NZSSOC Press Release

Dave Posted: 8 July 2006, 2:46 AM   MEDIA RELEASE July 7, 2006 Top school orienteers in action MANY of New Zealand’s top teenage orienteers will compete in Woodhill Forest next Friday and Saturday (July 14 and 15) – racing for the New Zealand Secondary School Orienteering Championship titles. Almost 300 entries, from 53 schools – five of them making the trip from the South Island to take part – will contest the individual NZ titles on Friday. Then 97 three-strong relay teams will compete in Saturday’s inter-school championships. Jetlag may count against two of the top contenders for the senior titles – Mount Roskill Grammar student Simon Jager and Kate Rea (Chilton St James, Lower Hutt): They’re due to arrive back from the Junior World Orienteering Champs in Lithuania just in time for the national secondary schools competition. Multiple titleholder Thomas Reynolds shares the hot-favourite status with Jager, the Westlake Boys student having won this year’s middle-distance M18A national title, plus the North Island and Auckland second-school senior boys championships. Other likely front-runners in the senior boys competition include Havelock North’s Jack Vincent, who was runner-up to Reynolds in the middle-distance nationals, Kings College student Andrew Peat and former intermediate boys front-runners Alex McCormack (Napier Boys) and Jourdan Harvey (Kings College). A remarkably-strong senior girls entry holds the promise of an intense battle, with NZ rep Kate Rea facing national W18A middle-distance champion Georgia Whitla (Riccarton), national W18A long-distance champion Rebecca Sutton (Onslow College) – and the runners-up to Sutton at the nationals, Havelock North’s Chloe Gregory and Sophie Eames. The talent continues with Auckland secondary schools senior girls titleholder, North Island secondary schools runner-up Greta Knarston (Epsom Girls), North Island SS champ Nicola Peat (St Cuthberts) and 2005 NZ rep Emma Watson, who was runner-up to Whitla at this year’s W18A mid-distance nationals. Rachel Goodwin (Iona College) won last year’s intermediate girls’ schools title and was runner-up in this year’s W16A national mid-distance championship. In the intermediate girls competition, Jaime Goodwin (Iona College, Hawke’s Bay) – winner of her age group in last year secondary schools champs and the reigning W14A NZ middle-distance champion – comes up against Kate Morrison (Napier Girls), the W16A NZ mid-distance titleholder. Nicole van Oosterom (Chilton St James), winner of this year’s North Island secondary schools intermediate title, is another likely front-runner – along with Emily Murphy (Macleans), Lydia Parker (Havelock North) and Avril Turvey (Napier Girls). In the intermediate boys contest, Karamu High School’s Scott McDonald, the reigning M16A national middle-distance champion, will line up against his 2005 NZ secondary schools team-mates Toby Scott (Glendowie), Ben Reidie (Nayland) and Aari Barrett (Hastings Boys). Their likely rivals include Nelson’s Tom Prebble (Nayland College) and Sam Eames (Lindisfarne College). In the junior boys event, double national titleholder Duncan Morrison (Napier Boys) is the hot favourite, having added the junior North Island schools’ title to his M14A mid and long distance championships. North Island runners-up, Chris McDonald (Karamu) and Brett Sceats (Lindisfarne) shape up as his competition, along with Massey High students Tyler Casey and Matthew Ogden. Iona College’s Hannah Harty, who won her age group at the last secondary school’s championships, will face rivals including North Island secondary schools champion Laura Robertson (Chilton), Olivia Gregory (Havelock) and Erin Paterson (New Plymouth Girls). For more information, call Wayne Munro (09) 826 0494, (021) 955 099   Martin Posted: 15 July 2006, 9:14 AM   MEDIA RELEASE July 15, 2006 No Jager jetlag AUCKLAND seventh-former Simon Jager shrugged off the effects of jetlag to easily take the senior boys title at this weekend’s SILVA New Zealand Secondary School Orienteering Championship, three days after a 36-hour flight home…from five days of competition at the junior world championships in Lithuania. But for fellow NZ team member Kate Rea (Chilton St James) the championship outing in Auckland’s Woodhill Forest was a disaster: She was disqualified from the senior girls event after picking up the incorrect map at the start and completing the wrong course. St Cuthberts 15-year-old Nicola Peat – running up a grade – added to her North Island title in claiming a narrow victory for the senior girls