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Steady drizzle and low cloud gave way to almost spring like conditions at Millom
Park Wood, in the west of the County, on Sunday, the venue for Lakeland
Orienteering Clubs’ Annual Championship. The handicapped event, which marked the
start of the new season, was planned and organised by fell runner/ orienteer
Derek Ratcliffe and his family. Daughter India won last years championship, and
it is a club tradition that the winner takes on this task the following year.
Millom Park Wood is a new venue for most of the club’s members, having been
used for the first time last year for the Cumbria Schools’ Championship. It
incorporates very varied conifer and broadleaved woodland, with mixed
undergrowth and visibility and some areas of rocky, steep, small hills which are
both physically and technically challenging. Numerous tracks, paths and streams
also make it very suitable for less technical junior courses.
Overall winner was Clare Evans who made effective use of a favourable
handicap on the short course to finish well ahead of the pack of finishers
expected to return around midday. Other prizes went to individuals who performed
well against their handicap based on a selection of last year’s events. Matthew
Edge piped Katie Wright to win the junior course by 2 seconds. Nathan and Angela
Metcalfe were the best performers on the short course which was won by Nathan;
Jemma Bell and Joe Bragg on the medium, which was won by Judy Warner; and Derek
Fryer and Steven Bragg on the long, won by Iain Smith Ward.
Ian Smith-Ward also received the Navigator Trophy at the celebration lunch
after the event in recognition for his major contribution to the club – managing
the clubs electronic timing equipment, preparing and printing all the maps and
courses needed for events, as well as planning events and taking an active part
in the club’s affairs. The Fast Cat Trophy, awarded to a senior member who
gained at least three championship standards in National races in the previous
year, went to Beryl Offley, and the Ian Blakey Trophy for the most improved
junior went to Rebecca McKenny, one of the Club’s contingent from Ulverston
Victoria High School.
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