Sprint into Spring 2019

Maps

Mo

Sally

Usain

Results

course results

winsplits

Event Wrap
A Friday evening race was a first for Sprint Into Spring, as 2019’s first two events were also part of the Melbourne City Race Weekend.  The races drew out the locals, interstaters and internationals, all eager to vie for the first Jersey points of the series.

Course planner Judi’s brief was to set longer courses than normal, to fit the City Race theme; and to use a mix of campus, parkland and streets.  She met that perfectly, and more.  We started with a novel “tunnel crawl” before being thrown straight into VU’s always-confusing campus. Relief seemed in sight as we headed into the park, but no – it was up and down the terraces, count off the steps, get your angles right; then the brutal hill climb, followed all too quickly by a long sprint leg.  In our oxygen depleted state we had to refocus to navigate back through the arena and playground, providing great spectating.  Then unfold our maps to see some long legs up to the north. No time for resting – on with the job!  A great mix of terrain and race styles was a suitable kickoff to the weekend.

Mo – junior World Champ Aston Key sizzled around the course in 18 minutes, well clear of Brodie Nankervis and Todd Neve. 4^th to 7^th were all within seconds of each other, showing the class of this year’s contenders.  A welcome return by Shane Mallia saw him claim the Green Jersey, while another familiar face from the UK, Peter Hodkinson, wears the Polkadot.
No surprise to see a win to Tash Key, but Asha Steer and Liis Johanson were not too far behind.  Sarah Love, stepping up a course this year, grabbed both Green and Polkadot legs, but the red jersey goes to Erin van der Peet (under our rules you can only have one jersey at a time).

Sally – this course has grown considerably and today was our most popular.  Tim Hatley took the honours in 19 minutes, with relative newcomer Daniel Stott hard on his heels, and junior Lachlan Feuerherdt throwing down a challenge in third. In a great all around performance, Daniel won both Sprint and Hill climb, but Lachlan has the red jersey for race 1.
Top sprinter Belinda Lawford finished first, ahead of Sophie Taverna and Milla Key, who are both in fantastic form coming off their Aus Champs week.  Sammy Love tied with Milla on the sprint, while Sammy won the climb outright.

Usain – this year we’ve combined Men and Women on our shortest course. Our winners were Luke and Joshua Feuerherdt, then Frederick Muth. Luke also won the sprint and hill climb legs in another great all-around performance.

Maps

Mo

Sally

Usain

Results

course results

winsplits

Event Wrap

This is the first time we have used a map of a complex suburban street network for a Sprint into Spring event. The area is well known to the Western Park Street competitors and it has long been thought of as a potential Sprint area with its maze of laneways, parks, and old stock fences. So this year we decided to place it in the program, and Fredrik and Ted got into action to draw the map and set the courses.
Setting up for the event took a lot longer than usual for a number of reasons. Due to the permit conditions, most controls had to be placed on trestles which are very time consuming to assemble, locate and lock. It was also found that parking is at a minimum (i.e. non-existent) in this area so most trestles had to be walked in from the arena. The set up crew didn’t quite make it in time for the advertised start – but thank you all for being patient and waiting.
Each course provided a mix of short sharp legs and longer ones, each providing its own puzzle for route choice. Surprisingly the leg that seemed to catch out a lot of people was the sprint leg, where the control at the end of the leg was placed behind a concrete block. There were plenty of tales of competitors running straight past, across the bluestone street cobblestones to find themselves alongside the next control.
After two events the jersey ladders are showing there is a lot of competition in all the jersey categories. The competition continues this Saturday at Kurunjang – and yes the course planner, Michael, has managed to find a really good hill climb on what is a flat area. The event starts a little later at 2pm, due to some exams on campus in the morning. Come along and enjoy!

