Big turnout for Sth Island champs
A biting southerly wind tested the participants in the 2017 South Island schools orienteering championships in Nelson at the weekend.
Over 100 people took part in the two-day event representing 24 schools and five clubs throughout the South Island, with Saturday’s long distance event held at Branford Park and sunday’s sprint event held around NMIT, Central School, St Josephs School and the Queens Gardens.
Saturday’s long distance event involved different age groups tackling a range of courses from 3km6km and included competitors from Blenheim, Christchurch and Queenstown.
Local schools from Nelson, Richmond, Motueka and Golden Bay areas had strong representation.
Saturday’s long distance competitors were tested on their navigation, map interpretation and running ability over the challenging terrain in an individual race against the clock. Each course required the runners to reach about 20-control flags.
In the primary girls’ grade, Tide Fa’avae (Tasman School) won with a clear minute over second place Nika Rayward (Mahana School), with other local club member Lani Murray (Takaka) in third. Angus Kopua from Fairhall School in Marlborough won the primary boys’ title.
Hannah Mangnall (Tasman School) won the year 7-8 girls’ grade, beating talented youngster Rose Zinzan from Beckenham School in Christchurch. Paulina Harrison ( Mapua School) was third.
Zefa Fa’avae navigated flawlessly to win the boys’ 7-8 grade ahead of Riley Croxford, both from Tasman School. Flynn Hunter (Sumner School) was third.
In the junior grade, Chloe Dunn (Waimea College) won the girls’ title and Clayton Shadbolt (St Andrews College) the boys. Abel McNabb (Nelson College) was second and MacGregor Jones (Waimea College) third.
The intermediate grade was very competitive. In the girls event Beth Hunter (Rangi Ruru) posting a fast time to take the girls’ title. Johanna Harrison (Waimea College) was second and Jessie Fa’avae (Motueka High School) third.
Jack Drage (Christs College) won the intermediate boys ahead of fellow Cantabrian Ayrton Shadbolt (St Andrews College). Jamal Murray (Golden Bay High School) was third.
Rangiora High School’s Dominic Cleary won the senior boys’ title and Nelson College for Girls’ Sally Mains the senior girls’ crown.
Sunday’s sprint distance course involved racing around short courses between 1.5 and 3km. While the navigation was easier than Saturday’s long distance event, winners were rewarded for speed and decision making.
Nelson Orienteering Club members performed exceptionally well to win many of the divisions.
Leo Croxford (Tasman School) dominated the primary boys’ race to win by a large margin from Marlborough’s Fletcher Kopua and Hugh Bradley.
Tide Fa’avae backed up her Saturday victory to win another title race, with Lani Murray second and Nika Rayward third.
Rose Zinzan won year 7-8 girls ahead of Paulina Harrison and Hannah Mangnall. Riley Croxford built up a handy time advantage over Zefa Fa’avae in the boys’ event with Flynn Hunter third.
Kyla Rayward (Motueka High School) won the junior girls’ title in her first championship event competition from Chloe Dunn and Clayton Shadbolt won the junior boys race from Abel McNabb.
Johanna Harrison produced an excellent run to win the intermediate girls’ event from Beth Hunter and Jessie Fa’avae and Ayrton Shadbolt won the boys’ title. Jack Drage snatched second from Jamie Bartlett (Waimea College) by just one second after nearly 20-minutes of sprint navigation.
Sally Mains won the senior girls’ and Dominic Cleary won the senior boys’ titles.
Five-time adventure racing world champion Nathan Fa’avae helped organise the event.
‘‘It is always pleasing to see young people outside and active,’’ Fa’avae said. ’’Orienteering is a dynamic sport that involves running with skill, map reading, route choice and decision making are all important, and do all that while covering ground as fast as possible.
‘‘The Nelson club is very strong nationally with high membership and new members frequently joining. Adventure racing has injected a new source of energy into the sport, one factor I like is that people can challenge themselves against the course, it’s an individual sport, you against the map and the clock.’’
The Nelson Orienteering Club juniors now turn their focus to the national championships in Hawkes Bay over Labour Weekend.
There are regular event all winter and they are welcome to the public and anyone interested in taking part.
For more details and full event results: http://nelsonorienteeringclub.weebly.com/