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U.S. Senior Team: Member Bios

Women

Samantha Saeger

Home: Uppsala, Sweden
Year of birth: 1982
Occupation: Former teacher
Club: New England Orienteering Club, OK Linné
International experience: JWOC 1992-2002, WUOC 2006, 2008, WOC 2005-11

How did you get into orienteering?

I started orienteering with my family when I was quite young. My parents used to have to drag me and my sister to local orienteering events. I enjoyed going to A-meets more because then I could hang out with my friends. When I was about 10 I went out on my first white course alone at an A-meet. I won a gold calculator, which I still own.

What do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?

My training is actually quite different this year. I moved to Sweden at the end of last summer and a much higher percentage of my training is actual orienteering. In the past, I spent more of my training hours doing physical workous on hard surfaces, like roads and tracks. Now almost all of my training is done in terrain or on trails. Will this be the key to my success? I’m not sure yet :) Now that the spring season is fast approaching, I’m trying to get more of a balance between my technical trainings and my physical trainings.

What advice would you give to aspiring athletes?

Train, train, train! Get out the door, find a running partner, make a schedule, find something that motivates you. For me, making a running date with someone else holds me accountable. I enjoy going to trainings in Uppsala because that’s where I see all my friends. My clubmates are my motivators here! I guess things haven’t changed much since I was ten. Find the people who make training fun!

Goals for WOC

I would love to race the long and the sprint and finish in the top 25 in the sprint and in the top 30 in the long. I also really enjoy running the first leg of the relay and I would love to hand over to the second leg runner with the lead pack.

Anything interesting you are dying for the world to know about you?

I’ve always loved desserts, both making them and eating them. Luckily, sweets are quite popular in Sweden as well. It’s common for people to have fika in the middle of the day. It’s a coffee break with cakes and cookies where you get a moment to relax with your friends and coworkers.

Alison Crocker

Home: Amherst, MA
Year of birth: 1984
Occupation: Astrophysics post-doc
Club: CSU
International experience: WOC 2010-2011, ski-WOC 2011

WOC 2012 Goals:

Fun fact:

Hannah Burgess

Home: Pittsburgh, PA
Year of Birth: 1990
Occupation: student
Club: USMAOC
International Experience: JWOC 2010, WUOC 2010, WOC 2011
WOC 2012 Goals:
Fun Fact:

Alexandra Jospe

Home: Newton, Massachusetts
Year of birth: 1984
Occupation: Master’s student at UMass Amherst; Junior ski coach at CSU
Club: Cambridge Sports Union

Sandra Lauenstein

Home: Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Year of birth: 1981
Occupation:
Club:

Alternates:
Pavlina Brautigam, Western Connecticut OC
Cristina Luis, Tucson Orienteering Club

Men

Ross Smith

Home: Uppsala, Sweden
Year of birth: 1983
Occupation:
Club: Cambridge Sports Union, New England Orienteering Club, OK Linné
International experience: JWOC 1999-2003, WOC 2008-2011
WOC 2012 Goals:
Fun Fact:

Eddie Bergeron

Home:
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Occupation:
Club:
International experience:
WOC 2012 Goals:
Fun Fact:

Eric Bone

Home:
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International Experience:
WOC 2012 Goals:
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Boris Granovskiy

Home: Uppsala, Sweden
Year of birth:
Occupation:
Club: OK Linné, Cambridge Sports Union
International experience:

WOC 2012 Goals:
Fun fact:

Giacomo Barbone

Home:
Year of birth:
Occupation:
Clubs: Cambridge Sports Union
International experience:
WOC 2012 Goals:
Fun fact:

Alternates:
Jordan Laughlin, USMAOC
Wyatt Riley,
Ken Walker Jr., Cambridge Sports Union

Team Leaders
Cristina Luis

Last update: May 9, 2012