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US Champs: EMPO Takes Home the Perm Trophy
After several years of coming close, the new millennium proved to be
the beginning of EMPO's reign as Club Champion of US
Ski-Orienteering. Actually, by our own reckoning we won in 1996 too,
but because that event had to be re-scheduled and moved to Quebec, the
Perm Trophy, emblematic of US Ski-O supremacy, was not actually
awarded that year. But this time, we won, we got the trophy, and we're
not giving it back without a mighty struggle!
Of course it was basically our Juniors and "Ski-O Moms" who won it for
us. Bryan Sweet, Marty Hawkes-Teeter, Ellie George and Sue
Hawkes-Teeter all took medals, as well as newer member Pam Flynn,
while a recent Junior, Matt George, and a "Ski-O Dad," Steve Sweet
Sr., brought in important additional points with competitive
finishes. Because the final tally was so close, Glen Tryson, Eric
Hamilton, Greg Tryson, and Steve Sweet Jr. also provided needed points
just by finishing their arduous courses in the bitter sub-zero
conditions. Glen and Eric even started early, when conditions were at
their worst, in order to perform a final check of the controls before
the rest of the competitors got started.
All in all, the 2000 US Ski-O Champs proved to be a lot of work and
stress, in large part because of the off-again/on-again snow, but in
the end it provided a very satisfying result. The elite ski-orienteers
of the US, and several from Canada, all seemed to appreciate our
efforts at trying to give them a Championship quality event, and were
willing to overlook where we (mainly I) made mistakes. And despite the
re-scheduling and the bone-chilling weather, we still had a pretty
good turnout.
So now we can pass the Perm Trophy around amongst us, pack away the
skis, and start enjoying Spring. But as we savor running once again,
let's remember we're the Champions of the Tough part of the year!
-- Phil Hawkes-Teeter
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EMPO kids with Perm Trophy: Marty Hawkes-Teeter, Rob Tryson, and Bryan
Sweet, the youngest members of the EMPO team, accept the Perm Trophy
from Larry Berman
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Matt George at Day 2 of the US Champs.
(more pictures)
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