Pipped Pirie By Slim Margin

In a major upset, B. Walker (Bay of Plenty) won the New Zealand senior men's orienteering title, in the Ngutuwheru Forest, Tokoroa, yesterday when he defeated. D. A. G, Pirie. (Pupuke) by the extremely slim margin of 9s.

Both these fine forest runners were in a class of their own, nearly half an hour ahead of third-placed C. W. Battley (Pupuke), the defending champion.

The event was held in driving rain and the conditions were such that the event could have gone either way for the first two.

Ran Again

Pirie, immediately on finishing the senior event, ran the veterans' course and soundly thrashed that field but was prohibited under the international rules from accepting the title. Contestants are not allowed to compete in two championship classes on the same day.

The only compensation Pirie received for competing in two gruelling eyents of the day was that he finished a clear-cut winner as the senior orienteer of the year.

Women's Champion

Mrs Unni Lewis (South Auckland) won the women's championship in 1h 44m 48s over Mrs Robyn Davies (Pinelands) and Mrs Trish Burbidge (Bay of Plenty).

In another major surprise, The New Zealand representative Miss Barbara Moore (Pupuke) convincingly won the junior women's championship from Miss Jocelyn Mathis, who won the Australasian junior title last August.

R. Murphy (Central) retained the veterans' title and the former New Zealand captain R. Doherty won the M35 class. The splendid Pinelands junior N. Scott led a very high class field home in 1h 28m 5s.

Results:
M21A: B. Walker (BOP), 1h 32m 50s, 1; D. A. G. Pirie (Pupuke), 1h 32m 59s, 2; C. W. Battley (Pupuke), 2h 1m 21s, 3; F. Smith (Wellington), 2h 3m 30s, 4; J. Gregory (Central), 2h 15m, 5; R. Burbidge (BOP), 2h 23m 18s, 6.
M19A: K. Walker (BOP), 2h 9m 52s, 1; A. Mitchell (Pinelands), 2h 54m 50s, 2; A. White (Pinelands), 3h 2m 43s, 3.
M35: R. Doherty (Central), 1h 18m 32s, 1; R. Kitchener (Central), 1h 33m 40s, 2; A. Nicholls (BOP), 1h 34m 40s, 3.
M43: R. Murphy (Central), 1h 41m 9s, 1; R. King (Pupuke), 1h 44m 2; S. Moen (South Auckland), 2h 34m 40s, 3.
W19A: U. Lewis (South Auckland), 1h 44m 42s, 1; R. Davies (Pinelands), 1h 52m 1s, 2; R. Burbidge (BOP), 1h 57m 46s, 3.
W17A: B. Moore (Pupuke), 1h 11m 28s, 1; J. Mathis (Pinelands), 1h 25m 15s, 2; P. Hanna (BOP), 1h 28m 3s, 3.
W15: J. Wood (BOP), 1h 14m 52s, 1; T. Laan (BOP), 1h 20m 56s, 2; J. Burwell (Pinelands), 1h 52m 37s, 3.
M17A: N. Scott (Pinelands), 1h 28m 5s, 1; S. Atcheson (South Auckland), 1h 32m 50s, 2; J. Mellsop (South Auckland), 1h 36m 14s, 3.
M21C: B. Watkins (Pinelands), 55m 9s, 1; R. Gillard (BOP), 1h 25m 15s, 2; R. Murphy (Pinelands), 1h 28m 45s, 3.
M15: P. Denyer (Central), 55m 50s, 1; K. Ireland (Pinelands), 1h 11m 36s, 2; K. Garnett (Pinelands), 1h 18m 37s, 3.
W35: M. Nicholls (BOP), 1h 39m 42s, 1; B. Garnett (Pinelands), 1h 45m 20s, 2; P. Laurent (South Auckland), 2h 1m 16s, 3.
M19B: M. Murphy (Pinelands), 35m, 1; G. Burwell (Pinelands), 39m 25s, 2; P. Laurent (South Auckland), 56m 58s, 3.
W15: C. Spargo (Pinelands), 1h 39m 35s, 1; L. Moffatt (Pinelands), 1h 40m 8s, 2; K. Glazebrook (BOP), 1h 45m 33s, 3.
W19B: C. L> van der Beek (Pinelands), 51m 15s, 1; A. Overens (Pinelands), 57m 40s, 2; M. Dysart (BOP), 1h 20m 55s, 3.