2019 Highlights from the Eureka Orienteers, Ballarat

WORDS BLAKE GORDON, SECRETARY, EUREKA ORIENTEERS

Every year we reflect and record what were the highlights, individual achievements, strength and weaknesses and plans for the next year. Our 45th year was full of highlights; I’ve listed six that stood out.

MapRun (7 events) was successfully introduced to Ballarat by Ian Chennell and a small team of members that took up the challenge of setting electronic controls on the smartphone app in and around the parks, streets and gardens of Ballarat during summer and autumn. Ballarat Winter Series ran five low-key events culminating in the Eureka Challenge at Enfield thanks to Roch Prendergast - before the rain descended! The 2019 Australian MTBO Championships were an outstanding success with Ian Chennell and Blake Gordon combining the expertise of Eureka, Yarra Valley and Bayside clubs to produce five quality events in Maryborough and Dunolly (and a dinner at the Maryborough Station!) in three memorable October days. Ken and Anita Dowling’s dedicated effort in establishing a permanent orienteering course (POC) at Cornish Hill which showcase direct experience of the Daylesford’s mining history within the city limits for visitors and school children. Ian Chennell’s determined and successful effort to update the electronic entry, timing and results capabilities for both small and large events – tested at Maryborough with 5 events in 3 days! Eureka’s team of Sam and Mark Valentine and Toby Cooper staged the largest aMAZEing Geelong for the Victorian Teachers Games in September, while Monica Dickson and Helen Bloom set challenging clues in aMAZEing Buninyong just south of Ballarat.

2019 was crammed with individual achievements some of which are noted below.

Jenny Bourne’s detailed, technical courses at Petticoat Gully combined with Gary Buchan’s organising and Geoff Lawford’s checking in early March Aislinn Prendergast elected Secretary of Orienteering Victoria Jenny Bourne scored the highest number of points (24) in the “Silva Orienteer of the Year” medal but beaten on a countback on winning margin

Geoff Lawford added to “Orienteering Australia Hall of Fame” – Athletes Division Aislinn P 45th in WOC Long Champs; Belinda Lawford 20th in WOC Middle Qualifier in Norway Podium finishes at the Oceania Championships for Jenny B, Geoff L, Belinda L and Roch P Podium finishes at Australian MTBO Championships for Patrick Cooper, Eleanor Williams, Dale Ann Gordon, Gary Buchan and Warwick Williams; Dale G and Monica Dickson won Victorian Resident Champion spikes on all 4 events! Podium finishes for Aislinn P, Belinda L, Jenny B and Geoff L at Easter 3-Days Orienteering Eureka took 2nd Place Club in the Victorian Autumn Series in the 6-event series Blake Gordon (M70) won the 5-event Victorian MTBO Series on Course 4.

The annual awards presented at the 2019 AGM at Mt Clear Scout Hall ‘Jenny Jamieson Award’ – Warwick Williams (work with schools-o, setting events, course advising, and much more) ‘Stuff Up of the Year’ – Gary Buchan (for crashes story at Aust MTBO Champs dinner) Inaugural ‘Tom Norwood Award’ – Ken Dowling (concept and management of POC Cornish Hill) ‘Silva Orienteer of the Year’ Cup for 2019 – Jenny Bourne – she gets our cup but not the medal!

In summary, I think our small Victorian country Eureka club have made many noteworthy accomplishments in 2019, our 45th year. I should mention how pleased EU has been that Terry Haebich (former OVic Treasurer) and Bill Borrie (Assistant Coach of Junior Squad) returned to the club after long absences due to injury (Terry) and teaching overseas (Bill). Eureka received terrific support in our mountain bike orienteering program this year from Peter and Carolyn Cusworth (BK), Kathy Liley (YV), Ed Steenbergen (CH), Rose and Andrew Campbell (AW) and Keith Wade (TK). Without their assistance we would not have been able run quality events across both foot and mtbo disciplines. Blake Gordon, Secretary, Eureka Orienteers Inc.