GRAND FINALE TO EASTER 4 DAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
The JK2017 is largest orienteering event of the year and nearly 3000 competitors, plus many spectators, all enjoyed the dry conditions, punctuated with sunshine, on varied terrain at some great locations. It was the 50th time that the 4 day Easter Weekend series of races has been held and three of the days were awarded World Ranking Event status, and attracted many competitors from overseas. This year the event was organised by local clubs in the Sussex area.
On the last day, Day 4 the ever-popular relays were held at Pippingford Park. Octavian Droobers entered several teams across the age range from juniors to seniors. Success in the ultra veterans teams earned Barry Elkington, Sheila Carey and Mike Hampton gold medals with a great winning time of 77.48mins. This made a gold medal hat trick for Sheila who added this to her other two individual medals for Day 1, and Day 2 and 3 combined.
The weekend started, on Day 1, with a fast sprint race running around the campus at Brunel University, Uxbridge. Sheila Carey, won a gold medal coming 1st in 13.31mins on the W70 1.3km course, 4th Karin Kirk 17.18mins, 5th Sue Bicknell 17.23mins and 8th Sue Hallett 18.54mins. Other top 10 results were: Nathan Lawson 2nd in the M20 Elite race 15.09mins on the 2.7km course and Harrison McCartney 10th in 17.19mins, M21 Elite 2.7km course 7th William Gardner 15.18mins, M45 2.4km course 3rd Chris McCartney 16.04mins, M60 2km course 4th Barry Elkington 14.53mins, M70 1.8km course 5th Mike Hampton 15.25mins, W21 Elite 2.5km course 10th Julie Emmerson 17.30mins, Womens Open 2km course 9th Nadine Wright 17.29mins, W40 1.6km course 4th Anne Straube 16.10mins, W75 1.3km course 4th Hilary Simpson 23.28mins.
Medals were awarded to the best combined results for Days 2 and 3 and OD winners were: Sheila Carey who won the trophy for coming 1st on the W70 Long course, 3rd Nathan Lawson M20 Elite, 2nd Lesley Ross W50 Long and 3rd Hilary Simpson W75. Alfie Bullus was 2nd overall in the M18 Long Class.
Day 2 at Ambersham Common was a middle distance race and club members scored well here too, top results: Alfie Bullus 2nd on the M18 Long 3.7km course in 27.18mins, M20 Elite 4.61km course 2nd Harrison McCartney 23.49mins and 3rd Nathan Lawson 24.04mins, M20 Short 3.09km course 3rd Stephen Elkington 27.06mins, M35 Short 4.5km course 3rd Paul Gregson 61.09mins, M45 Short 4.44km course 4th Daniel Roth 43.14mins, M60 L 4.5km course 5th Barry Elkington 32.35mins, W40 Long 4.5km course 5th Anne Straube 39.32mins and 9th Juliette Soulard 43.21mins, W50 Long 4.11km course 5th Lesley Ross 36.45mins and 9th Liz Phillips 38.17mins, W70 Long 2.32km course 2nd Sheila Carey 22.55mins, W75 2.11km course 3rd Hilary Simpson 34.18mins, Darcy Dunn W12 1st on the Yellow 2.15km course in 20.11mins.
Holmbush was the location for Day 3 long distance race and OD results were: M16 A 8.1km course 7th Oliver Lunn 57.51mins, M18 L 8.8km course 3rd Alfie Bullus 74.35mins, M20 Elite 12.4km course 3rd Nathan Lawson 66.46mins and 7th Harrison McCartney 68.44mins, M20 Short 6km course 1st Stephen Elkington 52.19mins, M21 Elite 17.7km course 10th William Gardner 97.50mins, M35 Short 7.7km course 5th Paul Gregson 105.59mins, M40 Short 7.7km course 7th Ben Flippance 78.44mins and 10th Mykyta Chubynsky 83.40mins, M45 Short 7.1km course 7th Daniel Roth 73.46mins, M60 Long 8.5km course 10th Barry Elkington 68.17mins, M65 Long 7.2km course 8th Dave Marr 66.23mins, M75 Long 5.5km course 9th Trevor Simpson 74.35mins, M75 Short 4.4km course 1st John Bowman 76.40mins.
Top ten places for females on Day 3 were: W10B 2.3km course 9th Tilly Flippance 54.28mins, W21 Elite 11.9km course 3rd Julie Emmerson 76.35mins, W40 Long 8.1km course 5th Anne Straube 72.14mins and 9th Juliette Soulard 79.25mins, W50 Long 7.1km course 1st Lesley Ross 59.11mins, W55 Short 4.4km course 4th Sian Gardner 55.33mins, W70 Long 4.8km course 1st Sheila Carey 51.27mins and 5th Sue Hallett 66.40mins, W75 4.4km course 4th Hilary Simpson 78.51mins.
In the relays there were some good results for club members on Day 4: Matthew Elkington and Nathan Lawson helped their Sheffield University team mate to a 6th place in the JK Trophy race, Harrison McCartney and his Oxford University team were 9th and Duncan Birtwistle, Alistair Landels and William Gardner 10th. Julie Emmerson, Rachel Emmerson and Kirsten Strain were 4th in the Womens Trophy, Lesley Ross, Juliette Soulard and Anne Straube were 4th in the Senior Womens race, Andy Emmerson, Richard Gardner and Chris McCartney were 8th in the Veteran Mens class, Robert Brandon, Sue Hallett and Karin Kirk were 9th in the Ultra Veteran class. Junior team of Oliver Lunn, Oliver Flippance and Felix Lunn were 4th in the Intermediate Men class and Florence Lunn, Tabitha Lunn and Pippa Smart were 9th in the Intermediate Womens class.
Plus on Day 1 at Brunel University there was a TempO event and Anne Straube claimed a podium 3rd place, from a field of 60 competitors scoring 482 points.
18th April 2017