Where are we? Orienteer participants find their way
National Games to be held at Pineland

New Gloucester -- The Maine Games held its second annual orienteering meet Saturday, at Pineland Farms, in New Gloucester, and a hardy group of experienced orienteers as well as several first-timers, took part despite less than perfect weather.

While they weren't quite ideal conditions for an orienteering meet, the participants didn't seem to mind as most began their competition in the rain. By the end of the meet, however, the sun had come back and several competitors took to the course for a second crack at it.

Medals were won by 21 different competitors, while some Maine Games orienteering veterans did well, some first-time orienteers came away with some hardware as well.

Left, Kim Moody of Cape Elizabeth, gold medalist Tracy Ross of Gray, and Ellen Buenaventura atop the winners' podiums at the Maine Games orienteering awards ceremony.
Photo by Patti Mikkelsen


Seven year-old Maine Games veteran, Timmy Dentino, of Sedgwick took top honors in the Male Under 10 category for the second year in a row, while newcomer Emily Ross, of Gray, won in the Female Under-10 division. Emily's sister, Amanda claimed gold in the Female 11-12 division, and Eugene Abromov, of Bangor won gold for the second time in the Male 13-14 division.

Stanis Moody-Roberts, of Cape Elizabeth also scored his second gold medal, this year competing in the Male 15-16 age bracket, and Arlen Finseth, of Gardiner, took top honors in the Male 17-18 category. Casandra Quintal, of Gardiner won the Female 19-20 division, and Curt Jensch, of Portland edged out Michael Eng for gold in the Male 30-39 division.

Tracy Ross, of Gray; Kim Moody, of Cape Elizabeth; and Ellen Buenaventura, finished one, two, three in the Female 40-49 division, while David Simonson, of Bangor, defeated Leon Harkleroad, of Wilton for gold in the Male 40-49 division. Gwen Hawes, of Winslow, claimed gold in the Female 50-59 division, and Clarence "Buzz" Butler finished just ahead of Daryl Provost, of Winslow in the Male 50-59 category.

Scarborough's Ruth Johnson, a seventeen-time national orienteering champion, won her second Maine Games gold medal in the Female 70-79 division. Local favorite Howard Mikkelsen, of New Gloucester, won gold in the Male 70-79 division.

This is the second year for orienteering in the Maine Games and as the only state games in the country to offer this sport in their summer games, Maine is leading the way for orienteering to be considered by other state games organizations in the near future.

Pineland Farms, in New Gloucester, is the perfect venue for this sport and with nearly 2500 acres of forest, field, and a meticulously groomed campus, competitors vowed to keep coming back to take advantage of the permanent orienteering course there. The United States Orienteering Federation was so impressed with the facilities at Pineland Farms that they selected the property for two national championships to be held there in September.

The Maine Games Opening Ceremonies will be held on Friday, June 25, at 6 p.m. at Hadlock Field, in Portland and admission is free and all are invited to attend this special event. Other Maine Games events this weekend include wrestling, track and field, bowling, fencing, and table tennis. For more information about the Maine Games or this weekends events, log on to: www.mainegames.org.