This year for the first time, the Senior Games participants, as well as members of the Syracuse Adventure Club and the general public who came, were treated not only to fine pre-printed color maps of the park, but to the big E -- Electronic Punching. The Seniors loved it! It's much easier for older hands to insert a dibbler strapped to a finger into an e-box than to use two hands to position a control card at the correctly-numbered space with one hand and then squeeze the punch with the other, all the while hanging on to a map and a compass. They were excited to pick up their results print-outs so quickly and see how they did, chatting away with one another about the controls and their routes like seasoned orienteers.
All told, there were 25 Senior Games participants, three of whom ran both the Short and the Medium courses. Only two of the ESSG ladies did not finish their Long course.
Thanks to Mark and Barb Dominie, who created the map, designed the courses, pre-printed them, brought the club's electronic equipment, program, computer and printer to the park that day, and ran them from a cord connected to the battery in their vehicle. Without Barb & Mark, we would not have had this very enjoyable event. Pete Dady, Shawn Forney, and I'm sure there were others as well, helped in hanging and retrieving the controls and e-boxes. Pete also taught the clinic, mostly for Seniors, but open to all, which preceeded the Starts. To all the volunteers go heart-felt thanks.
Dwyer is a small (~.25 sq.km.), fairly flat, Cortland County Park, stretching N-S along the W edge of I-81 between Homer and Preble. It's a popular place for picnicking, ball games, wading and small boating, and rather fully populated on a Saturday. I chose the pavilion closest to the center of the N-S direction and almost directly in from the entrance so it would be easy to find, and be centrally located for the map exchange that was necessary for the long course. The usual pavilion fee was waived by Dep. Supt. of Highways Leo F. Irish, because, as he said, "Cortland County is supportive of functions of this nature..." You can bet that Mark had the orienteers exploring every nook and cranny of this park, and then some! Even though a small map, the courses were ample and challenging to the generally more amateur level of orienteering experience of those who participated.
The Results follow. Senior Games medals were awarded only to those on the Long (Advanced) course. Next year there will be over-all medals for Male and Female on the Beginner course as well. The date for next year's ESSG is June 10-15 at Cortland, so the Senior Games orienteering is currently scheduled for Saturday, 6/14/03, at a venue to be determined.
Barb Sleight, ESSG Orienteering Coordinator
SHORT COURSE 1.5km, 15m climb, 6 ControlsName Class Time ESSG Place Hometown
Alberta Roman ESSG 30:32 1st F 55-59 N Tonawanda Becky Larson ESSG 30:45 2nd F 55-59 Lockport Paul Roman ESSG 30:50 1st M 60-64 N Tonawanda Paul Goodwin ESSG 37:12 Nyack Jack Kolbas ESSG 37:38 Hamburg Paula Cormier Open 38:04 Mike Sullivan ESSG 39:26 1st M 50-54 W Seneca Eleanor Minor ESSG 42:35 1st F 65-69 Bronx Rita Alexander ESSG 42:35 1st F 60-64 Brooklyn Em Goodwin ESSG 43:22 1st F 75-79 Nyack Ed, Dick & Kay Salerno, Sally Palmer & Ursala Moeller Open 50:27 John & Marian Loosmann Open 72:18 Dee & Bob VonHumke & Richard Moeller Open 72:23 MEDIUM COURSE 2km, 20m climb, 6 controls Name Class Time ESSG Place Hometown Becky Larson ESSG 41:38 1st F 55-59 Lockport Paul Roman ESSG 41:45 1st M 60-64 N Tonawanda Alberta Roman ESSG 41:48 2nd F 55-59 N Tonawanda Carolyn Pistocchi & Chris Clemans Open 42:34 LONG COURSE 4.5km, 60m climb, 14 Controls, Map Exchange Name Class Time ESSG Place Medal Hometown John Allen ESSG 38:46 1st M 60-64 GOLD Syracuse Tom Dady Open 45:49 Mike Lance ESSG 46:02 1st M 55-59 GOLD N Tonawanda Ed Grzanowicz Open 56:06 Tom Cornell ESSG 56:51 1st M 65-69 GOLD Rochester Gary Leonard & Rudy Haas Open 58:33 Len Cormier ESSG 59:51 2nd M 60-64 SILVER Plattsburgh Jim Hayes & James Hayes Open 63:28 Robin Burkhardt ESSG 69:13 1st F 60-64 GOLD Central Valley Shirley Gerow ESSG 69:17 1st F 55-59 GOLD Central Valley Sandra Lomker ESSG 71:48 1st F 65-69 GOLD Rochester Ben Sulikowski & Zach Clemans Open 72:06 Mike Fitzgerald ESSG 78:51 1st M 50-54 GOLD Niskayuna Tom Fitzgerald ESSG 78:55 3rd M 60-64 BRONZE Niskayuna Ellen Fitzgerald ESSG 79:01 2nd F 55-59 SILVER Niskayuna Stacy Pendell & Frank Smith Open 84:31 Wendy Alberg & Lirit Pendell Open 85:51 Verna Engstrom-Heg ESSG 87:42 1st F 70-74 GOLD Oneonta Frank Wheelock ESSG 93:13 1st M 70-74 GOLD Dewitt George Freeman ESSG 154:32 2nd M 70-74 SILVER Cobleskill Eleanor Scott (one map) ESSG 159:44 2nd F 70-74 SILVER Smithtown Jesse Howe ESSG DNF/HFA* F 70-74 Groton Althea Edwards ESSG DNF/HFA* F 80-84 Groton Velthur Pendell Open DNF/HFA* Allan & Maureen Costa & Linda Karnen Open DNF/HFA* *Did Not Finish but Had Fun Anyway