Orienteering 24:42 [5] 4.23 km (5:50 / km) +95m 5:15 / km
Leg 3 of the US Relay Champs. Started in 8th (7th eligible), 8 minutes behind the lead duo of HVO and DVOA (Sergei Paziewski and Greg Balter, repsectively.) Off to a great start: drop my compass after being tagged by KW Sr., then miss 1 as I start following Mihai who was on his way to 2. Then bobble 2, but catch Ross (of CSU Team O), who must have made a mistake there. Then push hard for the next few controls, but don't get any closer to Mihai. Ross falls back though. Finish well, spiking the last few at full speed. Hand off to Will Hawkins in 6th (5th eligible), 4:30 back of the lead. Then, sitting and waiting, sitting and waiting....Suddenly, PG announces that Sergei Zhyk (DVOA) is in the lead, then we head that John F. (HVO) and Will are 2nd and 3rd!! A few minutes later we hear that Sergei and Will are together. Cheers erupt from the Orange-Blue-and-White CSU crowd, as we see Will enter the finish field just ahead of Sergei and then outsprint him to the finish. What a race!!! Go team G (Suzanne Armstrong - Ken Walker Sr. - Boris Granovskiy - Will Hawkins)!!!!! And well done to all the other CSU Teams!