12 June 2007: Barringer Hill
A few years ago there was a rap "artist" (back before it was so raunchy) named MC Hammer. His
signature song was called "Can't Touch This". Tuesday evening, Dan Mattingly preformed his own
rendition of that piece but he did it on the orienteering sprint course. For the second week in a
row, Dan dominated the sprint. Last evening he turned in a blistering 14:10 over the 1.9km course
in Cherokee Park. Second place went to, Louis Smith III (a younger, handsomer and faster version of
me) who clocked in at 18:04. A rapidly improving Jeff Hamilton took 3rd in 19:10 with Paul Vice in
4th at 19:31. Annie Darst was the first on the female side.
After having competed in the first two sprints, I was the meet director of the June 12th event.
The meet attracted almost 40 competitors, including about a dozen first timers. We almost ran out
of maps. I had to go into my truck and pull out the control hanging copies of the map. The most
interesting newcomers were the 15 or so high school boys, from several high schools; Brown School,
Manual, St. X, Trinity, South East Christian and others. The last starter didn't leave the starting
line until a few minutes after 8.
The Barringer Hill location proved to be a pretty good place for the sprints. There is a big open
area for the start and finish which is nice for spectators. The first two controls were observable
from the start and you could see the competitors heading for number 3. The control placements were
also pretty easy. Most of the route choices were obvious although there were a few choices on three
or four of them. One route choice that I hadn't expected involved two of the high school boys who
waded through a waist high creek which was about 20 meters shorter than running a trail to a bridge.
I want to thank Arnie for helping me hang controls and handle the start, Sherry for doing the
registration, Ken and Jeff for picking up controls and Jim for offering moral support. I also want
to thank Annie Darst for sending Terry Meiners an email inviting him to the meet even though he
didn't show up. Also to be mentioned is Ken Kling who has talked a half dozen or so people into
coming to the meets.
Louie Smith
Sprint Results from 6/12
1.9km
Female
1. Annie Darst 38:28
Male
1. Dan Mattingly 14:10
2. Louis Smith III 18:04
3. Jeff Hamilton 19:10
4. Paul Vice 19:31
5. Mike Bowen 25:23
6. Jim Carter 28:28
7. Christian Juckett 36:14
8. Scott Morris 53:00
Groups
1. Keefe & Bironas 20:21
2. Morris & Rivera 23:10
3. Smith, Donnally,
Doe & Curtis 28:10
4. Tod & Jen 35:48
5. Moore, Tuell & Ball 35:15
6. Griffin & Ward 37:15
7. Team Ken 39:22
8. Underwood &
Pardon 43:58
Steve & Clair
Willey DNF
Four with no card DNF
whose names I do
not have.