SA SPRINT CHAMPS

Close finishes at inaugural SA Snap Printing Sprint Championships

John Williams

SNAP Printing sponsored this new event, and the Flinders University venue was close to ideal, offering good spectator viewing and challenging terrain, allowing thoughtful course setting, provided by Adrian Uppill for the organising club, Onkaparinga Hills. Courses were planned with many common legs to allow for comparison of splits; in an early leg competitors had to choose an ‘over or under’ the bridge route: under was probably about 10 seconds faster - the field split 50/50 on this.

Fewer than 50 took part, maybe because of perceptions of what “sprint” implied, and the M17-39 field was weakened by the absence of Conrad Elson and Lachlan Hallett, while the W16 and W40+ classes each had only three entrants.

There were few surprises, apart from the W17-39, with Vanessa Round 3rd and Rebecca Hembrow 5th behind Zebedy Hallett (7.4mins per km) who was one minute ahead of Mallory Hughes.

Simon Uppill’s 2min 25secs win in the M17-39 (6.0 minutes per km ) was outstanding, with new schools team coach John Nieuwenhoven, in second place - also meritorious. Tristan Lee, third, looks to be the only orienteer with the speed to threaten Uppill’s dominance.

The closest race was in M16, with Rory McComb (1st), Sean Hooper and Andrew Mogridge all within 5 secs for their 2.6km course, while in M40 Andrew McComb (7.0 mins per km) had to fight off an in-form M55 Paul Hoopmann, winning by only nine seconds. Heinz Leuenberger had his best run for the year in holding out Steve Hicks for third.

In W16 and W40+, Marissa Lee and Robin Uppill easily won their classes, with Robin, 34 years older than Marissa, running only 2min 41secs slower for the same 2.3km course! At the presentation, Onkaparinga Hills President, David Tilbrook, thanked Robert Smith and Snap Printing for supporting the event during the whole Sprint-O ‘season’, and for supplying gold, silver and bronze mugs to the place-getters. Robert also presented awards to the winners of the Snap Printing Series, Lachlan and Zebedy Hallett.

Section of the Flinders University map by Adrian Uppill.

Bryn McComb about to start, assisted by Vern Hembrow and John Such. Simon Uppill planning his route to the first control. Labouring up a long steep hill during the Long Distance Final at the World Champs in Japan. Hanny Allston third from camera. Photo: Bob Mouatt.

Troy de Haas during the Sprint Final in Japan where he finished in 7th place – the best finish yet by an Aussie male at Foot-O World Champs