Club News by Karin Kirk news@octavian-droobers.org
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
WEEKEND WINNERS AT JK 2013 INTERNATIONAL EVENT
More than 80 members of the Octavian Droobers Orienteering Club took part in the 4 day JK International Festival of Orienteering held around Reading and the Chiltern Hills. Club members competed in very cold temperatures against 3000 competitors from across Europe.
On the first day the Sprint Championships took place around Reading University campus. Julie Emmerson W18 and Sheila Carey W65 both triumphed coming first in their class against some strong competition. Andy Simpson M40 was placed 2nd, Will Gardner M20, Harriet Lawson W18 and Hilary Simpson W70 all attained 3rd places and several members took top ten spots – Matt Elkington M18 5th, Mike Hampton M65 8th, Riina Kuuselo W21 5th, Chris McCartney M40 5th, Harrison McCartney M16 4th, Aimee Morse W16 5th Trevor Simpson M70 9th and Anne Straube W35 6th.
At Hambleden, near Henley on Thames, competitors found the next day on the Chiltern Hills challenging but both Andy Simpson M40 and Sheila Carey W65 won their classes. Andy taking 64.26mins on the 11.3k course with 495 metres of climb with a two minute lead and Sheila 55.04mins on the 6.2k course with 170 metres of climb also with a clear lead of 2 minutes. Other great runs were had by Julie Emmerson W18 5.6k 240 climb 37.36mins and Will Gardner M20 6.3k 310 climb 33.11mins who both came 2nd in their classes and Roger Hailey M75 3rd on the 5.4k course taking 54.22mins.
This race result was added to the following day’s event around Cold Ash near Newbury and Andy Simpson and Julie Emmerson continued their previous day’s successes by winning on the second day and becoming JK 2013 champions. William Gardner M20 came 2nd overall with a combined time of 101.56mins and Sheila Carey was placed 3rd overall in 130.51mins. Fourth overall positions were gained by Harrison McCartney M16 who came 7th in the 1st race and 3rd on the second gaining an overall placing of 4th with 92.15mins and Anne Straube W35 5th and 4th places taking a total of 131.44mins. In overall 6th place were Riinna Kuuselo W21 11th and 6th places and 113.23mins total time, Harriet Lawson W18 7th and 6th 118.11mins and Hilary Simpson W70 6th and 7th and 151.39mins. Mike Hampton M65 and Nathan Lawson M16 were both placed in 10th positions after completing both events.
Other good combined times on the shorter courses were earned by Emma Kettley 1st W20L 101.52mins, Bruce Bryant M55 4th place overall in 129.50mins, Liz Cross W40 4th place 114.47mins, Helen Elkington W20S 126.51mins, Thelma Spalton W65 5th 125.01mins and Rajani Murthy W18S 8th 164.55mins.
On the final day, at Hambleden, OD fielded 15 teams in the relays and six of the teams finished in the top 4 of their respective classes. In second place in the Women’s short class was Harriet Lawson, Aimee Morse and Anne Straube and in the new men and women’s combined age of 210 plus class Mike Hampton, Trevor Simpson and Sheila Carey also came second.
Nathan Lawson, Stephen Elkington and Harrison McCartney finished 3rd in the men’s combined age of under 48 years. The following teams finished in 4th place: Women’s Premier: Riina Kuuselo, Julie Emmerson and Sophie Kirk, Men’s Short: Matt Elkington, Barry Elkington and Hamish Rogers: Women’s 120+ Toni O’Donovan, Liz Cross and Lesley Ross.
5th April 2013