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DROC members enjoyed bush events in two States – while some headed to the Flinders Ranges for the South Australian Championships, others stayed closer to home at Balt Camp, a short drive north of Melbourne.  Great results were achieved in both locations.

In the SA Middle Distance Champs, Janine placed 4th, Peter D came 5th, and Simon was 6th in M21E, a very impressive result in a National event.  The Ultralong next day saw Lanita claim victory by 4 minutes in the final JWOC selection race.  Janine gained a podium finish with 3rd, Peter D maintained consistency with another 5th, and Pete and Ilze finished first and second respectively in the Enter on Day categories.  While we now wait for the all important JWOC team announcement, both Lanita and Asha are in the Junior Bushrangers team to represent Australia in New Zealand.

Meanwhile closer to home, we enjoyed superb weather and terrain that proved more of a challenge than expected, at Balt Camp.  Despite most of us admitting to multiple errors, we had some good results with Debbie winning Course 6, Denise second on Course 3, Arika and Luca were third and fourth on Course 8, and Sarah, Peter H and Peter G were 5th on their courses.  Andras, Ian, and Leo were all in the top half on Course 1 or 2 so all around not a bad day!

DROC members were out in force on a beautiful Autumn Sunday at Westerfolds Park, for the first MelBushO event of 2016.  It was great to see such a strong contingent which included a number of our younger, and newer orienteers.  Everyone had a great time, and we saw some top performances, particularly from Prez Pete who won A course in a sizzling 34 minutes; and Eric Louw who was second on C course in a speedy 26 minutes.  Others to impress were Ian Dodd, Andras Bogdanovits, Ian Davies and James Love, who were all inside the top 10 on their courses.

Check out the Gallery for photos from the event.

The next MelBushO is on Sunday April 17 at Cardinia Reservoir, and it’s DROC’s turn to host.  Courses have been set by Pam King.  MelBushO events are a perfect introduction for newcomers who would like to learn bush orienteering, in locations close to Melbourne.  They are ideal for families looking for an outdoor activity they can do together, and for experienced navigators wanting to keep fit and hone their skills.

There is no need to pre-enter; simply register and pay on the day.  You can choose any of four courses – Long Hard, Short Hard, Moderate, or Easy.  Start any time from 10am until 12 noon.  Please remember that courses close at 1pm, so make sure you arrive with plenty of time to complete your course by that time.

Sportident electronic timing will be used – if you have your own SI stick, bring it to Registration for touch screen entry.  If not, you can borrow one at Rego.  Coaching, equipment loan and refreshments are all included in your entry fee of $10 for adults and $5 for juniors.

Enquiries: voaATiinet.net.au or 0409135020.

DROC members were out in force at the Melbourne Sprint Weekend, completing 6 fast and furious sprint orienteering races over 3 days, in Melbourne and Geelong.  Points were earned for each race, and accumulated to determine the overall winners.

Lanita Steer won the Junior Women Elite category by 1 point,after 3 first places and 2 seconds.  Asha Steer was third in the same category.  The events were selection trials for the JWOC team which is good news for our girls.

Junior Luca Bogdanovits placed second overall in W12, in her debut at sprint orienteering, an excellent achievement.  Sarah Davies was also second in Junior Girls, while Ryan Davies won Senior Boys.   Andras Bogdanovits was first in M40 with a consistent result in each race.

Martin Steer placed second in M50, while Ian Davies and Ian Dodd tied for 4th.  Peter Grover was second in M70, also with a string of very consistent results.

Check here for photos from the weekend.

The Park and Street Championship Final will be conducted on Monday 29 February, on the Gladeswood Spur map, in Mulgrave, starting at 7pm.  The course setter is Ian Greenwood, and the host club is Dandenong Ranges.

Please arrive in plenty of time to park, register and prepare. Toilets will be open, and drinking water will be provided.

Congratulations to DROC’s 2016 Finalists!

Peter Hobbs, Andrew Hester, Simon Rouse,  Ian Dodd, Ian Davies, Colin Pearce, Tony Bird, Phil Torode, Peter Dalwood, Cassy Dutton, Janine Steer, Debbie Dodd, Denise Pike, Peter Grover, Christine Palmer, Ros King and Pam King.

