NSW ULTIMAX STINGERS

Meet Your Team

Seven state teams compete each year in a series of major events staged around Australia called the Australian National Orienteering League (NOL).

This is the first in a series of articles introducing the teams that compete against each other for the individual and team National League titles. In 2006 the NOL consists of 13 individual races and two relay races. Runners from each state gain points towards the team title and individual categories which are Men’s Elite, Women’s Elite, Men’s Junior Elite and Women’s Junior Elite. The teams are:

NSW Ultimax Stingers, Southern Arrows (SA), Victorian Nuggets, Western Nomads (WA), Queensland Cyclones, Tasmanian Foresters, SmokeFree Canberra Cockatoos (ACT)

In this edition Julian Dent introduces the NSW Ultimax Stingers.

Team Name: NSW Ultimax Stingers State: NSW Sponsor: Ultimax Socks

Highest Ranked:

Male – Julian Dent Female – Tracey Bluett NOL 2005: 2nd Team Website: www.nswstingers.com

David Meyer Briohny Davey

Felicity Brown

The New South Wales Ultimax Stingers came into being when the National League competition was re-vamped. Current members of the squad number around sixteen. In most competitive rounds they field a full team of 3 men and 3 women in each of the national league rounds. The depth is strongest amongst the males, recently fielding a strong team of at least 6 male runners in all the competitions so far in 2006. In the female ranks the depth is not quite as extensive but strong competitive teams are always fielded.

Training

The squad holds four training camps every year to organise and prepare for specific races in different terrains. With locations varying from the Blue

Mountains in the summer for some long runs to the NSW Association “Hut” in the Southern Highlands of NSW which is a central location for both the Sydney and Canberra based members. These camps are also supplemented by weekly training sessions. The Sydney based runners regularly meet for interval sessions on the North Shore of Sydney or the odd sand dune session down at Cronulla beach, and the weekly long run through the Sydney sandstone bush land. While the Canberra based members often join in on the Canberra Cockatoos training sessions with weekly orienteering intervals and regular technique training.

Rob Preston

Sponsorship

The squad’s major naming rights sponsor is Ultimax Socks by Wigwam. This sponsorship came about as a result from members in the squad, led by Rob Preston, competing in the AROC adventure racing series throughout the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons. By winning the majority of the races and becoming well known in Adventure Racing circles, the Stingers squad signed up with Ultimax socks for promotion in both Adventure Racing and Orienteering circles. This sponsorship provides support to all squad members for the NOL and the AROC adventure series. The Ultimax Stingers are the only NOL team with a commercial naming rights sponsor. The recently developed website, online at www.nswstingers.com, provides race reports and information on all squad activities and is also used as a promotional device to increase the exposure of the squad.

Eric Morris Funding

To help support all squad members in the NOL the squad continually carries out fundraising events and activities. Last year an Adventure Racing Training Camp was held for budding adventure racers wanting to better their skills in navigation. This was very successful with the squad members organising specific exercises and providing valuable advice. Another camp is planned for later this year. Other avenues of funding include organising numerous events throughout the year such as the upcoming “Ultimax 5-Days” to be held on 3rd - 7th January 2007 in the Orange region of NSW. The Stingers squad is the main organiser.

Ultimax Sydney Sprints

Another funding initiative has been the creation of the Ultimax Sydney Sprint Series in suburban Sydney. Organised by Sydney resident and Southern Arrows runner Ben Rattray, the series was very successful with the organisation of five races providing great training for squad members coming into the NOL season and also some great funding for squad activities. These races are held in pockets of technical terrain in Sydney parklands which provide enjoyable and complex orienteering. These races are set to continue in early 2007 and are great for everyone from complete beginners to elite orienteers.

Squad Developments

Recently the squad has been fitted out with new uniforms provided by our sponsors and new racing suits, creating a very identifiable team at all races. The squad is starting to focus on recruitment into the squad to continue the current successes into future years by coordinating camps with the NSW Junior Squad and carrying out mentoring roles with juniors and promoting the NOL as a future development path. This complements one of our overall aims of increasing our participation in the Junior NOL. A new manager is being recruited to enhance the overall organisation of the team, thus allowing athletes to primarily focus on orienteering, and the immediate goal of winning the NOL in 2006.

STINGERS MEMBERS Eric Morris Rob Preston Peter Preston Glenn Meyer Ian Meyer David Meyer Julian Dent Andy Hill Matt Parton Briohny Davey Felicity Brown Catherine Murphy Phoebe Dent Orla Murray Tracey Bluett Clare Murphy

Changing Times at Orienteering Australia

Major changes took place last Easter at the OA AGM. The end of an era in OA financial matters and administration came as both Kathy Liley and Dave Lotty stood down from their long tenures in those respective positions. Their contributions to Orienteering Australia were recognised during the awards ceremony at Easter when newly-elected President, Bob Mouatt, presented awards to Kathy and Dave in front of an appreciative crowd. AO caught up with them to talk about those years at the helm.

Kathy Liley

Kathy stood down from the position of Orienteering Australia Director (Finance) (formerly OFA Treasurer) at Easter after 16 years in the position. When The Australian Orienteer met with her she was looking decidedly relaxed.