Maps

Mo Part 1

Mo Part 2

Sally Part 1

Sally Part 2

Usain Part 1

Usain Part 2

Results

Course Results

winsplits

Event Wrap

This small but highly complex map is made up of two schools joined by a playing field and a few small streets.  Fences and gates are the feature, and by careful choice of which to open and which to close, a clever course planner like Mike can really catch out the unwary. I’m sorry to say I think I had one of my worst runs ever today, finding myself on the wrong side of several high fences!

All courses featured a map swap, and we quickly discovered that we needed to pay attention to the fine detail. The intensity never stopped; even the sprint leg, almost at the end, needed map contact and route choice selection.  It was another amazing Sprint Into Spring course!

Although Aston Key managed to win Mo Men, he didn’t have things all his own way, with Brodie Nankervis getting to within 4 seconds, and Peter Hodkinson only 16 seconds behind.  None of the Mo Men jerseys changed hands, with Shane Mallia keeping the green, and Peter retaining the polkadot.  Another win for Tash on Mo Women makes her pretty hard to beat for the yellow once again, but there’s a good contest shaping up between Liis, Aislinn and Yulia.  Sarah Love won the sprint and hillclimb legs, meaning she stays in the green jersey, but Heather O’Donnell now has the polkadot jersey.

Things are very interesting on Sally Men, with all three jerseys changing hands this week. James Love stepped up to a first time victory in a sizzling sub-12 minute time, with Tim Hatley only 4 seconds behind, and Lachlan Feuerherdt in third. Damian Spencer took out the sprint and the hill climb this week, putting himself into the green jersey, and Wayne Love taking over the polkadot jersey.  It was also a first time win for Milla Key on Sally Women, and a move into the yellow jersey; she beat Sophie Taverna by just 5 seconds, with Wendy Taverna taking third place.  Sammy Love won the sprint to retain the green jersey, and the polkadot jersey is now on the shoulders of Sophie T.

Luke Feuerherdt was a repeat winner on Usain, with brother Joshua in second, and Lucas Kent in third, his best result so far.  Luke keeps the yellow jersey, Joshua has the green jersey again, and Evan Gavens stays in the polkadot jersey.

Next Saturday we return to one of our favourite venues, Eltham College. Can’t wait to see what our course planner, Callum White, has in store!

Maps

Mo Part 1

Mo Part 2

Sally Part 1

Sally Part 2

Usain

Results

Course Results

Winsplits

Event Wrap

We reckon this campus has the best arena, with its clear perspex shelter keeping us dry but letting the sunshine through, and it’s all right in the centre of the action.  Mountain bike champs, a World Cup race in China, and Melbourne’s fickle spring weather, ate into attendances a little, but the crowd who came along were buzzing with excitement and energy.  If you timed it right, you got to run in lovely sunshine, but regular showers did roll through every now and again.

Our crew today were the Vic Junior Squad, and they did an amazing job, led by Callum White as chief course planner.  They took on all the jobs with enthusiasm and professionalism, from registration and start to results and packup, and the day went like clockwork.  Students from Eltham College also joined in the fun – and did pretty well.

Every leg of Callum’s course had something to think about; straight out of the start triangle you were faced with nothing more than a grassy slope, which was disorienting.  There were route choices all the way, and the eastern end of the school is always particularly challenging with its playground, very small buildings, and numerous fences and gates.  There were lots of places where the decision was either to go wide and keep it simple, or take a route that was more direct but a lot harder to navigate.  The Hill Climb was really tough, with a very steep pinch to start with, a levelling out, then a second burst to reach the control.

Mo – with the absence of top three Aston, Peter and Brodie (all in China for the World Cup), the door was open for the next bunch to grab the points. Kerrin Rattray stepped up to the challenge, taking a 30 second win over Todd Neve; Bruce Arthur had to settle for 4^th after son Mason pipped him by 6 seconds. Our specialists were in action, with Steven O’Connell winning the Sprint and Shane Mallia the climb.  Despite his absence, Aston’s three previous wins are enough to keep him in the yellow jersey, but we now have Kerrin, Brodie and Todd all on the same points.  Shane remains in green, and Peter keeps the polkadot.

