State Series as you’ve never seen it before!  Yarra Valley Grammar School was the venue for two fantastic sprint races. Stage 1 was a traditional sprint in the complex buildings and sloped gardens; Stage 2 saw competitors paired up for a head to head race with butterfly loops and pivot controls.  The action was fast and furious; the spectating from the top deck was brilliant, and there was plenty going on at half time to keep the atmosphere buzzing.

Stage 1 Results     Stage 1 Winsplits

Stage 2 Results     Stage 2 Splits

Overall Results

Check our Gallery for Photos

Thanks to Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Club, and in particular:

• Sarah Davies – Course Setter Stage 1
• Peter Hobbs – Course Setter Stage 2
• Tim Hatley (BKV) – Event Advisor
• Ian Davies – Field Coordinator
• Debbie Dodd – Event Director
• Ian Dodd and Jim Russell – Timing Systems and Results Coordinators
• Fredrik Johansson – Mapper

and the Team – Registration, Start, Finish, Entertainment etc

Congratulations to the five DROC juniors who competed at the Victorian Secondary Schools Championships, which doubled as a selection race for the Victorian Schools Team which will compete at the Australian Champs in NSW in September.  Three of our juniors were competing at secondary level for the first time, stepping up to a much harder standard of navigation.

We had fantastic results:

Sarah Davies – 1st, Girls 16A

James Love – 1st, Boys 13A

Angus Hall – 2nd, Boys 13A

Luca Bogdanovits – 6th, Girls 13A

Arika Bogdanovits – 5th, Girls 15A

Well done to all, and best of luck with team selection. The team will be announced after the June long weekend.

Below: James (left) and Angus placed 1st and 2nd

DROC is delighted to present the first Victorian Sprint Double State Series!  Race 1 is a traditional Sprint, using complex campus terrain with a mixture of buildings, gardens, corridors, paths and man made features.  Race 2 will offer a different format with an opportunity for head to head racing, which will be highly exciting for competitors and spectators alike!  Your times from both races will be added to produce your final result.

Race 1 starts are at 1 min intervals, between 10am and 11.30am, with course closure at 12 noon.  Race 2 starts are from 1pm.

Map:  Yarra Valley Grammar School (2017), mapped by Fredrik Johanson.  Scale: 1:3000, full colour ISSOM, A4 on Pretex waterproof paper.

Course Planners: Sarah Davies, Peter Hobbs.  Event Advisor: Tim Hatley

Arena:  The Start and Finish are at the Sports Pavilion, which provides toilets, water, shelter, and fantastic spectating from the upper deck.  Competitors are encouraged to bring lunch and enjoy the atmosphere.  Live results will be displayed on large screens (thanks Jim!).  Official results and splits will be published online immediately after courses close.

Directions:  Enter the Yarra Valley Grammar School campus from the Sports Centre gate on Plymouth Road. Note, this is the eastern of the two vehicle access points on Plymouth Road. Park in the Sports Centre car park, then follow tapes across the sports fields to the Sports Pavilion. Do not enter the school from Kalinda Road, or park in any other car parks.

Some areas of the sports fields may be out of bounds. Please respect out of bounds tapes and signs.  The School has banned all access to the forest area east of the Sports Centre car park.  Entry into this area will jeopardise future use of the School for orienteering.

Entry:  Online entries close on Wednesday May 17, at 11.59pm.  Go to the Eventor calendar.  There are two Sprint races listed on May 21.  Entry into either Race 1 or Race 2 will automatically put you into the other race, ie no need to select both races.  You will pay a single entry fee of $16 for adult OV members and $8 for junior OV members.  Non members will pay an additional $10/$5.

Select from the normal range of State Series classes.  These have been combined onto four courses as follows.  State Series points will be allocated by class.

After selecting your class, choose a payment option and complete your entry. Note: there is no discount for competing in only one race.  Please notify organisers in advance or on the day, if you are unable to compete in both races.

Entry on the day will be available on selected courses only, subject to map availability.  EOD fees are $20 adults, $10 juniors, with a $10/$5 surcharge for non OV members.  Newcomers may enter at Member rates.

