MIKE Bickle just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the overall standings in the South West Essex summer league for the West Anglia Orienteering Club.

MIKE Bickle just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the overall standings in the South West Essex summer league for the West Anglia Orienteering Club.

In the final of eight events, Bickle won the Blue course to boost his medal hopes, but fell just short. Also in the Blue course, his daughter Helen Bickle finished in fourth, with Ian Smith in sixth. On the Brown course, the toughest available, Andrew Stimpson finished fourth and Thomas Louth was the first junior in 12th position.

In the overall standings, Mike Bickle’s fourth place was backed up by Smith in ninth and Helen Bickle was the second lady in 12th.

N FOUR West Anglia Orienteering Club members were among the 10-strong East Anglian team at the Junior Inter-Regional Championships at the weekend.

William Louth led the way for the WAOC orienteers, finishing 11th in his class, with Jonny Cronk 15th in his class.

Tom Hemingway was the first East Anglian back in 26th in the hard-fought M16 class, with Todd Cooper finishing 34th. Competing against opponents up to two years older, the two 14-year-olds recorded excellent results.

At an event in Macclesfield Forest, the sole WAOC member Ursula Oxburgh won her classes in the middle-distance and ultra-sprint events, but could not make it three in a row after being disqualified in the street event.