OK had good results at the US Relay Champs. The 4-point team (Dan, Peggy, Spike and Mook) took the silver medal after a dramatic race. The 8-point team (Gene, Mary, Mark M., and Fritz) took 15th.

Any more reports?

-- Michael (meglin@juno.com), April 17, 2000

Answers

I'll write a report eventually. In the meantime I have tried to look for the results on the web but haven't found anything at all. Where are the results?

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), April 17, 2000.

Hey, gimme a break. I was barely able to keep my eyes open on the drive home last night, and I live only 20 minutes from Beech Hill. I'm working on the results right now (getting the last-minute team changes put in), and I expect to send the results in within an hour or two.

J-J (Monday evening)

-- J-J (jjcote@juno.com), April 17, 2000.

Oh, my Lord!

JJ has changed his status from lurker to poster!

-- Fritz Menninger (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), April 17, 2000.

Actually there was a post several months ago with J-J's name attached to it. Something about what sort of compasses one ought to buy. At that time most felt that this was the work of another non-OKer who frequents the Forum. Now all bets are off.

I realize that a lot of work went into the meet and that in some extreme cases it may take as long as 36 hours for the results to be posted. Your efforts are appreciated and I'm sure everyone is looking forwards to perusing the results.

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), April 17, 2000.

And it will be most appreciated by Mook, who had his last, epic run with both feet. Rumor has it he had a foot amputated shortly after his arrival back in Tucson and is now looking for a prostethis in OK colors. Further, all in OK are wondering how many points an M-21 with only one foot is worth.

-- Fritz Menninger (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), April 17, 2000.

I sure do hurt today, both my back and legs. It would be good if next year I was healthy. Good event JJ.

-- Snorkel (daniel.meenehan@umb.com), April 17, 2000.

J J - thank you for a wonderful event. It's been almost 20 years since my last Troll Cup. Really appreciated the thought and care you put into the event. Great job OKers. If Fritz is "Fries", is Dr(?) Karan who enjoys southern breakfasts - "Grits?" Mook, are your fleet feet healing?

-- Mean Gene (gmw@ukans.edu), April 17, 2000.

I also want to thank JJ and NEOC for a fine event. It was a lot of fun.

I think it is also good to see that JJ was reading the OK discussion pages before he'd finished the results -- he has his priorities right!

-- Michael (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), April 17, 2000.

A short summary of the relay champs:

Terrain A: The area had a nice mix of terrain. Some of the forest was a bit thick. The footing was rough in places.

Map A: I did not have any trouble with the map. The thickness of the forest varied a lot. It must have been a tough area to map runnability. I appreciated that the organizers made a point of announcing that the map was printed on an ink-jet rather than offset.

Courses A-: The courses were fine. They might even deserve to get an A. But, I'm a tough grader. The course I ran (green leg) was interesting. The spectator controls were well designed. It was a lot of fun to run through the finish area.

Organization A: I had no complaints. The event ran smoothly. There were a couple of nice touches. NEOC had a very nice results board. It was a big board (you could read it from a ways away) and they posted the results quickly. NEOC also had radio reports and a speaker service. The speaker service made it easier to follow the competition. But, the speaker service could have been better. How about some excitement from the announcers (Larry and Sara Mae Berman)? How about some interviews with runners who'd just finished?

Overall A: NEOC did a great job hosting the relays.

-- Michael (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), April 17, 2000.

I don't know what I can add. I agree that the organization was top- notch--kudos to the Dentinos especially and J-J and all the others that J-J was too tired to acknowledge at the awards. It was the best A meet of the year, but then I always like New England terrain.

It was a pretty cool way to celebrate my 40th birthday. Thanks to all of you for the ballons and the ham -- I'm saving it for a special dinner -- and the cake. How about next year you give me a relay gold medal? Just kidding, I am pretty darn happy with silver.

I enjoyed seeing everyone again. It's nice that we seem to really have a team and club cohesiveness. (Why do people wonder why I am still OK?)

-- Peggy (Pdickison@aol.com), April 17, 2000.

Okay, the results are done, and I've sent them off to Bob Dangel for posting on the web site, which I hope he'll get a chance to do tomorrow (he's probably asleep by now).

Thanks for the compliments. Thanks in particular for the passing grade on the Beech Hill map. That was the one item we were most worried about, in large part because it was done on such a tight time schedule. (The fact that we weren't going to be able to have more terrain mapped on that side of the tracks was a large part of the decision to do a relay in the first place.) It was a rush to get the important parts cleaned up, and we were concerned about whether it would be good enough (it's nowhere near as well done as Baldwin Hill). But I trust your judgement!

By the way, am I still a member of OK? I was some time ago, but I certainly haven't gotten a newsletter in forever (I assume printed newsletters are a thing of the past), and I never got any notice that I needed to renew. And if I'm not a member, how do I re-up?

J-J

-- J-J (jjcote@juno.com), April 17, 2000.

Congrats on the 2nd place, Heartlanders. You can savor that for a while, I should think. Eventually, of course, thoughts will turn to wondering what it might take to get over that final hump, and end up with gold dangling from your necks. Though I haven't seen the results yet, and thus there's no real way to analyze the race, I think anyhow I may have the answer. What it will take will be the ultimate in power food. Yes, I'm talking about the recently conceived and designed Cucumber Taco with Sweet-n-Sour Thai Sauce (extra spicy version). Unavailable at Taco Bell--unavailable anywhere except for at Taco Aspvdgen 9, in fact--already it has exercise physiologists chafing at the bit, eager to test athletes who have eaten the Cucumber Taco and to see by just how much physiological performance has been improved. Some are suggesting it may lead to better than 3% improvements for certain athletes. Better results through better food is probably all you need now.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), April 18, 2000.

JJ, to some extent being an OKer means signing on. Mostly, however, being an OKer is a way of life, once thoroughly adopted it is never relinquished.

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), April 18, 2000.

Well, I certainly did sign on, and I'm still willing and interested (and I have an OK singlet), so unless somebody tells me different, as far as I'm concerned, I'm still one of the gang.

Also,Cote even know cool Talk Four game,thus must stay with club.

-- J-J (jjcote@juno.com), April 18, 2000.

I'll be the first to admit I'm pretty much having a kniptchen fit (sp?) trying to find the full results!

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), April 18, 2000.

Conniption. I've done what I can, and the results are in the hands of the webmaster and webmistress. It's up to them now. But don't worry, I've never seen them take more than a few weeks to post results that I've sent them. I can email 'em too you if you can't wait. Can you read a Word file?

-- J-J (jjcote@juno.com), April 18, 2000.

J J: Please send me the results in Word format (gmw@ukans.edu). I can make copies for the local OKers. Thanks. Yes, Mook says OKing is a way of life. I think orienteering is a way of life - I was reminded of the neat people in this sport. Years ago Bob Lux said O'meets were happenings of "sensory overload." You meet and talk to people from all over, all with sparkling personalities, try to absorb all the comments and quips from Peter Gagarin, bought O' equipment and shoes not easily available at home, and . . . try to orienteer - itself a game in coping with sensory overload.

-- Mean Gene (gmw@ukans.edu), April 18, 2000.

Cote also know cool shoe knot.

-- Fritz Menninger (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), April 19, 2000.

True,true.

-- J-J (jjcote@juno.com), April 19, 2000.

An email from Magnus and Sanna arrived...

We are glad to hear about the success in the relay. Next time we expect gold! So now you all have one year or more to prepare for the champs once again.

-- Michael (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), April 20, 2000.