Category: Announcements

Announcements for OUSA

National Team Applications for 2022 now being accepted.

Starting in 2022, the National Team will consist of three tiers: the Elite Squad, the Performance Squad, and the Junior Squad. The Elite and Performance squads will reflect what the Selection Committee feels is the potential of an athlete making a WOC or WG team and the Junior Squad will be for all athletes born after 2001. Juniors are eligible to compete for and be a member of the WOC, World Cup, and/or World Game teams and to participate fully in all Team activities. Four of the nine members of our 2021 WOC Team were also Junior National Team members. If you normally run M/F 20 or M/F 21 then you are encouraged to apply to the National Team.

If you intend to apply to be a National Team member, please fill out the 2022 National Team Application Form as well as the 2022 Athlete Agreement Form and submit no later than January 8th, 2022.

WUOC ’22 Team Applications now open

The 2022 World University Orienteering Championships will be held August 16-21 in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland with the event center at Magglingen, the Swiss Federal Institute for Sport..

Selection of the 2022 WUOC Team will be by petition and applications are now being accepted. Please review the 2022 WUOC Team Selection Criteria document in the OUSA Library.

Important: Athletes interested in applying for the team should note that participation in at least two races from the following list* of events is required: 

The team selection petitions will be reviewed & decided by the WUOC Selection Committee. Anyone who wishes to apply to be part of the 2022 WUOC Team needs to fill out and submit the WUOC 2022 Petition no later than March 17, 2022.

Any questions should be directed to Linda Kohn: wornerkohn at gmail.

JWOC ’22 Team Applications now open

The 2022 Junior World Orienteering Championships will be held July 10 – 16, 2022 in Aguiar da Beira, in the center of Portugal.

Selection of the 2022 JWOC Team will be by petition and applications are now being accepted. Please review the 2022 JWOC Team Selection Criteria document in the OUSA Library.

Important: Athletes interested in applying for the team should note that participation in at least two races from the following list* of events is required: 

The team selection petitions will be reviewed & decided by the JWOC Selection Committee. Anyone who wishes to apply to be part of the 2022 JWOC Team needs to fill out and submit the JWOC 2022 Petition no later than March 17, 2022.

Any questions should be directed to Andrea: andrea.schneider@nullorienteeringusa.org.

2022 Iain Wilson Award Applications

Iain “Dawg” Wilson was an accomplished orienteer who represented the USA in the World Cup in Norway and Denmark, in the Swiss Alps for the World Student Champs, and in the Scottish 6 Days. Although his life was cut tragically short in 2008, his legacy survives through the annual Iain Wilson Character Through Competition Award and Wilson Community Growth Grants.

Now entering its ninth year, the $1,000 Iain Wilson Character Through Competition Award is now accepting applications. This award recognizes junior athletes who demonstrate a competitive spirit, friendship and qualities that leave others feeling good about the world. Funds may be used to support travel and training opportunities.

Applications for the $1,000 Wilson Community Growth Grant are now being accepted. This grant helps to “develop and implement programs aimed at expanding access to orienteering for youth.” Applicants of all ages partner with an Orienteering USA-affilitated club, OrienteeringUSA or a registered nonprofit organization, which will disburse and administer funds. Funds may be used for equipment, transportation and other appropriate uses.

Applications are now being accepted for both awards and will be open through March 31st, 2022. More information about both awards can be found on the Recognition page and includes links to both online and downloadable applications.

Please contact Marc at iainwilsonaward@nullcomcast.net for additional details. Contributions may be tax-deductible and are administered by Orienteering USA.

2021 Wilson Community Growth Grant winners San Benito NJROTC

2022 World University Orienteering Championships

The 2022 World University Orienteering Championships are scheduled for August 15-22 in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. It is not too early to start thinking about competition in 2022. The main criteria for eligibility are as follows:

  • Athletes must be a citizen of the country they represent;
  • Athletes must be at least 18 and less than 25 years of age on January 1st in the year of the event; for 2022, athletes must be born between 01/01/1997 and 12/31/2004.
  • Athletes must be students who are currently officially registered as proceeding towards a degree or diploma at a university or similar institute whose status is recognized by the appropriate national academic authority of their country;
  • Athletes may be former students of the institutions mentioned above, who have obtained their academic degree or diploma in the year preceding the event.

If you are interested in going you should contact Linda Kohn as soon as you have checked your calendar! The team selection will take place by petition. Performance at past events and rankings will be considered.

Please let Linda know of your interest by emailing wornerkohn at gmail dot com.

Link to Bulletin 1 & 2

Seeking ORIENTEERING Volunteers for The World Games 2022!

Be a part of The World Games! The best elite orienteers in the world will compete in Sprint, Middle, and Sprint Relay events in Birmingham, Alabama at The World Games, July 7 – 17, 2022. Vulcan Orienteering Club (VOC) will need a lot of volunteers to make this a success. There’s something for everyone: start and finish crews; course testing; control watching and traffic control; arena setup; spectator event planning; and orienteering sport demo booth.  We are seeking volunteers of all skill levels including a couple volunteer Team Leader positions.

Here are links to the official FAQs. Please read them to ensure that you understand what is involved. They contain more detailed information, such as meals, transportation, training and information about complimentary tickets to events.

  • Volunteer FAQ – Requirements {dead link – content removed 6 July 2024}
  • Volunteer FAQ – Perks {dead link – content removed 6 July 2024}
  • Volunteer FAQ – Process {dead link – content removed 6 July 2024}
  • Volunteer FAQ – Info {dead link – content removed 6 July 2024}

Registration is LIVE so NOW is the time to sign up. Instructions to sign up are provided below as well as the link to register. Use the code SORIENTEERING so you will be assigned to our volunteer pool. 

