New courses, new symbols. Orienteering really is "The Thinking Sport." It teaches you how to find your way around with a map and compass, and helps develop vocabulary too! I don't know how we've missed using the copse feature up to now, but it did throw a few people. Path junctions, dot thickets, even Florida's famous shallow reentrants get boring if overused. It keeps courses interesting to occasionally use odd features.
Based on the winning times, courses were designed to the appropriate level of difficulty, although we had a lot of DNFs. Course Design guidelines specify ideal fastest times for each course; winning times for all courses (except Green) were as expected. Longer times may indicate that more practice is needed, but it may mean that that team took their time enjoying a beautiful day in the woods. Times over the three hour time limit (and DNFs) probably mean those people should drop back a level to fine-tune their navigation skills. We start to worry that teams out more than three hours are lost, or worse, injured; please respect the time limit!
Ask Bev about the attack turkey (she wasn't hurt).
Thanks to Ron Eaglin and Bob Putnam for giving instruction. Arild posted cards on the results string; Jonathan Linforth helped at the finish table when he should have been at home using his precious free time getting ready for vacation. Jerry Sirmans ran Red, pulling flags as he went (a huge help).
There's nothing like a good wildlife encounter to start off your orienteering day! I was heading out that morning to place the last of the controls when I saw a strange object sitting at the side of the trail; it wasn't until I was past it that I realized it was a turkey. All of a sudden she was chasing me, and all her chicks were scattering from under her wings! She chased me past where the control was to be hung, so I stopped and tried to go back, and she chased again. I went on to hang the other controls, and when I went back to the spot, the turkey and her brood were long gone into the forest. Gobble gobble!
On 5 May 2001, Florida Orienteering, FLO, passed the 20,000 mark in the number of people started.
FLO hosted its National Orienteering Day event at Little Big Econ State Forest, in Geneva, FL. A total of 214 people turned out to enjoy the near perfect weather (82° F, partly sunny skies and low humidity) and the usual set of 5 courses designed by Dave & Bev Ousley, veteran FLO course designers.
The day was a rousing success on all counts, especially so because it was during this event that FLO sent into the forest the 20,000th starter. This represents the total number of persons starting a course at a public orienteering event hosted by FLO (148 in all so far) since its inception as a USOF Club in March of 1991.
Congratulations go to the lucky Orienteer: Anthony Meder, of Winter Park, FL, High School JROTC, holding the "Winner" flag in the photo. Anthony was part of a group of 6 cadets competing on the White course, in their first orienteering experience. His team mates are gathered around him in the photo.
Photo: Anthony Meder celebrates with his Winter Park, FL High School JROTC team mates after learning he had become the 20,000th person to start at a FLO sponsored orienteering event. Left to right in photo, front: Dawn Dalhof, Anthony Meder, Maria Olivo, Patrick Floyd; rear: Brian Emory, Jonathan Deshain. (Photo by Jonathan Linforth)
In the closing months, as the 20,000 landmark approached, there were high hopes that it might occur at the March 17, 2001 event held at DeLeon Springs park, since that event marked the 10th anniversary of the founding of FLO. However, National Orienteering Day was seen as every bit as appropriate for such a celebration. Event coordinators at the Start table tried to carefully track the number of starters so as to be able to stop the proceedings for an announcement and celebration. However, in the confusion of a congested start the moment passed and it was learned there had been two eligible teams starting at the same time. Which team should be regarded as containing the 20,000th person? Much discussion ensued among officials who were now embarrassed to have not only missed the moment, but were now unsure of which group to look to as containing the winner. It was decided, finally, to wait to see which group finished first, and to then designate the 4th individual listed (prior to these groups' start there had been 19,996 starters) on the waiver sheet roster as the official 20,000th starter. FLO officials are now contemplating a consolation prize of some sort to the other group, containing five persons and led by FLO regular Danielle Headley.
