What a fabulous Day!
A little warm, even for a March day in Florida, peaking at around 85F but the excitement was running high as we had a number ‘specials’ for this event.
First off, we had to dovetail with the annual Triathlon, so we started everything one hour late. No problem.
Secondly, we discovered the maps were all drawn with the Start/Finish on the next pavilion over. No problem after everything was explained and then the changes were scribbled on each map.
Third, we had a new format for Green-Red-Blue courses: Competitors were free to skip any two controls on the map. That’s easy enough, but the JROTC score-keepers were kept, shall we say, busy, trying to sort all those variously punched green controls cards in time for the results. If any G-R-B competitors were sent into the woods without having the Skip-Any-Two rule explained, we apologize now – you covered more distance that you otherwise should have and your times are proportionately longer.
Then, for the first time in FLO history, I could find absolutely no helpers beforehand, so when I showed up, prepared to set controls, there was no-one around except JROTC cadets and their accompanying parents & leaders. Wouldn’t you know that a simple request for help from among them yielded Wayne McGlamry and Rosa Johnson on registration, plus Terry Gilbert and Steve Cardamone at the Start/ Finish table. And all four of them handled those tasks for the entire day. That’s a huge THANK YOU for performance above and beyond. Now, to be fair, you must also know that Mike Dempsey showed up about noon ready to help, as usual for him, but was told there was no need because it was all being taken care of. My wife Janet showed up a few minutes later ready to help and also was not needed anywhere, so we waited ‘til the end and retrieved controls. FLO heartily thanks the Helpful Four for stepping up like that.
Many thanks also go to Mitch Jarvis, who came back out on Sunday to retrieve all the controls from Split Oak. He mentioned how valuable a training exercise retrieval is and I want to remind everyone of that aspect as well.
As for the courses, Will Pirnasch’s designs were right on the money: interesting, challenging, and only a little bit foot-wet. All that prior scare-talk about a flooded Split Oak causeway came to nothing. Things were so dry in fact that I actually crossed an ‘uncrossable’ swamp and went only shin deep.
Lots of new people, lots of adventure racers and 81 JROTC cadets. Our only incident resulted from the use of a control point inside the south camping area which evidently offered an irresistible route choice right through someone’s campsite. So they complained. So I promised that won’t happen again.
I should also take this opportunity to re-emphasize a principle of Orienteering Etiquette – Do not stand around a control after punching in. If you really must pause to plan your next leg, move well away from the control before doing so. Better still, practice moving while planning our next leg. Best is to plan the next leg before you punch in then you will move out quickly and in the right direction. I noticed several highly visible groups lingering near controls, standing out like beacons in the forest, giving away the location of the control to anyone within 100 meters. If I sounded rude in mentioning it to you out there, sorry, but large lingering groups detract immensely from others’ enjoyment of the sport. We want to find the controls on our own – not because a gang was loafing around a control talking about things.
As for me, I am overjoyed I could turn in a time with a 7.7 min/km pace. I thought those days were gone. As for results, check them out below
Bob Putnam
Oops. I was one of those who did not notice the 'Miss 2 controls' part ... Mike Dempsey
| Name | Time |
| Nikki Ruppert | 31:06 |
| Team Daguiloa | 53:39 |
| BCHS #5 | NTR |
| Name | Time |
| Eric & Nancy Camden | 31:31 |
| Gaither HS | 34:18 |
| Teehan Strange | 37:41 |
| Pryos Family | 46:21 |
| Jennifer Cunningham | 47:33 |
| Auberndale HS #4 | 48:10 |
| Nikki Ruppert | 49:44 |
| Oviedo HS | 53:13 |
| BSA Troop 224 | 60:30 |
| West Nassau HS #4 | 61:07 |
| Kaplan | 61:36 |
| Hobron-Hyland | 62:35 |
| Green & Warner | 63:22 |
| BCHS #5 | 64:02 |
| Sanchez | 65:22 |
| McGaughey | 76:22 |
| Nelson | 78:58 |
| Bertie Auman | 80:05 |
| Dennis & Juanita Gewerth | 92:55 |
| BSA Troop 224 Blue | 93:38 |
| BCHS #5 | 95:07 |
| Name | Time |
| DHS Falcon | 54:43 |
| DHS Brown | 55:46 |
| Moira Roberts | 56:48 |
| Eaglins | 60:53 |
| West Nassau #2 | 71:13 |
| Evans / Addams | 79:00 |
| TSPA | 80:15 |
| Auberndale #1 | 82:06 |
| West Nassau #1 | 83:58 |
| Auburndale #2 | 86:39 |
| BCHS #6 | 87:48 |
| Pyros Tigers | 89:52 |
| Gaither HS #1 | 94:26 |
| Hunters | 98:19 |
| West Nassau #3 | 99:27 |
| Rocket Science | 100:07 |
| BCHS #2 | 101:19 |
| BCHS #4 | 101:47 |
| TBD 3 | 102:30 |
| Lost in Translation | 104:27 |
| Team Foley | 104:27 |
| CCHS Lara | 109:41 |
| Weidemann / Counts | 111:12 |
| Shawn Inman | 120:13 |
| Auburndale #4 | 131:14 |
| Soldiers of Christ | 135:20 |
| Auburndale #3 | 136:13 |
| Los Caraquenos | 155:15 |
| Gaither HS #2 | NTR |
| Name | Time |
| Bret & Madyson Barker | 71:51 |
| Andy Canelos | 71:58 |
| Taylor Gladding | 77:52 |
| Mitch Jarvis | 79:25 |
| Chris Mante | 82:48 |
| Jim Feudner | 97:37 |
| Mike Dempsey | 104:35 |
| Dennis & Carolyn Clayburn | 107:00 |
| Golnik & Johnson | 108:35 |
| David Crane | 109:27 |
| Team Griffield | 110:04 |
| BCHS #1 | 133:48 |
| Kevin Kurzawa | 137:07 |
| Are We There Yet Family | 179:34 |
| Robert Hobron-Hyland | NTR |
| Name | Time |
| TK Killers | 145:11 |
| Hearn | 152:57 |
| Name | Time |
| Bob Putnam | 60:59 |
| Chris Johnson | 80:10 |
| Team Brian Bills | 96:44 |
| Toby Henson | 108:04 |
| Martin Dimitrov | 177:28 |
| Team Lovebirds | 177:56 |
| Andy Capp | 212:00 |
| DNF | Did Not Finish |
| DQ | Disqualified (Missed Controls) |
| OT | Over 3 Hour Time Limit |