More than 150 competitors from Under 10s to Over 75 flocked to the Queensland Orienteering Championships held in good weather and challenging granite terrain at the weekend.
The two-day championships were held at the Mountain Park property north of Dalveen and attracted orienteers throughout Queensland as well as an international contingent according to host club Bullecourt Boulder Bounders Club spokesperson Liz Bourne.
“The field included orienteers from the Southern Downs and South East Qld as well as a good contingent from interstate and visitors from Great Britain, Canada and New Zealand,” she said.
“Cr Russell Wantling presented the awards to the placegetters in the 25 Championship classes. “The top woman was Mikaela Gray from Brisbane who has been an Australian representative at the Junior World Championships while another former junior representative, Matt Doyle, also from Brisbane, was the top placed man.
“Many of the orienteers who competed over the weekend will now be heading south to Armidale for the Australian Orienteering Championships Carnival which begin on Saturday.”
Stanthorpe-based Bourne is part of the large contingent from this region heading to the National carnival.
“We will have Doug and Anne Wilson and Marion and Phil Burrill from Warwick, as well as
Matilda Cooper from Inglewood who is in the Independents team of juniors who did not get selected in the Qld Schools team,” Bourne said.
“Ewan and his father, Greg, and mother Sarah Betts from Wyberba will also represent. Ewan is in the Qld Schools team. While Kris Patterson and I are from Stanthorpe.”
Our own Samantha Wantling was on-hand to capture the presentation of the winners.