Latest ONSW News
Almost 500 students had a great day out as our Term 2 program of school championships wrapped up with events in the Hunter and Sydney South West regions.
Newcastle hosted 79 students from nine high schools on The Tank Paddock map at Minmi on Tuesday. This was a terrific new area first used for last year's NSW schools champs.
After an event and terrain briefing the students completed two courses through the flat gully systems then into the more open area of the paddock. A morning line course for the Age Championships was followed by an early lunch then a 45-minute score course.
While for most students this is their first experience of orienteering in the bush, they still enjoy discussing their courses post run with school mates, teachers and other competitors. Thanks to Colin Bailey for organising, Geoff Todkill for setting the course (for the 13th year in a row!) and all the NC helpers.
The champion school for the 3rd year in a row was Hunter River High from Raymond Terrace whose students benefit from orienteering being included as part of their Years 9/10 PASS elective subject. The boys champion was Thomas Whitehead from Merewether High and the girls champion was Claire Burgess from Hunter School of the Performing Arts.
On Wednesday SHOO hosted 393 primary school students at Camden Bicentennial Equestrian Park. There was a lot of mud around following recent heavy rain but the kids were not put off at all - and the sight of the coffee van selling slushies was like finding that elusive control. Their courses were mainly flat, but the 12-year-olds ventured across the creek into the grassy hill in the NW corner of the map in a loop before returning.
After a map walk with a coach and their age races, it was time for the wonderful pandemonium of the 3-person relays (see pic) with 130 students in a mass start as first runners.
A massive thank you to Lyn Malmgron, Sandra Stewart and the dozens of helpers who came from all across Sydney to make the day a success.
The MetrO League picture is much clearer after the favourites dominated in Round 4 at Cataract Scout Park on Sunday.
The leaders in Divisions 1-2-3-5 remained unbeaten and thus sealed spots in the final at Nurragingy in late August.
The many open campsites around the middle of the park appear to offer simple navigation, but it's easy to stray off bearing if you're trying to run at speed. Likewise, the dozens of small tracks can present parallax errors for those in a hurry.
The standout feature of the park is the obstacle course in the far western sector of the park. Control #230 (No. 6 on the Division 5 course) was at a flying fox. Did anyone take the aerial route here?
Numbers were down a little on the previous round at Centennial Park, but SHOO arrived with a small army and donated a handful of runners to other teams. Thanks SHOO!
The tightest race is in Division 4 where KNOX, Uringa-Central Coast and WHO are all on six points, followed by the Garingal Legless team on 4. The North Sydney Boys High squad who make up the GO Legless team squandered their chance against KNOX by having two runners mp. In the final round it's WHO v KNOX - with the winner into the final - while UR-CC have the GO Monitors and the Legless face last-placed Bennelong needing other results to go their way.
At the pointy end of the comp, the Division 1 looks like being a Big Foot-Garingal, although WHO's second placing on Sunday gives them a remote chance of finishing second overall.
In Division 2 the GO Dragons pipped Bennelong 28-27 to make it four straight wins, while Big Foot ( a runner short) tied with SHOO 26-26 after Dean Williamson mispunched. The last round again has many permutations.
Unbeaten IKO appear set to face UR-CC in the final barring a major upset in Division 3, while in Division 5 UR-CC, WHO and SHOO are on 8, 6 and 4 points respectively and should finish in that order.
The MetrO League web page has been updated with results, scores, points tables and individual scores.
A big thanks to IKO for their organisation. The next round is on July 26 at Manly Dam.
Big Foot are delighted to announce they will again stage a ski orienteering event in conjunction with Perisher Cross Country week.
Swedish expat Patrik Gunnarsson got the concept, usually confined to the northern hemisphere, up and running two years ago with a trial run and last year combined with Perisher for the first time - and it even has NSW championship status!
All details are on the Big Foot website. We thank Patrik, the Feet and Perisher for this great initiative.
Finn Mackay, Sophie Jones and Ellen Currie are the new faces in the NSW Schools Team (the Carbines) for the Australian All Schools Championships in Ballarat in the September holidays.
The Junior Boys are defending their relay title won in WA last year.
Congratulations to the following students for their selection:
Senior Girls: Melissa Annetts (GO), Rebecca George (BF), Georgia Jones (UR).
Senior Boys: Daniel Hill (GO), Alex Kennedy (GO), Toby Wilson (GO), Callum Davis (BF), Hugh Gingell (GO).
Junior Girls: Claire Burgess (NC), Joanna Hill (GO), Rebecca Kennedy (WP), Sophie Jones (UR), Ellen Currie (GO, pictured left).
Junior Boys: Duncan Currie (GO), Alastair George (BF), Tom Kennedy (GO), Ewan Shingler (BF), Finn Mackay (UR, pictured right).
All selected will travel with the team to Victoria and run in the three schools championship events from September 28-30 (Sprint, Individual and Relay), while also competing in the other major events on both weekends of the carnival around Ballarat.
Manager Sally Devenish will be in contact with team members to co-ordinate travelling arrangements.
ONSW thanks selectors Jock Davis, Hilary Wood and Andrew Hill for their time and energy spent in this important role.
