CLUB JUNIORS SELECTIONS

Congratulations to Julie Emmerson W18 and Will Gardner M20 who have been selected to represent Great Britain in the Junior World Orienteering Championships to be held in Czech Republic in July 2013.

Nine club juniors have arrived in Portugal for the World Schools Orienteering Championships taking place this week in Monte Gordo on the Eastern Algarve. The juniors have been selected either to represent their school or will compete in a Select team for England as a result of being a top performer at the recent British Schools selection races. Representing King Henry VIII School, Coventry in the Senior Girls Schools event are Aimee Morse, Rachel Johnson, Rhiannon Cope, Rajani Murthy and Zoe Nicolson. In the Select teams are Heather Rogers (Junior Girls), Julie Emmerson, (Senior Girls) Hamish Rogers (Senior Boys) all from Kenilworth School and Harrison McCartney (Juniors Boys) from King Henry VIII School. The club wishes them all every success at this prestigious event which has attracted competitors from all over Europe, Africa, China and New Zealand.

Octavian Droobers were active around the country this weekend and in the midlands around the tricky Pelsall Common, near Walsall, Matt Elkington M18 came 1st on the Blue 6.13k course in 40.29mins and Chris McCartney M40 was 3rd in 46.30mins. On the Green 5.03k course Sheila Carey W65 was 4th in 53.44mins and Suzanne Humphries W45 5th 54.37mins. Ella-Rose McCartney W14 came 1st on the Light Green 3.3k course in 52.38mins.

At Penhale, Cornwall, in the Southern Championships running on the sand dunes, Liz Phillips W45 came 3rd in her class on the 8.05k course with 195metres of climb in 107.04mins; Liz Cross W40 was 2nd on the short 4.94k course in 73.59mins and Hilary Simpson W70 4th in 94.21mins in her class. Bruce Bryant came 1st in the M55 Short class in 52.57mins, Mike Hampton M65 4th in 53.47mins and Trevor Simpson M70 3rd in 78.25mins both in the Long class and all on the same course 4.94k course. On the day before at the Urban event around St Ives, in Cornwall, Liz Phillips W45 came 4th 48.54mins and Liz Cross W40 5th 49.55mins in the Veteran Women’s 4.6k course and Mike Hampton M65 6th on the 3.3k Ultra Veteran Men’s race in 31mins.

Meanwhile up in the Lake District on the Classic Long race event around Graythwaite, Droobers experienced some tough steep terrain. On the Brown 8.07k course with 540 metres of climb and finding 27 controls Andy Simpson M40 took 1.33.45mins coming in 6th, Nathan Lawson M16 took 1.17.48mins and came 10th on the 5.57k Blue course with 360 metres of climb. Riina Kuuselo W35 took 54.11mins coming 1st on the Short Blue 5.03k course with 355metres of climb with Julie Emmerson W18 2nd in 1.03.40mins on the same course and Aimee Morse W16 was 7th on the 4.2k Green course in 1.05.01mins with 250 metres of climb.

Nearly 50 competitors enjoyed the local event around Charlecote Park and many newcomers enjoyed their first experience of the sport. Janet Richardson organised 3 courses. The Yellow short beginners course was won by newcomer John Gallagher M50 in 14.45mins ahead of Luke Cherry M8 15.23mins and Sophie Oliver W14 16.23mins. Richard Steel M45 won the Orange course in 17.53mins ahead of Andy Cherry M40 18.33mins and John Ward M65 22.51mins. The novel Map Memory course was won by Chris McCartney M40 in 27.55mins, Sophie Kirk W21 was 2nd in 29.48mins and Suzanne Humphries W45 was 3rd in 37.21mins.

16th April 2013