At the regularly scheduled Orienteering USA Board of Directors meeting held on Monday, November 7, 2022, a proposal concerning eligibility requirements for the Intercollegiate competition at the upcoming Junior Nationals was presented by Boris Granovskiy of Grizzly Orienteering Club. The current eligibility requirements, as found in the OUSA Rules of Competition, are as follows:
A.35.3.1 – To be eligible to compete in an Intercollegiate class the competitor must meet the following two requirements:
- Be a full-time college or university student.
- (Undergraduate or graduate as defined by the college or university)
- Be less than 28 years old as of December 31 of the current year.
By reasoning of students incurring delays in their personal educational progress imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic putting them beyond the age cutoff of 28, it was proposed that the age limit be raised to 30. A motion was made, discussed and passed by the board allowing a one year waiver to Rule A.35.3.1.c to raise the eligibility age limit to be less than 30 years old for the competition year 2023. This effectively applies to the upcoming Georgia Navigator Cup / Junior Nationals to be held in Georgia in mid-January.
Registration for the Junior Nationals will open on December 1st, 2022.