Mark Nixon, Scottish Six Days 6, Glen Feardar West (c) Wendy Carlyle

As the Autumn orienteering season moves into full swing, Forth Valley Orienteers sent a large squad north to the Highland Wolf event, and were rewarded with a host of fine performances, including ten Scottish League class wins.

Mark Nixon defended his Top Wolf crown, by winning the elite class, and the Black course in 59.52. Peter Molloy made an early age transition to win the M18 class in finishing 2nd to an M21 on Brown (62.15), and on Short Brown, Fraser Purves was 2nd in M40 (72.15), and Hazel Dean rolled back the clock to take a fine 2nd place in W21E (73.06).

There was a large contingent of local athletes out on the Blue course, and Jamie Goddard was 3rd overall (46.54), while Gary Longhurst (51.04) and Martin Dean (50.40) won the M55 and M60 classes.

In the Womens Vets races, there were class wins for Rona Molloy (W50 - 51.10) and Beccy Osborn (W45 - 54.19), while Jen Leonard (48.09) and Nicola Melville (52.11) made it an FVO 1-2 on the W40 short course.

Although no FVO athlete made the top ten in the course field on Short Green, Donald MacLeod was 2nd in M75, finishing in 64.35), and Dawn Goddard claimed the same placing in W50B (52.57).

Among the juniors, James Hammond has also made an early transition, and was 2nd in M14 (23.48), behind a second season athlete. Heidi Eilse Eik-Maxwell had her first away trip as an FVO athlete, and won W14B (28.41), finishing 4th overall in Oarnge, while Andrew Twigg continued his rich vein of recent good form with 3rd place in M12 (31.04).

Rebecca Hammond won 10A, as she was 3rd overall in Yellow (19.16), and Hannah Inman made it a double for the club in the junior women's category, as she won a tough-looking White course in 30.07 to take top spot in W10B.

This week sees the focus move to the international stage, with both the Veteran Home Internationals and the Junior Inter-Regionals being held. FVO has six athletes involved in the VHI, as Will Hensman, Roger Goddard, Fraser Purves, Ben Stansfield and Hazel Dean line up for Scotland, while Marcus Pinker is included in the Ireland team. The Scotland JIRCS team has three from Forth Valley, as Jamie Goddard, Peter Molloy and Lizzie Stansfield all return from last year.