It was a great end to what has been a fantastic year for SYO with a victory in the Robin Hood inter-club competition at The Dukeries event in Nottinghamshire on Sunday 16th December. Results were incredibly close, with SYO equalling DVO on points, but with 7 class winners against DVO's 4, we took the win. Well done to everyone who competed, particularly the course winners: Robbie, Ryan, Nick L, Charlotte, Isabelle, Amanda and Judy.

The 2018 annual club champs were held in the gloriously Autumnal Ecclesall Woods on Saturday 8th December. There were 4 different mass start courses with butterfly loops to split the pack. 67 adults and older juniors set off in waves to complete the super challenging courses.

It was a good performance for the club’s females with them taking victory in 3 out of 4 courses - Course 1 was won by Charlotte, course 2 by Conrad, course 3 by Jenny P and course 4 by Cat.  However, once Peter G's fiendish handicapping system had been applied and the results from all courses amalgamated the club champs prizes went to Max (first male junior), Claudine (1st female junior), Cat (1st senior woman), Colin L (1^st senior man), Tim T (1st vet man) and Jacky D (1st vet woman).

Once the more experienced orienteers were out on their courses, it was time for our younger juniors to get out on the yellow course. Lawrence flew round the course in 13.20 and fastest female was Margeux in 17.45. One year old Evie completed the course in 53.46! Later at the prize giving, all the yellow runners received a prize for taking part!

Post-race members adjourned to HSBC for a delicious Christmas Curry. Lunch was followed by the very brief AGM before it was time for the annual awards ceremony, which honoured our members' best achievements:

Best male performance at the CSC: Dave P
Best female performance at the CSC: Imogen
Best YBT performance: Charlotte
Best Junior Relay Team: JK mini – Freya, James & Robbie plus JK junior – Euan, Conrad & Sam

Best Senior Relay Team: M40s – Pete T, Andy, Nick B & Oli
Best Individual Junior Relay Performance: Oscar
Best individual Senior Relay Performance: Kim
Best Male Junior at the British Schools: Jamie
Best Female Junior at the British Schools: Ella
Best Male Junior Performances: Robbie & Euan
Best Female Junior Performances: Freya & Anna
Best Overseas Performance: Cat
Best Senior Male Performances: Andy
Best Senior Female Performances: Amanda
Best Veteran Male Performances: Martin
Best Veteran Female Performances: Jenny P
Most improved junior: Conrad
Most improved senior: Simon H
Best performance in the UKOL: Peter G
Wooden Spoon Award: Lorraine!

The final part of the day concentrated on thanking the club's volunteers for the hundreds of hours they dedicate to orienteering. All the major officials and coaches received a small prize and the club's mappers (Ian, Pete T, Peter G and Charles) were presented with a framed copy of their maps. Nick L and Kim were thanked for their coaching commitment to club night and were presented with a small award. The Junior volunteer of the year award went to Dom, while  Jacky D won 'Senior Volunteer of the year' for organising the Peter Palmer relays, regularly coaching at training sessions and club night, keeping tabs on everything to do with membership as membership secretary and organising the hordes of juniors into competing at junior competitions in her role as SYO junior club captain.

Charles was awarded the trophy for the 'outstanding contribution to orienteering’ for his long term services in mapping to the club alongside the many roles he has fulfilled as planner and controller. Finally thanks were given to the planning and organising team of Kris, Peter, Louise and Lynden for the fabulous job on this year’s club champs.

Congratulations to all the SYO juniors selected to represent England at the World Schools Orienteering Championships, which will take place in Estonia in May 2019. The boys from High Storrs (Jamie, Olmo, Euan, Alfie, Benjamin & Dylan) have been selected as the English Schools Junior Boys' team whilst Dom, Alex E, Isabelle H, Sam C, Max, Imogen and Alex C will be part of the English Select Teams.