Schools Selection – this event is a Schools Team selection race.  Aspiring team members are asked to enter the following classes:  Senior Boys – OVM2; Senior Girls – OVM3; Junior Boys – OVM6; Junior Girls – OVW6.

Further details, including course lengths and terrain details will be posted on Eventor and OV website in the week prior to the event.

Questions?  Email debbiedodd@iinet.net.au, or call 0409 135 020.

A number of club members have just returned from Auckland, where we competed in the Oceania Regional Championships, followed by the World Masters Games.  It was two weeks of highly intense competition in urban Auckland, Rotorua, and the incredibly complicated sand dune terrain of Woodhill Forest – check out the maps on the Oceania and WMOC websites and you’ll see what I mean – most notable were the Oceania Middle Distance, the World Masters Sprint Qualifier, and any of the 3 World Masters Long Distance races, where the contour detail has to be seen to be believed.

We had a wonderful time and some great performances, including podium finishes by Asha and Lanita Steer at Oceania. Asha was third in the Sprint, and part of the winning Junior Elite Womens relay team, cleaning up the highly fancied NZ team and sealing selection for JWOC.  Lanita claimed her first Senior medal with third place in the W21E Relays – a brilliant effort by both.

Simon Rouse also had a great week in M40 (we will forgive him for competing under the Kiwi banner) – 5^th in the Oceania Sprint, 4^th in the Oceania Long, 5^th in the Oceania Middle, 10^th in the WMOC Sprint, and 17^th in the Long!  Peter Dalwood, competing in the huge M70 age class, also had a fantastic week. He was 15^th in the Oceania Sprint and the Middle Earth Sprint, then claimed a place in the WMOC Sprint A final, where he finished 23^rd of 78.  Peter Hobbs claimed 5^th in the Oceania Long in M35; while I was very happy with a 4^th, and first Australian, in W55AS at the Oceania Long.  Simply surviving 11 tough races was an achievement!

It was a warm day for hill climbing, but the views were worth the effort.  We got close up to some large rocks, and saw kangaroos as well.  Young and old alike all enjoyed spending time in the beautiful forest, navigating their way around the courses set for us by Ian Davies.  The DROC crew were on hand to ensure everything went smoothly, and it was fantastic to see so many club members come along, including many of our juniors. We also sold lots of JWOC Jam!

Ian Dodd was 6th on course 1, one of a handful of runners to complete a tough physical course in under 50 minutes. Also well up the list was Andras Bogdanovits, our next MelbushO course setter.  Janine Steer and Graham Wallis were top 10 finishers on course 2, as was up and coming junior James Love.  Course 3 saw Martin Steer a comfortable winner, with a strong second from Eric Louw.  Our juniors did themselves proud on Course 4, with Daniel Kaman in second, Amber Louw in 5th, Luca, Heni and Arika all in the top half of the field, and Sammy Love also doing really well in only her second event.

Thanks to all who came along to help out, and to support the club.  Our next big event is the Sprint Double on Sunday May 21 at Yarra Valley Grammar School in Ringwood. Stay tuned!

What a great day it was. I’m so stoked with our win in course 1. In the grave yard, whilst waiting, there was some banter about which BG team was going to win, especially as BG2 had quite a lead at the final change. But Simon and Asha had really solid runs and, speaking to Leon later, he was not aware that he was behind me – and I wasn’t aware that I was in front of him because he was not in the grave yard at the time Asha came through. It was only at the third last control that we realised what was happening! I had a very solid run – other than a 30 second error at one control and I pretty much nailed the course and just had one of those days where I was in the zone. If only that could happen more often!   Peter Hobbs

Have a look at this video of the start, and check the Gallery for lots of photos!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxVp7Lc3GQQycV9rZUc1a3h3SWs

Course 1 winners!

The annual Relay Championships were held at Darebin Parklands, with tougher than expected courses (ie not just a run in the park).  We’re delighted to announce that the DROC team of Simon Rouse, Asha Steer and Peter Hobbs WON the Blue Ribbon Course 1!  Simon finished leg 1 in first place, just seconds ahead of the Bendigo no 2 team.  Asha held her own to keep the team in second, 3 minutes down on Bendigo 2, but more importantly, 4 minutes ahead of Bendigo 1. Pete then ran the second fastest leg of the day, overhauling BG2, and finishing only metres ahead of the fast finishing BG1, while the DROC contingent erupted.

