Possum Trot VII Meet Report Weston Bend State Park, Missouri

December 7, 2003 

By Dick Neuburger, Meet Director

It was another successful Possum Trot! We were blessed by good weather, a challenging course, rugged terrain, and great competition. Possum Trot VII, hosted by Possum Trot Orienteering Club of Kansas City, took place at Weston Bend State Park, Missouri, on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. Competitors were treated to beautiful vistas of the Missouri River from bluffs near where the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery camped in 1804 and again in 1806.

The early December date of the Possum Trot gives the possibility of very bad weather, but December 7, as Eric Buckley noted "... dawned with perfect conditions - cool enough to avoid overheating, but not requiring extra clothing. The skies were partly cloudy and visibility was excellent." The temperature was in the 30's at the beginning, but rose to near 50 at the end of the race.

Course setter Mike Shifman set a challenging course. The format for the race allowed competitors to skip any two controls, and there were many possibilities. Most choices involved decisions between steep climbs and long routes. The results show the various selections for skips: Mikell Platt chose 3 and 4, but most chose 12 and 22 or 24.

By skipping controls 3 and 4, the Possum Trot VII winner Mikell Platt (RMOC) separated himself from the field early and was probably by himself for the rest of the race, although 2nd place finisher David Frei (SLOC) must have closed the gap by the end of the race, skipping 12 and 22, and finishing just 2:36 behind Platt. 3rd place went to Nadim Ahmed, who also skipped 12 and 22, ended up 6:22 behind Frei. Michael Eglinski and Eric Buckley finished out the top 5.

Thank you to the following meet helpers: Nancy Neuburger, vetting, hospitality, control pickup; Mike Shifman, course setter; Kevin Shipley, registration; Nick Hockman, registration, refreshments, control pickup; Mary Jones, vetting, splits, photos; Dick Luckerman, control pickup.

Plan to attend Possum Trot VIII on December 5, 2004, at a place yet to be announced.