Tash Key was another absentee on national representative duties, and it was Asha Steer who took full advantage, accounting for Aislinn Prendergast by 42 seconds. Liis Johanson was third, which was enough for her to take the yellow jersey from Tash.  Sarah Love remains unbeaten in the sprint and climb legs, so she keeps the green, and Tash takes over in the polkadot.

Sally – Andrew Rowan had his first win this series, pushing last week’s winner James Love into second, and Martin Steer taking third. James is now only a point behind yellow jersey holder Lachlan Feuerherdt in a really exciting contest.  Milla Key claimed her second consecutive win, ahead of Sophie Taverna and Nova Matthews. Sammy Love and Maree Platt tied on the sprint, and Sophie won the climb, so Sammy and Sophie keep their respective jerseys.

Usain – Luke Feuerherdt powered to his fourth win, ahead of Joshua Feuerherdt and big improver Lucas Kent (aka the Energiser Bunny – he never stops running!). Luke also won the sprint leg, but Josh took out the climb this week.  Matthew Layton’s third place on the climb was enough to put him just in front of Evan Gavens, and take over the polkadot jersey, while Luke and Josh remain in yellow and green.

Sprint Into Spring has a short break for the Cup weekend; we return for more action at Cornish College in Keysborough.  Cornish was first used last year, and we enjoyed it so much we decided to go back.  It’s a little slice of country in the ‘burbs, and has a great mix of terrain. There are some new buildings as well.  Don’t miss it!

Maps

Mo

Sally

Usain

Results

Course Results

Winsplits

Event Wrap

Melbourne’s unseasonably cold spring continues, and while it didn’t rain during the race, there was certainly a strong head wind as we left the Start box; I can’t remember ever needing to wear two layers in a Sprint race before.  Our venue was the quirky Cornish College, whose small but complex built area was extended this year.  Like last year, we also enjoyed the island and the mini farm which set this venue apart.

First time course planners Victoria and Greg took to the challenge with enthusiasm, creating courses that quickly had heads spinning. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who got caught out by the courtyards and covered corridors early on.  The hill climb was thankfully gentler than last year. Small details were important as we looked for tiny paths to connect open spaces.

The absence of some Jersey favourites (some still in China with the national team) gave others an opportunity to grab valuable points as we get close to the pointy end, seeing some jerseys change hands, and other contests become tantalisingly close, making the remaining races at Oxley and Darebin crucial.

In a Mo Men’s field that was missing Aston, Brodie and Peter, Kerrin Rattray grabbed his chance and scored 10 points and the Yellow Jersey.  Mason Arthur took second, while Bruce Arthur fended off strong challenges from Simon Rouse and Peter Hobbs for third.  Others scored their first points for the series. Steven O’Connell scored his second win in the sprint comp and took the jersey away from Shane Mallia in the process. Kerrin won the hill climb and Peter Hodkinson had to give up the polkadot jersey to Shane.

Tash was back home and still in top form, although Aislinn got within 35 seconds, while Liis and Asha were also close.  Liis keeps the jersey but there are only two points in it, and with a clean sweep of wins, it’s a safe bet that it will finish on Tash’s shoulders.  Cassy turned a few heads by winning both the sprint and the climb legs; Sarah still leads the green jersey comp, and Tash keeps the polkadot jersey.

Sally was the most popular course today – obviously made of tougher stuff and not bothered by a bit of weather!  It was the veteran’s turn for honours with Tim taking the win, and Jim in second, just edging out James. Damian, Lachlan and Stephen also had strong runs; Damian in particular with wins on the sprint and climb legs.  The jerseys had quite the shakeup, with James moving into yellow for the first time and holding a 1 point lead over Tim and Lachlan; Damian now in green, and Wayne retaining polkadot.