As the "winner", Anthony received a $25 gift certificate from A&E Enterprises, plus a full color commemorative Certificate, partly visible in the photo, and his family will be presented an annual vehicle pass to Florida State Parks.
| Name | Time |
| Charlotte & Al Little (2) | 34:53 |
| WP NJROTC #5 (6) | 36:34 |
| WP NJROTC #4 (6) | 37:10 |
| WP NJROTC #1 (6) | 48:23 |
| WP NJROTC #2 (6) | 49:41 |
| WP NJROTC #3 (6) | 57:24 |
| Susan Owens (2) | 69:14 |
| Laurie Borah (4) | 85:30 |
| Keith Zeitler (4) | 85:51 |
| Lucia Avila (4) | DNF |
| Bill Reiner (2) | DNF |
| Name | Time |
| Cheryl Flynn (F) | 41:05 |
| Eli Seidner (2) | 45:43 |
| Nick & Karen Geisel (2) | 52:40 |
| Frank & Sandy Kallen (2) | 68:50 |
| Dolores Tanners (4) | 69:48 |
| Daniel Bauder (M) | 71:12 |
| Mary Hersey (6) | 71:29 |
| Pat Dunne (M) | 72:30 |
| Dolores Lowe (9) | 75:20 |
| Alan Fisher (3) | 75:45 |
| Sierra Club Inner City Outings (6) | 78:15 |
| Tracy Wyrich (6) | 153:35 |
| Orlando Worship Center (10) | DNF |
| Korn (3) | DNF |
| Name | Time |
| Walenty Prytulo (M) | 55:00 |
| Eric & Betty Yeadon (2) | 73:07 |
| West Orange ROTC #2 (4) | 79:33 |
| Moraseski (2) | 80:33 |
| West Orange ROTC #3 (4) | 83:50 |
| 4-H Sonshine Club 2 (6) | 83:53 |
| Lisa Stockler (3) | 85:25 |
| Albert Baerren (2) | 87:15 |
| Tad Simmons (M) | 94:00 |
| 4-H Sonshine Club 1 (4) | 97:30 |
| Melissa & Justin Yeadon (2) | 101:19 |
| West Orange ROTC #1 (4) | 102:58 |
| Sue & Lee Baker (2) | 106:20 |
| Joe Marsh (2) | 108:31 |
| Danielle Headley (5) | 109:51 |
| Royal Rangers #1 (5) | 118:22 |
| Cheryl Flynn (F) | 118:25 |
| Tami Griffith (2) | 126:00 |
| Matt Sharkey (M) | 128:00 |
| Gordy Hawkins & Debby Lunt (3) | 143:30 |
| Eli Seidner (2) | 163:50 |
| Cheryle Love (2) | 192:28 |
| Jimmy Harris (M) | 212:50 |
| Olivo, Maria/WP NJROTC (5) | DNF |
| Patrick Floyd (5) | DNF |
| WP NJROTC A&C (2) | DNF |
| Royal Rangers #3 (3) | DNF |
| Brenda Dorn (2) | DNF |
| Scott Myers (2) | DNF |
| Name | Time |
| Michelle Humphries (F) | DNF |
| Eric Foye (M) | DNF |
| Cathy Buria (4) | DNF |
| Karen Robertson (F) | DNF |
| Matthew Norris (M) | DNF |
| Sam Chancellor (M) | DNF |
| Elsie & David Matthews (2) | DNF |
| Name | Time |
| Bob Putnam (M) | 58:45 |
| Erik Nilsson (M) | 65:52 |
| Arild Orsleie (M) | 85:30 |
| Thomas Bullen (M) | 93:09 |
| Patrick Gillman/Stephanie Owen (2) | 107:41 |
| Kyle Tallent (M) | 107:48 |
| Baerren (2) | 160:10 |
| Boca Ciega #2 (2) | 171:42 |
| Boca Ciega #1 (4) | 180:03 |
| Boca Ciega #3 (2) | 201:00 |
| Jerry Sirmans | PRG |
| Pat Dunne (M) | DNF |
| Dan Lynch (2) | DNF |
| Kim Weingartner (2) | DNF |
| Joe Maliszewski (M) | DNF |
| Alex Jasiukowicz (2) | DNF |
| David Bush (M) | DNF |
| Christa Stylander (2) | AWOL |
| AWOL | Did not check-in at finish |
| DNF | Did Not Finish |
| PRG | Pulled flags on Red & Green |
| (x) | Number in group |
| (F) | Single Female |
| (M) | Single Male |