Orienteering: Slippery end for some school teams

Three into two won't go ... three Te Mata School runners race to punch the two available finish controls. Photo / Supplied

Sustained loss of traction is a prosecutable offence and many were guilty during the recent Hawke's Bay Schools orienteering relays on the Hikanui map.

Whether it was sliding straight past controls or not being able to stand up to read the control number, who can tell, but the fact is only 35 of 56 teams got round safely.

There was drama aplenty as Duncan Morrison on the microphone kept spectators up to date with the latest disqualifications, while most of their opponents tried hard not to make their pleasure at others' misfortunes too obvious.

The senior boys ought to be old hands but only two of the seven teams counted in the results, Havelock North A and Havelock North B. In the senior girls' relay only Napier Girls' A and B made it round.

The secondary school intermediate grades provided more of a contest. In the boys, Havelock North proved just a little too slippery for Napier Boys' and Lindisfarne. The girls were more careful as seven of the eight teams completed safely.

The girls were led in by Havelock North and then Napier Girls' in a race which featured a national rep in each team.

Napier Boys' ran the quinella in the junior boy's race and Havelock North beat Napier Girls' junior girls.

Havelock North Intermediate finished first and second in their boys' grade but their girls, probably the hot favourites, were disqualified leaving Hastings Intermediate to win from Taradale Intermediate and Iona College.

Te Mata School provided the numbers in the primary grades with 12 teams, and gained the first three placings with the boys, but only one of their girls' teams finished safely, beaten by Haumoana School.

Individual fastest runs by grade were: Sean Morrison SB (HNHS) 20:51; Georgia Creagh SG (NGHS) 26:48; Bayley Stephens-Ellison IB (NBHS) 16:27; Jenna Tidswell IG (HNHS) 18:36; Kingston Webb JB (NBHS) 13:33; Olivia Wolland JG (HNHS) 15:16; Will Tidswell 7/8B (HNI) 12:20; Lily Stehens-Ellison 7/8G (HNI) 15:51; Tobias Murfitt PB (HAUM) 23:10; Pearl Hughes PG (HAUM) 20:23.

Relay results:

Senior Boys: HNHS A (J Lobb, S Morrison, D Kirk) 1:07:21, 1; HNHS B 1:35:42, 2.

Senior Girls: NGHS A (G Massie, H Holt, G Creagh) 1:37:45, 1; NGHS B 2:18:20, 2.

Intermediate Boys: HNHS A (T Culham, B Caldwell, H Legarth) 57:54, 1; NBHS B 1:14:23, 2; Lindisfarne 1:18:16, 3.

Intermediate Girls: HNHS A (A McIntyre, B Kirk, J Tidswell) 1:01:50, 1; NGHS A 1:11:52, 2; HNHS B 1:19:10, 3.

Junior Boys: NBHS A (G Perry, O Burns, K Webb) 44:38, 1; NBHS B 58:15, 2.

Junior Girls: HNHS (I Kitchin, C Gallagher, O Wolland) 54:45, 1; NGHS 1:03:59, 2.

Year 7 & 8 Boys: HNI A (C Broad, O Moriarty, W Tidswell) 59:54, 1; HNI B 1:12:02, 2.

Year 7 & 8 Girls: Hastings Int (F Rainbow, G Russell, A Hodgson) 1:16:53, 1; Taradale Int 1:34:09, 2; Iona 1:37:46, 3.

Primary Boys: Te Mata A (H Prins, J Earley, W Sandberg) 1:39:09, 1; Te Mata B 1:42:33, 2; Te Mata C 2:13:52, 3.

Primary Girls: Haumoana (R Thompson, M Averill, P Hughes) 1:30:47, 1; Te Mata 2:00:36, 2.