Milla and Sophie also had a great race on Sally Women, while Wendy held off Helen and Sally to take third.  With Milla winning the sprint and Sophie the climb, the jerseys remain as they were – Milla in yellow, Sammy keeping green, and Sophie in the polkadot.

No surprises on Usain, where Luke and Josh took their fifth 1-2 result.  Ella was just ahead of Lucas for third, and Lydia had a good run for 5^th.  Luke won the sprint and climb legs, but the green jersey stays with Josh, while Lydia’s third place on the hill earned her the polkadot jersey.

After some flat campuses, we move to a hillside venue at Oxley College in Chirnside Park, and I’ve heard rumours that James and Sarah have quite the climb in store.  Throw in a tricky campus with multiple levels and lots of small buildings, and you have another memorable sprint race in store!

Maps

Mo Part 1

Mo Part 2

Sally Part 1

Sally Part 2

Usain

Results

Course Results

Winsplits

Event Wrap

The second last race for Sprint Into Spring 2019 was held at Oxley College in Chirnside Park, on a fine, dry day with a higher temperature than the previous few races.  We haven’t seen real hills since Eltham back in October, so it was time to get physical. But first, course planners Sarah and James made sure we were well acquainted with the campus – compact with tight turns, lots of stairs and ramps, and some very small outbuildings as well as the main campus – with a series of short, tricky legs, before the sprint leg across open slopes. A map flip and another couple of open running legs preceded the hill climb, which kicked off a final sequence of technical legs, before an uphill finish that had us gasping for breath.  The courses were well balanced and tested all skills.

The Mo Men’s field is truly international, with new Victorian Coach in Residence, Frederic Tranchard, showing us why he is among the top orienteers in the world.  Aston Key was only 11 seconds behind, and Brit Peter Hodkinson less than a minute behind, setting up what is shaping up as a great 3-country rivalry for the rest of summer!  Kerrin Rattray earned enough points to keep the yellow jersey, but he’ll have to finish within one or two points of Aston to finish the series with it.  Meanwhile separate battles were taking place on the green and polkadot jersey legs, with Steven O’Connell and Shane Mallia hanging on to those two jerseys. Peter could wrest the polkadot away from Shane if things go his way next week.

Asha Steer claimed her first win for the series on Mo Women, accounting for Liis Johanson by just 2 seconds, with Heather O’Donnell taking third.  Liis now has an unbeatable lead in the yellow jersey comp. The sprint leg went to Heather, but the jersey is still with Sarah, and the comp is wide open. Heather also took out the climb leg, and now wears the polkadot jersey, but the final outcome depends on a number of results, and there are five contenders.

On Sally Men, Tim Hatley was the winner, followed by Lachlan Feuerherdt and Jim Russell.  With James on course planning duty, the yellow jersey has changed hands again, and Tim has it by a one point margin. Lachlan and James will both be vying for it next week.  Damian Spencer won the sprint again to keep the green jersey, but faces continued competition from Dale Taverna and Tony Crothers.  Lachlan took maximum points for the climb leg, but he can’t catch Wayne Love or Dale Taverna, who are the two contenders for the final jersey.

Milla Key had her 4^th straight victory on Sally Women, with Sophie Taverna again second, and Carolyn Jackson third.  Milla keeps the yellow but could yet hand it over to Sophie.  Milla won the sprint and climb legs this week as well, but Sammy is still the holder of the green jersey, while the polkadot stays with Sophie. Sammy faces strong competition from Maree Platt and Wendy Taverna, while the final holder of the polkadot jersey will depend on who wears the other two.

Great to see another bunch of new faces contesting Usain this week.  No surprise that Luke Feuerherdt was the winner, ahead of Joshua Feuerherdt and Lucas Kent, making it a clean sweep and a certain yellow jersey. Luke had a good day, taking out the sprint and climb as well.  The final green jersey will stay with leader Joshua. Lucas has moved into the polkadot jersey, but is tied with Lydia Stott in the points table, so next week they’ll race head to head to see who claims it at the end!

