Club News by Karin Kirk news@octavian-droobers.org
Will Gardner tops the British Orienteering Ranking List
Congratulations to Will Gardner M21 who has topped the British Orienteering Ranking list. He has accumulated 8378 points from his top 6 great performances over the past year. It is a tremendous achievement.
At the Double
Saturday and Sunday events were both organised by Harlequins Orienteering Club. The West Midlands club based in Worcestershire, put on an Urban event around a residential area in Redditch and a fast cross-country West Midlands League orienteering race around Arrow Valley Country Park, near Redditch. Octavian Droobers enjoyed the fine weather and courses.
Sam Leadley M20 was 2nd in the Redditch Urban Senior Men class race taking 47.14mins on the 7.8km course, David Leadley M55 was 5th in 54.23mins and Mark Rookledge M50 6th in 56.32mins. Chris McCartney M50 was 6th in the Veteran Men 6.6km race in 47.52mins. Mike Snell M60 was 5th in 38.06mins and Richard Gardner M65 7th in 39.02 in the 5.6km Supervet Mens race. In the Ultravet Mens race 4th place went to Mike Hampton M70 in 40.58mins and 5th to Keith Willdig M70 41.45mins. Jacob Oxtoby M16 won the Junior Mens 2.5km race in 19.21mins and brother Lewis M14 was 4th in 31.34mins. Lesley Ross W50 was the fastest on the Vet Womens 5.6km course taking 39.09mins and Michelle Oxtoby W45 6th in 49.57mins. Margaret Willdig W65 was 4th on the Supervet Womens 4.2km course in 47.10mins. Sheila Carey W70 was 2nd in 31.35mins and Karin Kirk W70 5th in 37.34mins on the Ultravet Womens 3.2km course.
OCTAVIAN DROOBERS THROUGH TO NATIONAL FINAL
At Bentley Wood, near Atherstone, OD organised the Compass Sport Cup heat and the team of nearly 80 registered competitors performed very well to win through to the final. The Compass Sport Cup is a much-prized annual championship between large clubs throughout GB and this year the club excelled itself with many members winning their respective classes to gain a terrific 2471 points, ahead of North Gloucester Orienteering Club 2402.
Club captain Alistair Powell was very pleased with the result and said the club was looking forward to sending an even larger team to the final at Pippingford Park, Crowborough, in Sussex, on 20 October. The top 25 scorers for the club were Will Gardner M21 1st in 45.44mins on the longest Brown course and so scored the maximum 100 points, Duncan Birtwistle M21 was 2nd in 56.34mins and scored 99 points towards the final tally. Club Captain Alistair M40 was 1st on the Short Brown course in 48.49mins scoring 100 points and Sam Leadley M20 3rd scoring 98 points.
Four very fast women from the club scored on the Blue Women’s course: Amy Sarkies W40 1st (100 points), Harriet Lawson W21 2nd (99), Kirsten Strain W21 3rd (98) and Anne Straube W40 4th (97). On the Blue Men’s course Alistair Landels M50 was 2nd (99), David Lawson M55 3rd (98) and Chris McCartney M50 (97). Lesley Ross W50 was the top runner on the Green Women’s course scoring 100 points. Barry Elkington M60 was top on the Green Mens course with 100 points, Richard Gardner M65 was 2nd (99) and Mike Snell M60 3rd (98). On the Veteran Short Green course Bob Brandon M70 was 1st (100) and Keith Willdig M70 2nd (99). Sheila Carey W70 was fastest runner on the super Vet Short Green course scoring 100 points and Trevor Simpson M80 was 2nd (98).