Mountain Bike Orienteering (MTBO) - Uringa runs an event

You ride your mountain bike and you orienteer, all at the same time. Yes, it is that lesser known version of orienteering. Its leader in Uringa Orienteers is Ori Gudes, and there are other Uringans who have discovered its attraction.

Saturday, 20 October was the 2018 NSW MTBO Middle Distance Championships. Ori was the course setter with Uringans (and others) managing the event.

By the way, we also had a NSW MTBO Middle Distance champ: M40 Ant Nolan.

Orienteering NSW reported: 'Brand new map of the area east of Wedderburn Aerodrome that required a 5km ride to the start and the same back again! So 10km on top of your course length. And should we mention it was pushing 30 degrees all afternoon? Very hard work as many tracks were a bit rough, or a bit soft, or had obstacles. And did we mention how hot it was? An event where the purists prevailed while still managing 4 minutes per km'. 

Are you interested in MTBO? Go here, and/or speak to Ori Gudes.

2018 National Rankings – non-elite orienteers

Every year the national rankings list is published. To be on the list an orienteer needs to compete in national events. Uringa had no one running in the elite classes this year; however, we do have some non-elite members in the rankings.

Congratulations to Shane Doyle and Maureen Ogilivie, first in their respective age classes.

Maureen Ogilvie W85

Shane Doyle M50

Rankings in non-elite classes were determined based on results in the Australian 3-Days Championship, Australian Championships and the South Australian Middle Championship using the three best results.

Points are awarded for each event completed on the basis of 100 points for first place and lesser points for other competitors. When more than one orienteer in a class has 100 points, the first ranked orienteer is determined by the average of their three best winning margins.

The Uringans

W16 13/17 (72.23) Serena Doyle

W60 14/18 (57.07) Sarah Garnett

W70 21/23 (67.12) Mary Jane Mahony

W85 1/1 (100.00) Maureen Ogilvie

M50 1/20 (100.00) Shane Doyle

M50 7/20 (84.98) Michael Warlters

M60 11/38 (89.29) Nick Wilmott

M65 12/35 (84.77) Rick Steele

M65 17/35 (81.93) Ian McKenzie

M70 30/38 (67.30) DIck Ogilvie

M80 3/4 (98.53) Brian Cleland

Australian Championships 2018 South Australia

Each year the Australian Orienteering Championships are held in a different state around the October long weekend. The maps and courses are of international standard. This year they were in South Australia around Renmark in the Riverland and east of Adelaide near the southern end of the Barossa Valley.  A small but determined band of orienteers made the trip.

Where is Serena...

For elite orienteers this is an opportunity to prove themselves in stiff competition. For  the non-elite the age class challenge is there combined with the opportunity to meet up again with old friends and make new ones, and to explore another interesting part of Australia (mentioned in passing were Birds Australia Gluepot Reserve, Kangaroo Island, and the cycling paths of the Barossa).

Chest number in place

The Australian Schools Championships is part of the carnival (set during the week when all Australian schools are on holiday), giving much encouragement to junior orienteers, and their parents.

Australian Middle Distance (Map: Crooked Straight, Renmark)

• M50A: 2 Shane Doyle
• W85A: 1 Maureen Ogilvie

Australian Sprint Championships (Map: Renmark Schools)

• M50A: 1 Shane Doyle
• M80A: 2 Brian Cleland
• W85A: 1 Maureen Ogilvie

Australian Long Distance (Map: Gumeracha Goldfields, east of Adelaide)

• M80A: 3 Brian Cleland
• W85A: 1 Maureen Ogilvie

What an opportunity to see the outcome of long term plantation forestry

Australian Relay Championships (Map: Wiela - Bunyip Ridge, Remark)

Teams containing Uringa members:

• WOpenB: Maree 3rd
• W21AS: Gayle 3rd
• M45A: Shane 3rd

South Australian Championships Middle Distance (Map: Keynes Gap)

The host state also usually runs a state championship event, and this one offered up some confronting rock.

• M45AS: 1 Ron Pallas
• M50A: 2 Shane Doyle
• M80A: 1 Brian Cleland
• W85A: 1 Maureen Ogilvie

Just nice open paddocks with occasional very old trees...

...but turn around and there was the (first) rocky ridge

...and coming down to the final controls took some care.