Dumfries and Galloway Regional Orienteering Championships

Apr 8 2011 Dumfries Standard Friday

THE Dumfries and Galloway Regional Schools Orienteering Championships were held at Drumlanrig Woods courtesy of Buccleuch Estates.

The races were organised by Solway Orienteers with the assistance of the region’s Outdoor Activity Services.

The pleasant weather played its part in the smooth running of the competition and all involved had a good day out.

The turn out of primary schools was disappointing given that the normal Saturday morning events attract a large number of younger runners.

However, the secondary schools’ numbers showed an increase on last year.

The results showed only two primary categories contested and winners of the P5 pairs were Louie Forsyth and Chloe Cowan with Hamish Anderson and Mark Blackwood runners-up.

The third pair running were Isla O’ Donoghue and Niamh McQuarrie. All were from Dalbeattie Primary.

No P6 competitors entered and Joe Reilly of Auchencairn had to contest the P7 Boys’ course against himself, although in orienteering no one knows who is actually running against whom once out in the forest as the main challenge is to complete the course.

The S1 Boys competition was dominated by Dumfries High School with Neil Clark winning comfortably from Dylan Cairnie and Scott McCrone in bronze medal position.

Dalbeattie High School pupils contested the S1 Girls race with Ailsa O’ Donoghue the clear winner over Rhiannon Gerrard.

The S2 Boys medallists finished their course well clear of the others with Dumfries HS again dominant. Winner was Fraser McDougall with second placed Jamie Coulter coming in just four seconds faster than Jack Wilson. Christina Swan of Dumfries HS won the S2 Girls category by just a few seconds from Lydia Reilly of Kirkcudbright Academy with Lucy Parker of Dumfries HS in bronze medal place.

William Beishuizen of Moffat Academy won the S3/4 Boys’ course by a small margin from Harry Sugden of Wallace Hall Academy and third place went to Kieran Roan of Maxwelltown High School.

For the S3/4 Girls, Rachel Howard of Maxwelltown HS was declared winner with Phyllis Dickson of Douglas Ewart HS second and Shannon Peat of Maxwelltown HS third.

In the S5/6 category, Liam Wood of Moffat Academy beat Richard Scales of Castle Douglas HS by less than half a minute with Daniel Cottrell of Moffat in third position. The Girls had a less successful competition with Rachel Walker of Dumfries HS declared winner.

As well as gold, silver and bronze medals awarded to winners in each class, the Senior Girls Cup was won by top S3/S4 Girl, Rachel Howard, Maxwelltown High School; the RBS shields went to S5/S6 Boys winner Liam Wood, Moffat Academy; and S5/S6 Girls winner Rachel Walker, Dumfries High School

Dalbeattie won the Primary Schools shield.

Full results of the competition and information of more orienteering events is on the Solway Orienteers website at www.solwayorienteers.co.uk.