10 April 2010     By: Liz Bourne (OQ Development Officer)

Two Queensland juniors have been selected in the 12 person (6 boys and 6 girls) Australian team to compete at the Junior World Orienteering Championships which are being held in Denmark in July. Lilian Burrill (BBB) from Warwick and Kurt Neumann (EN) from Samford were included in the team after some excellent results at the selection trials held in conjunction with Australian 3 Day Championships in the ACT over the Easter long weekend. This is the second time that Lilian has made the Australian team.

At Friday's Sprint event, held in the grounds of the Australian Defence Force Academy, Lilian came second and followed this up with another second placing the next day in tough and hilly granite country in the Namadgi National Park, south of Canberra. On Sunday, she slipped to thirteenth place in the fast pine forests at Kowen, east of Queanbeyan, before pulling herself up to a fifth placing on Monday in farmland and forest at Collector, north of Canberra. Overall, Lilian finished in third position in a strong field of 26, 15 mins behind the eventual winner, Sarah Buckerfield from Tasmania, while another Tasmanian, Claire Butler, came second. Brea Pearce from Tasmania, who has shifted to Queensland this year to study pharmacy and who will therefore be competing locally for the next few years, was placed fourth overall.

Kurt just missed out on selection for last year's JWOC team but his third placing in the M17-20E field at the 3 Day Championships demonstrated his considerable talents. Competing against a field of 36 of Australia's top junior men, Kurt gained a 19th placing in the Sprint event, a second on Day 1, an 8th on Day 2 and then a 1st placing on the final day at Collector to consolidate his third placing overall, 8 minutes behind the winner, Lachlan Dow from the ACT. Oliver Poland, also from the ACT, was placed second.

Our congratulations to both Lilian and Kurt for these great achievements and for upholding Queensland's fine record of representation in the Australian junior teams.

The full JWOC team is:

Women: Sarah Buckerfield (TAS); Claire Butler (TAS); Lilian Burrill (QLD); Brea Pearce (TAS); Belinda Lawford (ACT); Georgia Parsons (ACT) Reserves - Emily Prudhoe (NSW) and Michele Dawson (NSW)

Men: Lachlan Dow (ACT); Oliver Poland (ACT); Kurt Neumann (QLD); Ian Lawford (ACT); Joshua Blatchford (NSW); Oscar Phillips (TAS) Reserves - Max Neve (VIC) and Leon Keely (VIC)