Latest ONSW News
Big Foot veteran Michael Burton had eyes popping and tongues wagging after a blistering run in Metro League Round 3 at Centennial Park on Sunday.
Under sunny skies, the relatively easy navigational challenge of Sydney's great urban park meant this would be a battle of the speedsters, with the young guns tipped to prevail.
Not so, as 53-year-old Burton cleaned up the 7.4km Division 1 course (about 8.5km actual) in just 36m51s. That's a km rate of about 4m20s. Wow.
WHO club captain James McQuillan (39m37s) blew the chance at glory when he came unstuck on leg 14 up into the sandstone ridge and dropped three minutes.
Big Foot maintained their lead in Division 1, with Garingal nipping at their heels.
In Division 2 the GO Dragons maintained their perfect run with a narrow 28-27 win over SHOO, for whom Angus Shedden again had the fastest time (37m54s) over the 6.9km. Big Foot and Bennelong also had wins to keep it close among the first four teams.
In Division 3, IKO rookie Simon Louis smashed the field by 5 minutes as the southerners called on two Garingal fill-ins to beat Uringa-Central Coast.
Youth prevailed in Division 4 as Tom Kennedy, just 14, had the fastest time of 26m43s for the 4.4km. However, his Garingal team went down to a strong KNOX outfit that looks set to contest the silverware in August. Eleven runners in this division went under 35 minutes.
Likewise in Division 5, where 18 runners went sub-35. Margaret Jones (UR-CC) was quickest in 26m15s, and we should give a mention to Garingal's Clare Jessup, 15, who on her ML debut picked up 7 points and beat her dad!
The trial of entering via Eventor was a success and it appears will become the norm for MetrO League. Thanks to SI guru Ron Pallas for his efforts there. Thanks also to the Jones family for organising.
Results are up on our MetrO League webpage - with links to head-to-head scores, splits and match results.
There's little rest as next Sunday we are back in action at Cataract Scout Park for Round 4. It's off Appin Road - which runs from the Princes Highway to the Hume Highway. Alas, park management have decided to end our contra arrangement and charge us $4.50 per person - so fees for this event will be $13 per adult and $9 per junior.
More than 400 students enjoyed a glorious late autumn day and the beautiful bush tracks of Fred Caterson Reserve as the Sydney West schools orienteering championships hit a record attendance.
We had a massive 404 starters from 14 schools, and when all the results were tallied it was Glenwood High School who were crowned regional champions (see pic below right).
With around 20 coaches, marshals and computer gurus on hand, the day went smoothly for organisers Ted Mulherin and Lyn Malmgron.
Students went in groups for a short map walk to familiarise themselves with the basic skills involved. This means they are not all at sea when they go out on their individual age races.
There were age race champions from Blackheath PS, Oatlands PS, Kellyville Ridge PS, Glenwood HS and St Marys HS.
After a break for lunch it was time for the hectic 3-person relays (see pic above), with kids going in all directions at the start.
Results are on Eventor, and a photo album is on our Facebook page.
Primary schools who enjoyed the day are encouraged to register for the federal government's Sporting Schools program. Orienteering is one of the sports on offer: see our SS web page for more details.
Thank you to everyone who made the day fantastic: teachers, students, parents, bus drivers, ONSW helpers and organisers from the WHO club.
All students are invited to enter the NSW schools orienteering championships which this year will be held in western Sydney on August 15-16. You may enter one day, or both days. Entries open early next month.
We are delighted to report a terrific attendance of close to 400 people for Sunday's Great Park Adventure, an event for which we teamed with Cancer Council NSW and Centennial Park.
Lots of families with small children enjoyed a fun day filled with puzzles, activities, food and explorations. The main event was an exciting hunt and discovery through the Centennial Parklands – our own amazing race – with children’s activities, a BBQ, picnic space, prizes and much more available at our base camp at Belvedere Amphitheatre.
A notable success was the number of these families who also knew and had come to Spooks in the Park, our Halloween-themed mini orienteering day.
"Just a quick note to say thanks for a wonderful event today. My 4yo loved the 'treasure hunting' and it was great to be part of a well organised event in a beautiful park!" was the feedback from one mum.
Upon arrival, you received a map that led to various hidden locations. At these locations you were asked to answer questions or perform a fun activity. The correct response won bonus points.
We thank Margaret Jones (of Uringa Orienteers and Centennial Park) for her huge effort in setting the course, and the many club members who assisted - at the start, at the finish, at rego, and at the puzzle stations. We also thank Phoebe and Jet from the Cancer Council who approached us looking to stage something different to the usual Relay for Life.
We learnt a lot about combining with a charity for a public event.
"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.