race…just holding on for the win, despite making “a slight error at the end of the course.” The former Auckland hockey rep ended up just seven seconds faster than 2005 NZ rep Emma Watson (Central Hawke’s Bay). Auckland champion and North Island runner-up Greta Knarston (Epsom Girls) was third. Almost 300 entries, from 53 schools, contested the individual NZ titles – most of them also competing today in the relay championships, with Auckland’s Westlake Boys trio, Thomas Reynolds, Matthew Ng-Waishing and Tyler Elliot, taking the senior boys title from Kings College and Newlands College. Rea gained some compensation for her failure in the individual contest by joining Chilton St James team-mates Jess Young and Nicole van Oosterom in winning the senior girls relay, ahead of Iona College and Havelock North High School. Havelock North took the SILVA Top School Trophy and the SILVA Premier Trophy – an unusual clean-sweep. Jager, 17, was delighted with his dominant victory in the senior boys 6.7km event: “I had won twice in junior boys but I’ve gone a couple of years without success. So it’s good to get another win.” The Mt Roskill Grammar student headed home Havelock North’s Jack Vincent by 2m22s. Andrew Peat (Kings College) claimed third – heading off the pre-event co-favourite (with Jager), Westlake’s Thomas Reynolds. In the intermediate boys competition, last year’s NZ secondary school team-member Toby Scott (Glendowie) made it a no-contest for his old team-mates, with a four-minute victory on the 4.9km course. Westlake’s Ben Ng-Waishing headed off other NZ reps Scott McDonald (Karamu) and Aari Barrett (Hastings) for second place. Iona College’s Jaime Goodwin added to her national titles with the intermediate girls honours, comfortably faster than Havelock North’s Lydia Parker. Shani Kana (Birkenhead) claimed third. North Island champion Laura Robertson (Chilton St James) added the junior girls NZ title, with a clear win over Kate Smirnova (Epsom) and Juliana McMillan (Chilton St James). Hot favourite and multi title-winner Duncan Morrison (Napier Boys) lived up to expectation to win the junior boys event by almost three minutes. Massey’s Matthew Ogden claimed second, ahead of Brett Sceats (Lindisfarne). For more information, call Wayne Munro (09) 826 0494, (021) 955 099 Silva NZ Secondary Schools Orienteering Championship, Woodhill Forest – Individual: Senior Boys (6.7km): Simon Jager (Mount Roskill), 46m 49s, 1; Jack Vincent (Havelock North), 49.11, 2; Andrew Peat (Kings), 50.47, 3; Thomas Reynolds (Westlake), 52.50, 4; Jourdan Harvey (Kings), 1.02.33, 5; Stephen Dodd (Napier), 1.03.10, 6. Senior Girls (4.6km): Nicola Peat (St Cuthberts), 42m45s, 1; Emma Watson (Central Hawke’s Bay), 42.52, 2; Greta Knarston (Epsom), 46.16, 3; Chloe Gregory (Havelock North), 47.32, 4; Georgia Whitla (Riccarton), 48.20, 5; Claire Dinsdale (Samuel Marsden), 57.27, 6. Intermediate Boys (4.9km): Toby Scott (Glendowie), 38.25, 1; Ben Ng-Waishing (Westlake), 42.37, 2; Scott McDonald (Karamu), 43.26, 3; Aari Barrett (Hastings), 44.02, 4; Sam Eames (Lindisfarne), 47.15, 5; Tom Prebble (Nayland), 52.41, 6. Intermediate Girls (3.5km): Jaime Goodwin (Iona), 31.13, 1; Lydia Parker (Havelock North), 33.03, 2; Shani Kana (Birkenhead) 40.23, 3; Avril Turvey (Napier), 40.27, 4; Emily Murphy (Macleans), 41.00, 5; Alina Smirnova (Auckland International), 42.05, 6. Junior Boys (2.8km): Duncan Morrison (Napier), 18.26, 1; Matthew Ogden (Massey) 21.25, 2; Brett Sceats (Lindisfarne), 22.24, 3; Chris McDonald (Karamu), 24.05, 4; Kelly Cooper (Havelock North), 24.20, 5; Kyle Higham (Waiopehu), 24.20, 6. Junior Girls (2.2km): Laura Robertson (Chilton St James), 16.26, 1; Kate Smirnova (Epsom), 19.20, 2; Juliana McMillan(Chilton St James), 21.40, 3; Sarah Hawkins (Napier), 24.06, 4; Bridget Lambert (Epsom), 25.06, 5; Elzine Braasch (Havelock North), 25.46, 6. Relays: Senior Boys: Westlake Boys High 1; Kings College 2; Newlands College 3. Senior Girls: Chilton St James 1; Iona College 2; Havelock North High 3. Intermediate Boys: Nayland College 1; Takapuna Grammar 2; Karamu High 3. Intermediate Girls: New Plymouth Girls 1; Havelock North 2; St Cuthberts 3. Junior Boys: Havelock North 1, Newlands 2; Napier Boys 3. Junior Girls: Epsom Girls 1; Havelock North 2; Napier Girls 3.   JD Posted: 15 July 2006, 9:35 AM   Jeez Martin u got that out fast. It was a brilliant event, heaps of thanks to the organisers. And Thanks to Martin for Organising the Disco On Friday night, Good Times:D   addison Posted: 17 July 2006, 5:44 PM   So what was the results from the Disco?