ORIENTEERING: Octavian Droobers stage Schools Championship

Coventry & Warwickshire Schools Championship

Octavian Droobers Orienteering club welcomed many school pupils from the Coventry, Warwickshire and surrounding areas to the annual school orienteering championships which were held this year at the Memorial Park, Coventry.

Organiser Phil May and his team of helpers ensured the event went smoothly.

Mike Snell was the planner who designed three courses of varying lengths and technicality to suit the three categories, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools, in addition to a longer course for experienced orienteers.

Park Hill Primary School, Kenilworth were the winners of the team prize for primary schools, Bablake Junior School, Coventry was second and Staverton Primary, near Daventry were third.

In the Lower Secondary category Kenilworth School were the winners, King Henry VIII, Coventry were second and Southam College third.

Kenilworth School also won the Upper Secondary School category, King Henry VIII were second and Bablake, Coventry were third.

Individual winners, representing their schools: Primary category on the White 1.4km course: 1st Year 5 Boy Max Straube-Roth 8.57mins (Grange Farm, Coventry); 1st Year 5 Girl Tilly Flippance 9.36mins (Park Hill, Kenilworth), 1st Year 6 Boy Keelan Maddy 31 mins, 74th (Scouts, Coventry), 1st Year 6 Girls Sophie Causser and Phoebe Causser 12.06mins (Crescent School, Rugby).

Lower Secondary category on the Yellow 1.4km course: 1st Girl Florence Lunn 12.58mins (Kenilworth School), 1st Boy Jacob Oxtoby 11,09mins (King Henry VIII, Coventry).

Upper Secondary category on the Orange 2.6km course: 1st Boy Felix Lunn 11.02min (Kenilworth School), 1st Girl Pippa Smart 15.50mins (Myton School, Warwick).

The long 5km course with 17 controls was won by Benjamin Rauffet M21 (City of Birmingham O Club) in 24.20mins, Mike Wheeler M45 was second in 24.52mins, Roger Thetford (Thames Valley) was third in 27.30 and Rob Bambrook M45 4th in 27.32mins.

At Nesscliffe, organised by Wrekin Orienteers, Octavian Droobers club members competed in the Compass Sport first round.

The total score of 2406 points were achieved by some top class running, and members who scored the maximum of 100 points by winning their class were Kirsten Strain W21, Barry Elkington M60, Felix Lunn M16 and Florence Lunn.

To find out more about orienteering - an outdoor adventure sport finding positioned controls a bit like a treasure hunt - and the Octavian Droobers Orienteering Club visit their website: www.octavian-droobers.org