SEVEN NEW MIDLAND CHAMPIONS
Congratulations to the 7 club members who became Midland champions on Sunday at Haywood Warren, near Shugborough on Cannock Chase. The event which attracted 800 orienteers from around the midlands and further afield, including 56 from Octavian Droobers Orienteering Club, was organised by Walton Chasers Orienteering Club. The Chase provided a variety of wooded terrain with a fair amount of climb and cross country running across the bracken on the moorland.
Harrison McCartney was the top performer in the Elite M18 class on the 10.9km course with 420 metres of climb in 67.05mins. Matthew Elkington was first Elite M20 on the same course taking 65.49mins and Will Gardner was the fastest Elite M21 on the very long 16.4km course with a massive climb of 550 metres taking 99.12mins only 28 seconds ahead of Jonathan Crickmore from Sheffield University.
Roger Hailey M75 showed his great experience by winning his class on the 5.4km course with 200 metres of climb in 75.01mins. The top title winning ladies were: Harriet Lawson Elite W20 73.39mins on the 7.3km course with 300 metres of climb, Lesley Ross W45 58.59mins, with a clear lead of 8mins, on the 6.7km 265metres of climb course and Sheila Carey W65 60.53mins on the 5km 180 metres of climb course.
Making his debut in the midlands championships new junior orienteer Chris Markham M10 managed to complete his longest ever race 2.8km to a 2nd midland place. Other second midland places in their classes: Felix Lunn M14, Mateusz Podsiadly Elite M20, Club Captain Alistair Powell M35, David Leadley M50 and Barry Elkington M55.
17th Feb 2015