AO: Sixteen years – that is a big commitment.

KL: I guess so. It really happened just a couple of years at a time. I never envisaged 16 years. I started at Burra in 1990 – perhaps I should have held on until Burra next year.

AO: What got you into orienteering administration?

KL: I started orienteering in late 1973 and was only just getting the hang of it when my teaching job took me to Gippsland, away from the orienteering epicentre in Victoria. I tried to make a map for my outdoor education students and very quickly discovered that I didn’t have the patience to be a mapper. That map was quite a talking point though – I’d envisaged it in black and white, but the local printer had red ink in his printer that day so I got a red and white map! When I returned to Melbourne and joined the Emu Orienteering Club, I was an outdoor education adviser working with teachers to help them conduct safe and educational orienteering and bushwalking activities for their students. It was a natural progression to become the Emu club coach and then secretary. The Emu’s technical expert was John Burrow (who is now farming in Wales) who worked with Barry McCrae. When Barry was looking for someone to coordinate the technical aspects of WOCARN (the carnival of public races associated with WOC in 1985), John Burrow suggested me. By the end of 1985 I’d decided that working on committees for a common purpose with keen orienteers was a pleasant way to spend my spare time. A stint as VOA secretary followed and also I undertook some study to gain accountancy qualifications. By 1990 I had been VOA delegate to the OFA for a couple of years and when Barry McCrae became ‘heir’ to the OFA Presidency, he asked me if I’d consider joining the OFA Board as Treasurer. I’ve outlasted a few presidents since then – I think the treasurer job as a ‘back room’ position is less stressful than the president’s role. I very much appreciate the work of Dave Lotty who has been Secretary/ Director (Administration) for all that time and longer. Work on the Board has changed a lot since 1990. Sports administration is expected to be much more professional now, and the seven (six from 2006) Directors focus much more on their own portfolios. In 1990 there were only three on the Board and we had to have our fingers in all the pies.

AO: In that time, you’ve managed to remain competitive in your orienteering as well.

KL: It’s interesting isn’t it! How many other sports would have top administrators also regarding themselves as ‘serious’ competitors? Even at the international level, the delegates at the IOF council meeting take time out to participate in an orienteering event. Since I started as Treasurer, I’ve also put more time into my orienteering and improved my ranking through the 90s. I’ve slackened off a bit in the last couple of years but was surprised to see that I still ended last year on top of the W55 rankings.

AO: So what will you do with all this spare time now?

KL: Sing! I joined the Melbourne Chorus of Sweet Adelines last year – it’s a women’s chorus singing 4-part barbershop harmony. And I’m finding it’s taking up rather more time than I’d envisaged when I started. They expected me to turn up for some weekend activities last year – including the first weekend in December. They were surprised when I said that I’d had a commitment on that weekend for the last 16 years (OA Annual Conference). But this year the chorus is going to America to compete at its international competition in early October so for the first time for over 20 years I’ll miss the Australian Championships carnival.

AO: Kathy – I’m sure all orienteers thank you for your contribution to Orienteering and wish you well in your future activities.

Dave Lotty

Dave took on the role of OFA Secretary (later OA Director – Administration) in March 1981, stepping into the shoes of your current Editor. In his 25 years in the role he has seen Orienteering in Australia grow and wane and grow again to the point today where Orienteering can claim recognition as a significant sport on the country’s competition calendar.

AO: What originally brought you into Orienteering?

DL: My background was in distance running (started in 1956 at age 11) and I represented AUS in 10,000m on the track at the Pacific Conference Games in 1969 in Tokyo (3rd in 29:02.4 with the winner 29:01.2). I was Secretary of my club (Randwick-Botany Harriers) from 1964 to 1971 and was also Secretary of the NSW Harrier Board (responsible for distance running) from 1966 to 1970. I started orienteering in November 1971 and (with Rod Dominish) formed the first NSW club (Bennelong Occasional Orienteers - now Bennelong Northside Orienteers) in December 1971. I helped to form OANSW in March 1972 and was initially a Vice-President, becoming Secretary in August 1972.

AO: How did you become involved with the national administration of Orienteering?

DL: I was NSW Councillor to the OFA from 1975 and became OFA Secretary in March 1981 (and later OA Director – Administration, when the titles changed).

AO: You’ve also been closely involved with events organization, haven’t you.

DL: Yes, I’ve been organiser, planner or controller of a number of National and International events in AUS including the 1980 and 1988 AUS 3-Days (organiser), 1994 AUS 3-Days (controller), 1999 AUS Champs (controller), 2000 AUS MTBO Champs (planner and mapper) and 2004 World MTBO Champs (national controller). I’m also a mapper and have drawn many orienteering maps (over 50 maps and 200sq km) and have completed over 2000 events.

AO: You held the record in Australia for the number of courses completed for some time.

DL: Yes – Ian Baker claimed that record some years back but I soon overtook his tally. I held the record for several years right up until last December when some usurper from a southern state overtook me. He only managed to do that because they have so many Park & Street-O events down there. In Sydney, when we run in the summer it’s usually in the bush.

AO: Dave, I’m sure your 25 years in the chair have brought some lasting memories. All orienteers salute you.