Not to be outdone, our Mixed team of Pam King, Denise Pike and Sarah Davies also brought home first place! Pam kept in touch with the field to be a narrow 5^th but only 40 seconds down. Again it was a Bendigo team out in front; Denise brought our team up to second, but with a 10 minute deficit to make up. Over to Sarah, who smashed it and crossed the line 5 minutes ahead of the second placed team.  Fantastic effort!

It was also fantastic to see how many team members, in only their first or second relays, stepped up beyond their level of experience and did a really great job.  Notable runs besides those already mentioned were Ian Dodd (3^rd) and Nick Maddock (5^th in his first Relay), as well as our juniors who all finished strongly.  Thanks also to Karen Strachan who stepped in at the very last minute to replace Andrew (who twisted an ankle) and ran a very creditable time.  Thanks also to team manager Ilze Yeates who kept us all on track as well as well fed!

Results are here.

More photos

The Rockhopper points for Best Club have been calculated with results as follows:

• 1st – Bendigo, 182 points
• 2nd – Dandenong Ranges, 122 points
• 3rd – Melbourne Forest Racers, 98 points
• 4th – Yarra Valley, 96 points

Full Rockhopper points here.

DROC turned in a dominant display in the Park and Street Championships at Bellbird Dell.  The courses were physically tough and long, the night was very warm, and the shortest routes were almost impossible to figure out.  The controls in the Dell required careful map reading and a cautious approach – all in all a real test of skills and stamina.

Of 13 Championship classes contested, DROC members won 6, and claimed almost half the medallions! Congratulations to Lanita Steer, who is now the Open Womens Champion, after a head to head sprint with sister Asha for the narrowest of victories.  Our Champions are:

• Lanita Steer – Womens Open
• Janine Steer – Womens Vet
• Ian Davies – Mens Senior
• Tony Bird – Mens Supervet
• Peter Grover – Mens Supervet PW
• Helen Kerley – Womens Supervet PW

Runners up were Colin Pearce, Asha Steer, Denise Pike, Lyn Greenwood, Ros King.  Third places went to Peter Hobbs and Debbie Dodd.

Medallions will be presented at the Summer Series Awards Night on Wednesday March 15.

The new year is still, well, new, but DROC has been kept busy with the Park and Street orienteering summer series.

Our program of Winter Sunday events in 2017 includes:

• MelBushO 1, Sunday March 26, Lysterfield
• Sprint Double, Sunday May 21, venue tba
• MelbushO 5, Sunday July 23, Plenty Gorge Park South
• EndurO 2, Sunday August 12, Loughnans Link (Ringwood North)
• Victorian Sprint Championships, Sunday November 26, Monash Clayton

Head to our Coming Events page for details.

Many of our members are enjoying summer Park and Street orienteering on weeknights, and are training hard for the upcoming Park and Street Championships on Wednesday March 1.

DROC is welcoming new and returning members for 2017.  Join or renew now!  Visit our Membership page for details.

Congratulations to our club members who are now Victorian Sprint Champions!  After a fantastic weekend of Sprint racing in Bendigo, we were once again one of the most successful clubs with 5 Champions and 5 Runners Up.  The Champs were held in the heart of Bendigo city, in a unique area that included a Chinese temple and garden, a former prison, and a fern maze.  We “tuned up” at the final 2 Sprint Into Spring races the day before, on two very contrasting terrain types – first a classic college campus, then a heavily eroded area of gold mining terrain.

Sprint Champions:  Sarah Davies, Lanita Steer, Carola Ray, Denise Pike, Ian Dodd

Runners Up:  Asha Steer, Debbie Dodd, Pam King, Simon Rouse, Peter Dalwood

Congratulations also to Daniel Kaman who won a Sprint Into Spring green jersey and was second overall, and to Luca Bogdanovits, who was third overall.  Great job by our juniors!

Check out the photos on our GALLERY page.