OA NEWS

Sport class returns to NOL in 2023

After positive feedback from the trial of the Sport Class at Round 2 of the 2022 National Orienteering League (NOL) season, OA is excited to announce an ongoing trial in the 2023 season! The Sport Class, designed for competitive orienteers who may have other priorities than just the goal of Elite racing on the international level, will feature courses of approximately 70% of the corresponding Elite class. It will feature in both the junior and senior NOL competitions, where individuals will be competing for points as an important contribution to their States’ team result. In 2023, the Sport Class will feature in all forest races. 18 April Day 3, AUS 3-Days – Maidenwell 24 September Victoria Middle Distance Championships – Daylesford 25 September Australian Middle Distance Championships – Blackwood 30 September Australian Sprint Championships – Salesian College, Sunbury 1 October Australian Long Distance Championships – Nuggety Ridge

Congratulations to Marina Iskhakova (RR‑ACT) on winning the 2022 SILVA Medal on a countback from Aston Key (MFR‑VIC). Marina’s average winning margin was 0.17, Aston’s was 0.05. It was a back‑to‑back win for Marina as she was also victorious in 2021.

Marina Iskhakova punches another control.

2022 SILVA Medal

DARRYL ERBACHER - OA STATISTICIAN

The SILVA Medal is awarded to the Australian orienteer who best performs relative to their class in specified events. Points are awarded for Days 1, 2 and 3 of the Australian 3‑Days Championship, the Australian Long Distance Championships, the Australian Middle Distance Championships, the Australian Sprint Championships, any State Championships conducted at the 3‑Days carnival and the Australian Championships Carnival and the Asia Pacific Orienteering Championships or Oceania Championships (when conducted in Australia) as follows: 1st – 4 points; 2nd – 3 points; 3rd – 2 points; for otherwise finishing 1 point. The SILVA Medal winner is the orienteer with the maximum number of points accumulated from their best six events. In the event of a tie, the SILVA Medal is determined by count back using the average of the six best winning margins. In 2022 the relevant events were: 16 April Day 1, AUS 3-Days – Reedy Creek 17 April Day 2, AUS 3-Days – Reedy Creek Marina’s back‑to‑back wins joins those achieved previously by: • Alex Tarr (1976/1977); • Ian Hassall (1992/1993/1994, 1998/1999, 2004/2005); • Geoff Lawford (2010/2011). Orienteers who achieved a score of 20 or more points are listed below:

Name Club Class Pts

Av win margin

Marina Iskhakova* RR A W40A 24 0.17 Aston Key* MF V M21E 24 0.05 Rob Walter RR A M45A 23 Grace Crane AO A W21E 23 Steve Flick BN N M75A 22 Jenny Hawkins NT N W75A 22 Jenny Bourne* AO A W65A 22 Jennifer Enderby* NC N W50A 22 Geoff Lawford* AO A M55A 22 Cooper Horley GO N M16A 22 Torren Arthur MF V M18A 21 Debbie Davey WR N W65A 21 Cathy McComb AL T W50A 21 Alison Radford BG V W70A 21 Bruce Arthur MF V M45A 20

2022 National Rankings – non-elite

Rankings in non‑Elite classes have been determined based on results in the Australian 3‑Days Championship (31, 32, 33), Australian Championships (AS, AM, AL) and the Victorian Middle Distance Championships (VM). Points are awarded for each event (with at least 4 starters) completed on the basis of 100 points for first place and lesser points for other competitors. When more than one orienteer in a class has 100 points, the first ranked orienteer is determined by the average of their three best winning margins. Some points of interest in the 2022 rankings: 1. Winner by the largest margin was

Dale Ann Gordon (EU V) at 40.73. 2. There were a number of classes where orienteers scored 100 points:

W65 – Jenny Bourne (AO A), Debbie

Davey (WR N); W50 – Jennifer

Enderby (NC N), Cathy McComb (AL

T); M80 – Trevor Sauer (SO Q), Alex

Tarr (YV V). 3. There were 32 clubs that had members ranked in the first three places: ALT , RR A (12); YV V (6); MF

V (5); AO A, BF N, GO N, NC N (4); BK

V, KO W, PO A (3); BN N, BO W, EN Q,

EV T, RR Q, SH N, SO Q (2); BB Q, BG

V, BN N, BS A, LO W, NE V, OH S, ST

N, UG Q, WO W, WR N, YA S (1). 4. Families with two or more members in the first three places in the rankings were: Dent (RR A) – Layla (W10), Hayden(M12), Connor (M12),

Elye (W14), Kathy (W40); Radajewski (PO A) – Tessa (W10), Alice (W14),

Owen (M16); McComb (AL T) –

Zali (W18), Cathy (W60), Jonathan (M50); Iskhakova (RR A) – Veronika (W12), Ariadna (W14), Marina (W40);

Bourne/Lawford (AO A) – Jenny W60),

Geoff (M55); Key (MF V) – Sue (W65),

Warren (M60); Arthur (MF V) – Torren (M18), Bruce (M45); Braid (KO W) –

Rohan (M12), Lachlan (W14). 5. The classes with most ranked runners were, for the women, W16 (16), and for the men M65 (22). 6. The most successful States for first places were: ACT (15) and Victoria (8).