NEOC Update 10/14/23

• Boojum Rock (Stoneham, MA) - Oct. 22: Come try out courses on our updated map of the Boojum Rock side of the Fells. Registration and starts will be from 10 am - 11:30 am and courses will close at 1:30 pm. Volunteer spots are open. For those who are familiar with this location, please note the new start area.
• New England Championships: A huge thank you to Kristin Hall (meet director), Jon Campbell (course setter), and the enthusiastic volunteer crew who made this event happen. We had a great turnout and it was a blast to see so many folks of all ages in the woods and in the arena. You can find the results and photos on the OUSA and NEOCwebsites.
• Fall Series 2023: The Fall Point Series is underway and we will have the current results posted soon. Participants need to run the same color course for at least 3 of the 5 events listed below. No special registration required. Scores are tallied by course (white, yellow, orange, brown, green, and red).
  • Sept. 17: DCR Great Brook Farm (Carlisle, MA)
  • Oct. 7: Wells State Park (Sturbridge, MA)
  • Oct. 8: Wells State Park (Sturbridge, MA)
  • Oct. 22: DCR Boojum Rock (Stoneham, MA)
  • Nov. 12: DCR Mt Wachusett (Princeton, MA)

Fall Points Series Update
With three out of five events completed, the Fall Points Series 2023 is heating up!  You can view the current standings here.

Although Danny Riley has a lock on the purple category (mix of red and blue) with a perfect 3 points, the race for second is still on. Red has two runners, J-J Cote and Dean Redfearn with three scores, but Leah Williams, Birk Breimo, Ian Finlayson, and Isabel Bryant have two strong scores. Any one of them could ease ahead with good runs at Boojum or Wachusett. Tori Campbell has a strong lead on green, but Kate de Blonk is nipping at her heels, and there are at least a dozen more still in the race with two events remaining.

Brown remains one of the busiest courses. Club stalwarts Mike Cooper, Mark O’Connell, and Dorina Nimigean all have 3 scores, but if Jim Arsenault makes the trip down from The North (NH) to add to his two first place runs, he could clinch the title. Long-time NEOC members Stephen Tarry, Jeff Saeger, Charlie DeWeese, Bob Lux, and Pete Bundschuh all have two strong runs as well, and Pia Webb has a perfect score from her one run.

The teenagers (and a few former teenagers) are battling it out on the orange course. Peter Campbell is the only runner with three scores, but with two events remaining, things are still wide open. Lucas Goulart (5), Henry Burkett (5), and Isla Finlayson-Johnecheck (4) are neck-and-neck on the yellow course. Two more strong runs could put Paul Williams, Christopher Lepre, Abby Odden, Evgeny Remizov, or Christopher Baker in contention as well. The white course has six runners with a single run. Isla and Abby have seemingly “graduated” to the yellow course, so the final two events will be decisive for Eleanor McNeal-Lewis, Daniel Soo, and Gail Teitzel.

The next point series event is this coming Sunday at Boojum. See you there!