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A small team of Ōrewa College students did their school proud at the North Island secondary schools orienteering championships during the school holidays, walking away with a win in one event and a third place in the relay.
Competing against many schools’ considerably bigger teams, the four girls and two boys participated in individual and relay events held over three days at AUT’s Akoranga campus, Woodhill Forest and Riverhead Forest.
The top individual achiever of the six was Lacey Gornall, who came first in the year 7/8 girls’ individual race, a 3.1 km event in Woodhill on April 26.
A day later, Ōrewa College took third place in the junior boys’ relay in Riverhead Forest, an event featuring obstacles such as swamps, fences, streams – and numerous forested hills. Adding to that accomplishment was the fact that, as the school group only had two boys, Year 9 girl Harper Tipene stepped in to lend a hand to her Year 9 mates Bruno Poly and Brooklyn Hope-Jensen.
The other two Ōrewa College representatives were Year 7/8 girls Roxy Hefer and Olivia Newson, who placed 13th and 31st respectively in the event won by Lacey.
Bruno and Brooklyn also took 6th and 8th place respectively in the junior boys’ individual race at Woodhill, and Ōrewa College placed third overall in the “small schools” category (named for the size of the team, not the size of the school).
“It was an amazing three days,” team supervisor Laura Hope said. “All six students showed grit and determination and above all, amazing manaaki, showing great school spirit, and to take part in their school holidays showed true commitment.”
