Course results can be seen below. Splits are available on
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Well, the weather looked unpromising at first, but the weather gods smiled and by 11:00 the rain stopped and never returned. It was a cool but humid day; one Brazilian orienteer remarked that “This is just like orienteering in Brazil!” (i.e. the rainforest?) Luckily, the ground was a bit wet but not a lot of much or standing water. Everybody seemed to come back happy.
In the end, we had 147 people, 111 starts, which is pretty good given the rain, plus competition from the Billy Goat Meet (where many QOC stalwarts went), and of course Mothers’ Day.
As a first-time Event Director, I had my doubts about remembering all the details, but so many volunteers stepped forward – over 20, veterans and novices both – that it was hard to go wrong.
Special shout-out to:
- Peggy Dickison who set the course, even though she was going up for the Billy Goat.
- Don Fish, who filled in for Peggy Sunday morning, rising early to set out the last 10 controls, and helping me figure out how to set everything up. Don also coached me during much of the planning and set up, reassuring me that, in the end, it would all work out. And he was right!
- Sam Listwak, not only showed up very early, to help with set-up, but left then came back at the end of the day to help with control pickup, and take over as substitute Event Director after 4:00, when I had to rush back for Mother’s Day Dinner. Knowing Sam would be there at beginning and end allowed me to sleep better the night before.
- Erin Brandt was also kind enough to come very early, laid out the entire buffet of snacks, and got us started cutting watermelon!
- Florence Tan, who worked long and hard at registration, and helped reorganize all the food and supplies so we could find things.
- Suzanne Izzo who supervised the 1st shift of registration.
- Kathleen Lennon who supervised 2nd shift registration, and helped put everything away.
- David Simpson, a first-time volunteer who bravely stepped in to handle the Member registration. Go David!
- Michael Dickey and Rick Oliver who alternated between ably instructing the beginners, and helping out with whatever was needed.
- Richard Briggs who served double duty: Brought a big bowl of potato salad, which was vacuumed up in less than an hour and stepped in to relieve me as the grill cook.
- Ben Roberts who helped with clean-up/pack up, which was far more work than I imagined.
- Craig Sheldon who helped organize the control pickup, and pack up the controls.
- The entire pickup crew: Chris Puin, Ann Jepson, Kim Jepson, Dan Quinn, Adam Smith and Rich, Catherine & Garrett Fulton. Some other people also stepped in to help; sorry if I’ve missed anybody.
- Mike Newman who nobly obtained and paid for the permit.
- Finally, of couse MD VP Tom Nolan and Volunteer Coordinator extraordinaire Heidi Onkst who both promptly and cheerfully answered all my endless emailed questions….without once giving into the temptation to say, “Go look it up in the Event Director’s Guide, you idiot!”
No doubt I’ve missed some folks, especially the many who just pitched in spontaneously or offered to volunteer but weren’t needed. Any omissions or errors are mine.
-Tom Smerling
