Oceania Orienteering: Preview

New Zealand is sending a solid team to the Oceania Orienteering Champs starting next monday in the forests of Canberra. The team will be spearheaded by Hawkes Bay athletes Ross Morrison and Penny Kane. Morrison in particular is on form, in his recent World Champs campaign in the Ukraine he very nearly became the first New Zealander to qualify for A finals (top 45) in all 3 events; long, middle and sprint. Kane, a doctor at Gisborne hospital, has not had the same preparation but has a proven ability to perform when the pressure is on. Another athlete considered likely to make a big impression is King Country's Neil Kerrison who dominated the long distance event at the recent Auckland Champs in very tough terrain. The granite terrain in Australia will be very rough and technical suiting the wild man from the Waitomo.

Australia will be difficult to beat at home, with experienced and strong athletes, confident on their home terrain. David Shepherd and Julian Dent send shivers through the spines of their Australasian counterparts, but fortunately perhaps Australias one global orienteering star, Hanny Allston, will be absent, off pursing her olympic marathon aspirations.

At the junior level New Zealand is sending a very strong secondary schools team, set to decimate their Australian opposition. Greta Knarston, Jack Vincent, Nicola Peat and Kate Morrison all back up from the Junior Worlds in Australia held earlier this year in similar terrain. Given their performances in that competition against older competitors they should have no problems disposing of their Aussie rivals. They are joined by a thick wad of younger talent, including the Hawkes bay trio of Scott McDonald, Rachel Goodwin and Duncan Morrison who dominated the New Zealand Seconday School champs in the absence of the JWOC stars.

An age grade Australia/New Zealand challenge will also be fought out over all grades, with New Zealand ever hopeful of attaining an away victory