HARVESTER NIGHT RELAY EVENT
Octavian Droobers fielded a ladies team for the annual nationwide overnight relay competition held this year at Winterfold Forest in the Surrey Hills and organised by South London Orienteers.
Julie, Rachel and Jill Emmerson were joined by Anne Straube and Sophie Kirk. The race started very late on Saturday night and finished as dawn was breaking on the Sunday morning. It was a very exciting event finding controls in the forest using head torches and congratulations to the ladies who came 4th taking a total of 333.11mins not too far behind winners Southern Navigators 322.42mins.
SUMMER TRAINING CAMPS FOR JUNIORS
Congratulations to club juniors who have been selected for summer tours this year in Sweden. The annual tours are run by the Junior Regional Orienteer Squads organisation whose objective is to develop orienteering talent from the 12 British Orienteering regions. From the West Midlands region OD juniors Matt Elkington M20 and Julie Emmerson W18 have been selected to attend the Gothenburg 10 day training camp in mid-August and Harrison McCartney M16 and Nathan Lawson M18 will be going to Stockholm for the 2 week camp also in August.
Harrison McCartney and Nathan Lawson have both also been selected for the 5 day British Orienteering Talent Development Summer Camp, which this year will be held in Sedburgh at the end of July.
The Newark event, part of a series of 18 urban races at different towns and cities around the country, starting in the park by the river and ruined castle in glorious sunshine proved very popular with club members. Chris McCartney had a great run and came 3rd in the M40 class on the 5.7k course finding 22 controls in 39.02mins only 1 min behind the winner from Manchester Orienteering Club. Club chairman Liz Phillips also came 3rd in the W40 class taking 46.35mins on the 4.8k course. Coming 2nd, only 20 seconds behind the winner of the M65 class was Mike Hampton who took 31.23mins on the 3.6k course visiting 19 controls along the way, Bruce Bryant was 3rd on the same course in 32.54mins. Karin Kirk was 4th on the 2.8k course for W65’s taking 35.54mins.
At the Rushall Wood event organised by Berkshire Orienteering Club several Octavian Droobers competed and top placings were achieved: Dave Marr was top M60 on the long Brown 8.9k course taking 1.29.54mins. On the Green 4.8k course Ant Walker was 1st M45 in 1.00.28mins, John Ward 2nd M65 in 1.05.33mins and Trevor Simpson 1st M75 in 1.15.36mins. Liz Cross was 1st W40 on the Short Green 3.7k course and Hilary Simpson top W75 in 58.28mins. Top junior was Alfie Bullus who was 1st M14 on the Light Green 3.5k course taking 40.26mins and Diana Hailey 1st in the W70 class taking 1.09.42mins.
20th May 2014