (WHO), W21AS 1st Alice Martin (CC), WJuniorB Serena Doyle (Uringa); Very Easy Alton Freeman (BF).
2nd: M21A Chris Fitzgerald (Goldseekers), M40A Damian Enderby (NC), M50A Andy Simpson (Big Foot), M80A Brian Cleland (UR), W45A Martina Craig (NC), W70A Val Hodsdon (SHOO), M35AS Dan Martin (Central Coast), W55AS Sandy Stewart (SH); W65AS Cheryl Bluett (BN).
3rd: M14A Oskar Mella (NC), M50A Shane Doyle (UR), M60A Mel Cox (BN), M65A Gordon Wilson (BN), M70A Steve Flick (BN), W14A Nea Shingler (BF), W70A Carol Jacobson (GO), M45AS Ellis Leung (GO), M55AS Peter May (NTOC), M65AS Dave Lotty (UR), W65AS Barbara Junghans (GO). 

The carnival began on Good Friday with a Prologue around the Uni of Tasmania campus.

Victories went to Alvin Craig (NC, Men's Hard 1), Michael Halmy (BN, Men's Moderate), Nea Shingler (BF, Women's Moderate) and Erika Enderby (NC, Women's Easy); while Paula Shingler (BF) was second in Women's Hard 1.

Our best elite competitor was Michele Dawson (Garingal), sixth in W21E.

Newcastle's Glen Charlton has been named in the Australian MTBO team for the world championships for the second year in a row.

Glen had a strong second placing in the Victorian MTBO Sprint champs earlier this month, after the Middle and Long Champs were cancelled due to a fire risk. The weekend was to be the selection trials.

He'll be hoping for better luck than his WOC debut in Lithuania last year when he suffered multiple mechanical problems in often muddy conditions.

Sydney teenagers Lucy (injury) and Fergus Mackie (HSC year), who excelled last year, decided not to nominate. 

The Australian MTBO WOC team to compete in Austria in August is Glen Charlton (NSW), Ricky Thackray (WA), Joel Young (Qld) and Angus Robinson (Vic). Coach: Kay Haarsma (SA), manager: Natasha Sparg (WA).

Angus won the junior world MTBO Sprint title in 2015 and is a provisional selection dependent upon overseas results. You can follow the riders' progress via the event website.

Chatswood Golf Club (and course) was a sublime way to finish another memorable season of the Sydney Summer Series.

With access to 2/3 of the course, plus the surrounding streets and bush areas, this was a cracking finale... albeit a bit long as our highest score was a rather lowly 500.

Ted Woodley set terrific control locations and a beautiful MINI course to boot. Afterwards there were beverages, bistro snacks and the presentations.

Gill Fowler (Masters Women, pictured left) took out the SSS Cup for most points across the 26 weeks, but in a Bradmanesque performance made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes at the death and fell agonisingly short of the coveted 100 average. Rachel Grindlay's 380 won the age class on the day and consigned Gill to a season average of 99.88.

The SSS special award went to the Hopper family from Bennelong Northside (pictured right). These eco warriors travel everywhere by kids' scooters (even Pete's 80yo mum Wendy on occasions), went in all 26 events, set courses, won two age classes and all finished in the top 12 in the Cup standings. True devotees.

Once again a big thank you to all our course setters, helpers, results gurus, participants and generous hosts. Thanks Ted, Chatswood GC and the Garingal crew today. Photos of the evening by Stacey Bryce are on our Facebook post.

Don't forget our Moonlight Madness monthly series in winter. Until October...