TOP SPOTS FOR DROOBERS AT EASTER ORIENTEERING FESTIVAL
The UK’s premier orienteering event is the JK2016 an international 4 day festival held each year over the Easter Weekend. 3000 orienteers from around the UK and overseas took on the challenging courses staged on Yorkshire moors, forests and around university campuses.
The weekend started off very well for Droobers, in particular the juniors, who claimed some good podium and top ten places at the Sprint at Leeds University campus. Felix Lunn was 2nd M14 on the 2.5km course taking 19.26mins only missing out on a 1st place by 12 seconds. Harrison McCartney M18 was 3rd in 16.50mins on his 3km course 8 seconds behind two Norwegian boys. Nathan Lawson M20 was 4th in 15.54mins on his 3km Elite course and Will Gardner 6th on the M21 Elite 3km course taking 15.22mins. Barry Elkington was 4th M60 on the 2.1km course taking 15.07mins and Trevor Simpson M75 8th in 17.33mins on the 1.3km course.
Julie Emmerson was 2nd on the W20 Elite 2.8km course taking 18.13mins only 11 seconds adrift of the leader from Sweden. Anne Straube was 7th W40 taking 16.34mins on the 2km course. Liz Phillips was 7th in 17.40mins and Lesley Ross 8th in 17.52mins on the W50 2km course. Sheila Carey was 4th in 16.35mins and Sue Bicknell 6th in 16.56mins on the W70 1.3km course. On the W75 1.3km course Hilary Simpson was 4th in 21.28mins.
Day 2 was in Wass Forest, a highly technical area with a good deal of climb and tricky rocky terrain and OD’s had some good top 10 places: Sheila Carey W70 was 1st in 56.02mins on the 3.8km course, Felix Lunn had a great run and came 2nd on the M14 3.3km course in 29.54mins, David Dunn 9th M35 121.50mins on the 9km course, Andy Emmerson 10th M60 in 64.28mins on the 5.7km course, Florence Lunn 7th W12 in 36.15mins on the 3.2km course, Heather Rogers 4th W18 on the Long 4.7km course taking 74.36mins, Julie Emmerson tied 7th place on the W20 Elite 3.3km course taking 29.15mins, Anne Straube 4th W40 on the 6.1km course in 72.25mins, Lesley Ross 3rd W50 on the 5.1km course in 55.30mins, Carolyn Marr 10th W65 in 75.01mins on the 3.9km course, Sue Hallett 7th W70 in 75.29mins on the 3.8km course and Hilary Simpson 2nd W75 in 72.38mins on the 3km course.
On the shorter courses: Guy Ross was 1st on the M21V course, Stephen Elkington 1st on the M20 course, Finley Flippance was 4th on the M12B course, Ben Flippance 6th on M35S, Bruce Bryant 2nd on M55S, John Middler 9th, on the M60S course and John Bowman 1st on the M70S.
Day 3, high up on the Yorkshire Moors saw some bitterly cold weather with hail, snow and thunder making the going very tough for competitors. Harrison McCartney M18 had a great run coming 1st on the 13.7km Elite course with 485 metres of climb taking 76.40mins and Sheila Carey also was 1st in 52.02mins on the W70 4.8km course, Oliver Flippance was 10th on the M14 6km course in 50.30mins, Nathan Lawson 9th M20 taking 84.34mins on the 13.7km Elite course, Will Gardner 8th M21 on the 20.1km Elite course with 645metres of climb in 119.17mins, and Trevor Simpson 7th M75 taking 81.39mins on the 5.8km course. Tabitha Lunn 39.23mins just beat sister Florence Lunn 40.10mins on the W12 4.1km course, Heather Rogers was 2nd W18 on the Long 6.1km course Anne Straube 7th on the W40 9km course in 89.34mins, Lesley Ross 5th on the W50 7.4km course in 65.18mins and Hilary Simpson 6th on the W75 4.6km course in 95.54mins
On the short courses Finley Flippance M12 was 3rd, Stephen Elkington M20 was 2nd, Alistair Powell M35 1st, Ben Flippance M35 10th, Daniel Roth M45 4th, John Bowman M70 6th and Thelma Spalton W65 10th.
Overall results combining Day 2 and Day 3 saw podium and top 10 places for OD club members on the long courses: Sheila Carey W70 was 1st having won both days, Felix Lunn M14 8th, Nathan Lawson M20 9th, Will Gardner M21 7th, David Dunn M35 8th, Trevor Simpson M75 8th, Florence Lunn W12 7th, Heather Rogers W18L 2nd, Kirsten Strain W21 4th, Anne Straube W40 5th, Lesley Ross W50 3rd and Hilary Simpson W75 5th.
The Relays held at Storthes Hall, on Huddersfield University Campus and surrounding woods, were exciting and Sheila Carey, with Peter Carey and Barry Elkington were 2nd in the Ultra Veteran Relay race as were Oliver, Florence and Felix Lunn in the junior race. Matthew Elkington and Will Gardner with fellow Sheffield University student Olly Williams were placed 7th out of 52 teams in the JK Trophy. Amy Sarkies, Anne Straube and Lesley Ross were 4th in the Senior Women race. 9th place went to Chris McCartney, Andy Emmerson and Tony Feltbower in the Veteran Men’s race and to Jill Emmerson, Carolyn Marr and Liz Phillips in the Veteran Women’s race.
29th March 2016