Junior Incentive Scheme

Hi all check out the scores on the doors for the junior incentive scheme. Lots of people qualifying for awards and the first few getting a participation award. Great going everyone.

Junior Home Internationals 2013

The Junior Home International is a competition held between teams from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales every year, with the location cycling between the four countries. This year, the competetion was in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales, with the individual race on Mynedd Llangatwg and the relay race on Clydach terrace. LVO was well represented with Eoghan Knight(M14), Jill Stephens (W16), Paul Pruzina (M16), James Millar (M16) and Harry Millar (M18) all running for Ireland.
The Individual race area was open mountainside, with very gradual contours so not much to navigate by if you got lost, making relocation very difficult. The map of the area with the M16 course marked is below:

The Relay was again open mountainside, but with much more intricate contour detail - quite like sand dunes, except on a mountain. Very fast running and difficlut navigation made this a very fast race, so even a small mistake cost a lot. The map is below:

The JHIs are a great experience and offer really good competetion that really improves your orienteering by letting you compete on new areas against new people, and LVO juniors should try to aim to be selected for this sort of competition, especially those moving up to M/W14 next year, as it is their first year eligible for selection. Just look at these pictures of us having fun to inspire you...

Jill on Individual

Paul on relay first leg

Eoghan on individual

Harry on individual

James at Spectator Control on Individual

A Testing 2 Hours

Waiting for a bus - or the compass test

On the 15 Sep the Junior Squad took part in a training session with a twist in Hillsborough Forest Park. Thankfully the rain had stopped and it was a dry event.  The aim of the day was to get round a course of about 2 km and on the way round complete four stands. These stands covered compass use, map symbols, pacing and control descriptions.

The course wasn't easy with a section of control picking in the forest that required all the skills taught before the summer. Some people did very well whilst other found it a bit more challenging. Everyone learnt a little bit more about the sport and their own capabilities.

He's behind you!!!

It's round here somewhere

I think it's messed up his hair

A small line of ants carrying playing cards cross the map symbol test

"Spare a penny for the birds kind sir"

Happy Days

Jumping for Joy - It's all over

"Yes I saw a little pixie right here. He was just this height"

And for the Results!!

In all 12 juniors took part. Everyone did very well to get round. The timings for the course have been combined with the scores from the stands in our purpose built results generating computer to produce an adjusted time (eg time added on for score points lost). Its been very technical work but in the end the machine has told us the following:

Joint First Place: Matthew Smith and Sophie Pruzina (adjusted time of 26.5 minutes).

Second Place: Andrew Elwood (adjusted time of 27.5 minutes).

Third Place: Peter Reed (adjusted time of 32 minutes).

The adjusted time for everyone else was as follows:

Luke Collins 33.5 minutes

Jack O'Dwyer Henry - 33.5 minutes

Tom Earnshaw 34 minutes

Clare Robinson 35 minutes

Ellen Smith 39.5 minutes

Ben Jonston 41 minutes

Donovan Draper 42 minutes

Jamie Wilson 46 minutes

Some people had fast times but not so great scores at the tests. This ended up costing a lot of places in adjusted times. It would be a good idea to brush up on pacing and map symbols for a few people. So if that is you and you don't know what to do just ask me and I will help. 

See you all at the next event.

 

Hillsborough Park - Junior Training 15 Sep

Looks like we have enough people now to run the training at Hillsborough Park on the 15 Sep. It will be a great day so make sure not to miss it. We will be running a course with a difference. There will be a timed event with a series of special control stands on the way round covering (1) pacing, (2) map symbols, (3) control descriptions and (4) compass work.  Some juniors have confirmed already. Come along and have a go but make sure you let me know.