Our final race sees a change of scene; away from campuses and into the parkland of Darebin, which could throw up a few surprise results.  And don’t forget that Sprint Into Spring presentations will be made the following Saturday, at our first PopUp Sprint at Ruffey Lake.  Look for details in your weekly O-News.

Maps

Mo

Sally

Usain

Results

Course Results

Winsplits

Event Wrap

The final Sprint Into Spring event finally saw some lovely late spring weather – no hail or gale, just sunshine.  It was a move away from campus terrain and into a pure park/bush environment.  Course planners were Jensen Key and Will Davey. After some short sharp legs in the woodland to the north, we plunged downhill to the creek, setting up some good route choices as courses headed to the south end of the park. The second section featured lots of changes of direction and route choice legs around the series of lakes.  The hill climb required a short burst of power, and the sprint leg needed accuracy.  Four lung busting contours were climbed between the final control and the finish.

The final Jerseys hung in the balance, with most categories still undecided after 7 events.  Frederic Tranchand won Mo Men ahead of Aston Key and Kerrin Rattray. Kerrin needed to outscore Aston to keep the Jersey, but the result meant a tie on points, and a countback gave it to Aston; Kerrin was the closest of runners-up.  Third place was also decided on a countback with Todd Neve just ahead of Bruce Arthur.  Meanwhile separate battles were taking place on the Sprint and Climb legs; a win on the Sprint to Steven O’Connell brought his points score level with Shane Mallia, but yet another countback means Steve will add another green Jersey to his collection. It wasn’t all bad news for Shane though, as he was a comfortable repeat winner of the polkadot Jersey.

Several mispunches on Mo Women opened a couple of doors.  Liis Johanson won both the race and the yellow Jersey, after Tash’s result today meant no points.  She had to settle for second overall, with Asha Steer in third.  Sarah Love was another jersey contender who mispunched; however she managed to keep her green Jersey, after beating Heather O’Donnell on a countback.  The results were reversed on the polkadot Jersey which Heather won by a point.  Vida Fox was the winner of the climb leg on the day.

The Sally Mens yellow Jersey has changed hands several times over the last few weeks. Ian Dodd grabbed maximum points after his win today, ahead of Damian Spencer and Lachlan Feuerherdt.  But it was Lachlan who emerged with the final Jersey, after the in-form Tim Hatley was MIA.  Damian won the sprint leg today, sealing a green Jersey for himself.  Wayne Love tied for points on the climb with Lachlan, but it was enough to place the final polkadot Jersey on his shoulders.

On Sally Women, Sophie Taverna broke through for a win, with Milla Key second and Helen Walpole third.  The yellow Jersey went to Milla, with Sophie second. Wendy Taverna snatched third by a point over Helen.  Wendy won today’s sprint leg, but Maree’s tie for second place gave her enough points to claim the final green Jersey. Sammy Love put all her eggs in one basket and focused on winning the climb leg, which she did in fine style, giving her the polkadot Jersey.

Luke Feuerherdt completed a clean sweep of Usain, winning all 7 races, and hats off to the family, who travelled down from Bendigo for every single race.  Matthew Layton’s second was his best result for the series, and newcomers Charlotte and Mateo teamed up for third (though being a pair they were not eligible for points). Luke of course won the yellow Jersey, with Joshua Feuerherdt second and Lucas Kent third.  Luke won the sprint leg but the jersey went to Joshua. Lydia Stott’s second place today means she placed third overall.  Lucas Kent set himself at the climb leg, and grabbed the 10 points and the polkadot Jersey.

All Jerseys and certificates will be presented at next Saturday’s PopUp Sprint at Ruffey Lake. Start times are 1.30-2.45pm, with prizegiving at approx. 3pm.  Enjoy the last sprint competition of 2019, but keep an eye out for some training sessions with Fredo, and more PopUps in January and February next year.

We hope you had a great time at Sprint Into Spring 2019!