Here are some photos of DROC members enjoying the Eastern Summer Series at Camelot Rise

Our 2016 event program is in place – here’s what we’re doing this year:

Mon Feb 29 – Park and Street Championships, Mulgrave. The most prestigious event on the Park and Street calendar will be organised by DROC and set by Ian G.   www.vicorienteering.asu.au/parkstreet/championship

Mon Mar 14 – Race 6 of the Melbourne Sprint Weekend, Parade College, Bundoora.  The exciting finale to a 3 day, 6 race Sprint Festival.  www.parkstreeto.com.au/msw2016

Sun April 17 – MelbushO at Cardinia Reservoir – Sunday morning bush orienteering close to Melbourne, perfect for newcomers.  www.melbusho.com

Sun June 19 – MelbushO at Plenty Gorge Park – Sunday morning bush orienteering close to Melbourne, perfect for newcomers.  www.melbusho.com

Sat July 2 – EndurO at Scoresby – challenge yourself with a 2 hour or 75 minute Runners or Power Walkers course

Sun Oct 9 – Victorian Relay Championships, Brimbank Park, Keilor

In addition, we organise numerous Park and Street Summer Series and Winter Series events throughout the year.  Visit our Coming Events page for details.

The Orienteering Victoria website contains a complete fixture of events in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Not only was the DROC Christmas party a great opportunity to celebrate the festive season with a mouthwatering array of food, on a perfect summer evening.  Prez Pete handed out a record 19 Orienteering Australia Gold, Silver and Bronze merit badges, in recognition of a strong year for club members in National and State bush competition.

Gold: Peter Hobbs, Simon Rouse, Martin Steer, Peter Dalwood, Asha Steer, Lanita Steer

Silver: Ian Davies, Ian Dodd, Debbie Dodd, Peter Yeates, Sarah Davies, Janine Steer

Bronze: Merv Bendle, Mark Besley, Peter Grover, Christine Palmer, Pam King, Denise Pike, Ilze Yeates

On top of that, it was the Committee’s pleasure to announce three new Life Members.  Life membership is awarded to a very select group of people who have at least 15 years membership, and who have shown outstanding commitment to the club during that time.  The three people concerned all fit those criteria to a “tee”.  They are:

Petr Grover – current Secretary, active mapper and competitor since the early 1980s.  Peter is a quiet achiever who has held a number of committee positions, and provided us with many great maps over the years.

Pam King – joined in the 1990s, Pam has also held various Committee positions and is currently our map librarian – which involves making sure our maps are all up to date before each event, which is a massive job.  Pam is also involved in junior and schools orienteering programs.

Carl Stemp – while Carl doesn’t get along to too may events these days, he always supports the club in all its endeavours, and works enthusiastically at any task he’s given – from updating maps beforehand to collecting controls afterwards.  Carl has been heavily involved in junior and schools orienteering programs for many years.

Check out the March 2016 issue of Punchline for more about our Life Members.

Congratulations to our latest crop of Victorian Champions!  The Sprint Distance Champs were held at new venue RMIT Bundoora.  Great map, great courses, great results!  Our Junior Girls really shone.  On the Podium were:

1st place: Amber Louw, Sarah Davies, Lanita Steer, Janine Steer, Vic Sedunary

2nd place: Asha Steer, Debbie Dodd, Pam King, Martin Steer, Peter Dalwood

3rd place: Angus Hall

Cassy Dutton and Debbie Dodd also received their Sprint Into Spring Yellow and Green Jerseys, after 6 weeks of sprint racing.

Click to enlarge:             

Up and coming junior members Angus and Amber both competed at the Eastern Zone Primary Schools Orienteering Champs, held at Cardinia Reservoir Park.  We’re very pleased to report that they each placed second in their grade categories – great job!  The future is in good hands.  Angus has honed his skills during the year at MelBushO and it’s been great to see him running strongly and confidently.  Amber is new to orienteering this year but has learned fast and is doing well at Monday Summer Series.