News

An article by Erin Paterson about the NISS champs, 2nd and 3rd May 2008

Four Taranaki students, Edward Lawley, Billy Rodenburg and Liam Paterson, representing NPBHS, and myself, Erin Paterson, representing NPGHS, traveled to Napier for the last few days of the school holidays to compete in the North Island Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships. The three boys were all competing in the same grade, Intermediate Boy’s Championship although Liam was eligible to compete as a junior. Each grade is divided into two levels: standard for those with little experience who require an easier level, and championship for more experienced competitors willing to compete against some of the countries top secondary school orienteers. All four representatives of the Taranaki schools were competing in the championship grades over the weekend.

The event was run in pine forest just out of Napier which was also used as a mountain biking venue. At first glance the map showed somewhat dauntingly steep hills, however the organisers and setters had minimised the amount of height that competitors would have to gain and once out on the course, the climb was hardly noticeable and it was an enjoyable race.

The atmosphere around the start/finish area was very friendly and social. With around 500 competitors from all over the North Island there were many people willing to compare times and route choices between controls after the race. The common last control and finish chute were planned very well, creating a great area for spectators and supporters to stand and cheer wildly as a familiar competitor punched the final control and sprinted to the finish line.

In the Intermediate Boy’s Championship race the three from NPBHS did exceptionally well. Liam finished 2nd against not only very experienced orienteers but boys up to two years older than him. Edward also did amazingly well for not being as experienced as many others. He finished 11th, only eleven minutes behind the winner. Billy did very well too, coming 20th out of 32 Championship runners. All three of these results are excellent. These boys were up against some of the top orienteers for their age group. We have to recognise they competed in the Championship grade while many also competed in the standard, showing that they really are or could become talented orienteers.

I competed in Intermediate Girls Championship, finishing 2nd also. I was pleased with this result as I beat several of the girls that have been my main competition at National events, however I feel that I could have improved my overall performance by navigating to several of the controls in a tidier manner and possibly choosing more efficient route choices between some controls.

The relays on the second day were a success: Liam, Edward and Billy formed an Intermediate Boy’s team. All three had great runs, completing in extremely fast times. There team finished 3rd, a great result seeing as they were up against far more experienced runners.

I joined a Senior Girls' composite team as I was the only competitor from NPGHS. I joined two other experienced girls, one from Iona College, the other from Wanganui High School. Together we won the Senior Girls' Relay by a massive 15 minutes. However, because we were a composite team, we were unofficial and so were not recognised at the prize giving.
The atmosphere at relays is always amazing. The amount of support that teams get from fellow competitors and parents is great. A spectator control and the finish/tagging area was well planned to make the most of supporters’ potential.

Other than the orienteering, the four of us also had great fun at the local swimming pools where we managed to stay until 7pm. The trip was a great experience, both competitively and socially and I’d like to thank Jay Paterson for being our support crew, driving us to Napier and to the events and providing the four of us with useful tips and last minute coaching.

I’m now really looking forward to the National Secondary School Champs which will be held in the Waikato, mid July. It would be great to have more students involved from Taranaki schools, particularly for the relays. There will be opportunities beforehand for coaching at the local events so students can gain more experience.

Maybe I’ll see you there.