JUNIORS REPRESENT WEST MIDLANDS AT INTER REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Many OD junior club members were selected to represent the West Midlands at the annual Junior Inter Regional Championships held this weekend in the Lake District. Harrison McCartney had a fantastic debut winning the M14 individual 5.6k with 150m of climb race in 44.28mins on the complex Haverigg sand dunes area.

His performance plus other individual good results from Julie Emmerson W16 3rd, Matt Elkington 4th and Hamish Rogers 5th in the M16 race, Aimee Morse 4th and Zoe Nicolson 6th in W14 event and Will Gardner M18 5th put the West Midlands Squad in 3rd place going in to the relays on Sunday. In the Cumbrian forest of Simpson Ground the detailed contour areas tested the runners navigation skills and stamina to the full and the best placed W. Mids team of Matt Elkington, Harrison McCartney and Will Gardner were 3rd putting the team 4th overall behind North West, Scotland and Yorkshire with Humberside squads.  

A busy week of orienteering in Warwickshire was achieved by much help from volunteers and 100 competitors from around the midlands and southern counties enjoyed the fast hilly terrain on the 5 courses planned by Richard Gardner at Burton Dassett Country Park.

On the Yellow 1.7k course Jacob Marwick M12 from Berkshire was 1st in 16.11mins, Alex Fielding M10 Happy Herts was 2nd in 16.57mins and Alfie Bullus M12 OD 3rd in 18.39mins.

Catherine Bailey W10 from Harlequins was 1st on the Orange 2.3k course in 16.15mins, Martin Neal M60 OD 2nd in 27.60mins and Ella-Rose McCartney W12 OD 3rd in 28.33mins.

On the Light Green 3.3k course Nick Bullus M45 OD was 1st in 30.40mins, Ali Kempson W45 Thames Valley 2nd 35.53mins and Bryce Gibson M70 Berkshire 3rd 38.42mins. OD’s came 1st. 2nd and 3rd on the Green 4k course: Peter Carey M65 34.29mins, Stephanie Ellis-Gray W21 34.35mins and Stephen Bates M60 34.57mins. The long Blue 6.8k course was easily won by Romualdas Stupelis M21 from Harlequins with a very fast run of 35.31mins; Kevin Fielding M40 Happy Herts was 2nd in 43.19mins and Stephen Lang M40 Manchester 3rd in 44.50mins. 

Club Chairman, Bob Brandon, staged the 45th annual Sutton Park Gates Run and the 8 mile circuit attracted some fast runners. Overall individual winner in 50.48mins was Stephen Larcombe M50 from Royal Sutton Athletics Club. John Embrey from Harlequins Orienteering Club was 2nd in 51.09mins and Alan Segar M20 OD 3rd 51.22mins. Mike Langrish from Bourton Road Runners broke the M70+ record with his run of 69.01mins. Bob expects the 50 minute time will be broken next year.

5th July 2011