Lakeland Orienteering Club members help England to success (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Lakeland Orienteering Club members help England to success

5:30pm Thursday 21st March 2013 in Sport By Scott Kirk, Reporter

THREE of Lakeland OC’s junior squad contributed to England’s success in retaining the Interland Cup in the Netherlands.

The Cup is contested annually by all-age teams representing England, the Netherlands, Belgium and northern regions of France and Germany.

Seven teams had three runners in each age and gender grouping.

Katie Wright, 17, was a creditable fourth in the W20 grouping, while Adam Bartlett (M16) was fifth in his grouping despite carrying a foot injury from control four. Carl Edmonds (M20) was eighth in his group.

Even with the absence of these three top performers, Lakeland OC juniors won through the North West heat of the Yvette Baker Trophy competition at Cartmel and Holker Woodlands.

Top scorers were Will Rigg, Sarah Jones and Natalie Beadle on the technical 5km Green course for 17 and 18 year olds; Stewart Allison, Mary Baron and Grace Pugh on the intermediate difficulty 3.4km Light Green course for 13 and 14 years, and Will Bannister, Philip Shrimpton and Heather Ball on the easier 2.3km Yellow course for 11 and 12 years.

LOC beat the Manchester, West Cumberland and South Ribble clubs to qualify for the July final in Lincolnshire.

Lakeland seniors also competed at the same event, counting in the Cumbrian Galoppen series.

Mike McIver, Todd Oates and Chris Heppenstall (all M21) recorded the three fastest times over the 9km Brown course with Iain Smith-Ward (M45) in 10th.

Leading performers in their age classes on the 7km Blue course were Richard Lecky-Thompson (M50), Richard Tiley (M55) and Cliff Etherden (M65).

Carol McNeill (W65) made a good account of herself against the juniors on Green while Diana McClure (W60), Stan Johnson (M75) and Verena Johnson (W75) opted for the 3km Short Green.