The 2022 Club Relays were originally planned for August, but delayed until 16^th October as the main organisers and course planners were not available at the original planned date.  So Max Grivell and Jack Marshall planned courses, and organized the event, with support from Jenny Casanova to control the event, and Simon Uppill to help with SI and the event software (and of courses the spreadsheet to decide the winning club).

The event was held in the northern part of Para Wirra NP on the last Sunday of the school holidays.  However this did not deter clubs from organizing a record number of team entries, 71 in all.  And many runners displayed the club shirts, including a new shirt for Wallaringa featuring the dingo logo.

Unfortunately the bush in Para Wirra has become thicker in some areas in recent years, so the start of the Hard and Moderate courses traversed some of the thicker bush in the first part of the courses.  Some track options were available, and the latter part of these courses traversed friendlier terrain.  The courses passed through a spectator control of a colourful inflatable rhino on the edge of the oval.

Our Facebook site has a series of photos and 2 videos of the mass start

1. From the map distribution location
2. Passing the start control

Team results are available on Eventor.

And the club results were as follows, YA had been on top for the last couple of years, but OH with a turnout of 20 teams and some good results, took the trophy this year. The points are calculated based on the results, allowing for the number of entries in a class, and the clubs participation as a percent of its membership.

Onkaparinga Hills - 33.99

Yalanga - 30.57

Tintookies - 25.42

Tjuringa – 18.07

Wallaringa – 10.69

The OSA Presentation evening was held on a cold, windy and showery evening at the Glenunga Hub.  Outdoor activities of Direction-O and Wombat Hunt were organized by Bridget Anderson and partaken between showers, although the wind moved some of the hidden wombats.

A great slide show of the main orienteering activities through the year was put together by Erica Diment and Leila Henderson. This cab be viewed here.

The following awards were presented:

Orienteer of the Year

Full results are available here  
Note that an orienteer had to attend at least 4 events
to be eligible for an OY award.

M20A – Toby Cazzolatto
M21A – Simon Uppill
M45A  - Greg Morcom
M55A – Ruhi Afnan
M65A – Paul Hoopman
M75A – Robert Smith
W16A – Gemma Burley
W20A  - Jemima Lloyd
W21A – Vanessa Round
W35A – Jenny Casanova
W45A – Sandra Afnan
W55A – Zara Soden
W65A – Robin Uppill
W75A – Carol Such
M21AS – Tyson Hillyard
M55AS – Jeff Dinning
W55AS – Lan Kelly
MOPenB – Patrick Burley
WOpenB – Jacqueline Stephens

Sue Millard Awards for the most improved junior awards

Boys – Ben Marshall (photo below)
Girls – Zoe Carter

Course Planner Award  

Jack Marshall – For the Roseworthy Sprint courses

Arlo mention made of Robert Smith for the Middle Distance Championships., Nigel Dobson for the OY at Bri Glen and Kym Barnet for the Long Distance Championships.

OSA would also like to thank the event controllers – David Tilbrook, Aylwin Lim, Gerry Velaitis, Tyson Hillyard and Jenny Casanova.

John Hall Service Award

And finally the John Hall Service Award was made to Bridget Uppill.  Presentaion below by Rob Tucker - OSA President.

Some more photos of the evening can be seen on OSA Facebook page

Kensington Gardens Reserve was bathed in glorious sunshine for the 37 teams from 19 schools competing in the annual SA Schools Relays on Friday, August 26.

Clive and Marian Arthur set some challenging courses within the bounds of the reserve that had the kids needing to keep their wits about them.   Mercifully, the number of dog walkers had dropped off by the time the kids headed off from the mass start at 10:30am or there might have been more than the single ice pack needed at the first aid station!

Our SA State Schools team reps competing showed that orienteering experience does count as where they were entered, they topped their classes.  Marcus Cazzolato and Ben Marschall took out Junior High Boys in 36:23, Jessica Jarvis and Lucinda Fogarty led Junior High Girls with 48:15 and Senior High Girls was won by Lucy Burley and Ana Penck in 53:31.

Regular orienteers Scarlett Ashforth and Ngaire Cassey from Hawthorndene Primary School also took out Primary Girls in 34:11 with Senior High Boys won by a mixed team of Abbie Faulkner and Mitchell Stephens from Marryatville High School in 47:31.

Primary Boys was a neck and neck tussle between Flynn Forgan and Kalem Weepers of Coromandel Valley Primary School and Archie Wandless and Brock Bezzina of Echunga Primary School.   The final sprint proved the difference with Kalem pipping Brock by 2s in a time of 30:20. 

Full results are available on Eventor.

Schools that sent larger teams including Adelaide Botanic High School (7 teams), Coromandel Valley, Stirling East and Black Forest Primary Schools all with 5 teams featured prominently in the results for the school shields with a revised scoring system to encourage greater school participation.   Unfortunately, Heathfield High School was unable to send a larger contingent due to covid restrictions.  The School Shield winners were

Primary Girls: Stirling East Primary School

Primary Boys: Coromandel Valley Primary School

 Junior High Girls: Mitcham Girls High School

Junior High Boys: No award as only mixed school teams completed the courses for this category.

Senior High Girls: Heathfield High School

Senior High Boys: Adelaide Botanic High School

The event ran like clockwork due, as usual, to a well-organised team of volunteers encouraged along by David Tilbrook, who has the organisation of the Relays event down to a fine art.   Thanks David and his team for a great event!

Article by Dianne Bergen & Colin Burnett

Photographs Zita Sankauskis