Here is a brief summary of requirements and perks:

Requirements

  • Have knowledge of the specified sport
  • Complete online application
    • Input referral code SORIENTEERING
  • Accept invitation for Sport Volunteer Team Assignment
  • Complete required training modules
  • Volunteer at least 20 hours during the games.

Perks

  • Headwear
  • Uniform Shirt
  • Lapel Pin
  • Water Bottle
  • Closing Ceremony Invitation
  • Tickets to select events based on completed shifts
  • Invitation to Volunteer Appreciation Party

  • Click this link and create account in Rosterfy – https://twg.rosterfy.com/register.
  • Receive link to application via email. {may take a few minutes to arrive}
  • Begin filling out application. {application is separate from the Rosterfy account creation}
    • Input sport registration code: SORIENTEERING on application.
  • Complete and submit application.

Thank you for helping us to make The World Games 2022 Orienteering a truly World Class event!

2021 OUSA Presidents Awards

Clare Durand, current Orienteering USA President, announced three recipients for this years Presidents Award at the 2021 Annual General Meeting, held last week as an online virtual event for the second consecutive year. This years awards honor members who through local efforts have helped to expand orienteering’s reach while serving as examples of what is possible. The three individuals receiving awards this years are:

  • Boris Granovskiy (GrizO) – Boris has been orienteering since he was young and is a former member of the US National Team. Upon moving to Montana recently, Boris sought to start a new club with his wife Allison Brown. In its first year Grizzly Orienteering has held 13 events, with the largest attracting over 70 participants. Boris and Ali have shown how proper marketing and quick start-up can build a thriving club in a new area.
  • Gord Hunter (SOAR) – Gord began orienteering in Canada many years ago. Upon retirement, he chose to become a snowbird, wintering in Florida. He quickly learned that demand for orienteering among JROTC units was high, so he chose to fill that gap. Gord started the SunCoast Orienteering and Adventure Racing Club in 2012. SOAR has grown to the point of having over 2000 starts annually with maps and courses put together by Gord. He enjoys adopting new technology and exploring new places through mapping them. He has recently enjoyed making many base-maps from LiDAR and will happily help clubs who need such a service.
  • Russ Myer (CRNA) – Russ has worked for many years with disabled veterans through the Capital Region Nordic Alliance in the Albany area. This organization has historically focused on Paralympic winter sports, but they wanted more summer activities and looked to orienteering. As Russ learned more about the sport, he became heavily involved with the Trail-O discipline and the OUSA Trail-O Team. Russ has been instrumental in bringing Trail-O to the populations that it was designed for and introducing many veterans and other challenged athletes to orienteering. CRNA has been the primary producer of Trail-O training and events in the US for a number of years. Russ regularly coordinates with experts from other areas to make events happen, most recently hosting the 2020 OUSA Trail-O Championships in Philadelphia.

Congratulations to all three award recipients and thank you for your service to the sport of orienteering.

St Mary’s College Sprint NRE Recap

On Sunday, October 24th, the Bay Area Orienteering Club (BAOC) exercised its option for a fee-waiver NRE and brought a sprint double-header to Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, CA. Originally scheduled for 2020 but deferred due to the pandemic, this event featured dual sprints in a qualifier/final format and two distances – “Expert” which covered all classes normally run on White-Green and an “Elite” course inclusive of the normal Red and Blue classes – 4 courses in total. The official event page on the BAOC website provides additional details.

The typical dry Bay Area weather took a turn however and a “Pineapple Express” weather event funneled a so-called atmospheric river of moisture into the Bay Area over the weekend forcing the cancellation of many events. But orienteers are an intrepid sort, and the event went ahead as scheduled, moist though it may have been.

From Elite winner AJ Riley: “Sprint at St. Mary’s College. She has a cool college.” Well said…

Reminder: All Orienteering USA Regular Clubs can apply to sanction one “fee waiver” NRE event each calendar year. We know all our clubs regularly host top quality local events, why not pick one event each year to offer as a National Ranking Event without the added sanctioning fees. Entice more participants from beyond your local area to come and test themselves against your favorite local terrain.

2021 Golden Service Awards

Each year Orienteering USA recognizes several individuals that have provided service to the sport of orienteering beyond the club level by playing key roles at National Events, organizing training camps and festivals, serving on boards or committees at the national level and more. This year we award the Golden Service Award to the following individuals. Congratulations to all of you and Thank You for your efforts!

  • Doug Berling (RMOC) – Doug has been a member of the Rocky Mountain Orienteering Club since 1993, and his dedication to orienteering has been foundational to to the club’s ability to successfully host major events. From 2010-2016 he served as RMOC’s Vice-President, using his friendly demeanor to facilitate RMOC’s permit applications with local, state & federal land managers. Doug then stepped into the role of RMOC’s President from 2016 through the present (2021), handling administrative tasks as well as serving in more visible roles when RMOC hosted national events – meet director, course consultant, course vetter, and map printer, to name a few. Doug has also become one of RMOC’s e-punch experts for both hardware & software; has promoted orienteering regionally by teaching beginner workshops at local recreation centers; has created and updated several of RMOC’s maps and coordinates the club’s other mapping projects.  Doug is a model of reliability and a selfless volunteer for RMOC and the orienteering community at large. 

  • Paul Clatterbuck (PTOC) – Paul mapped Shawnee Mission Park for the 2013 US Interscholastic / Intercollegiate Championships and set courses for one of the day of that event which included a forked course design to help discourage interscholastic competitors from following. Paul’s map of Shawnee Mission Park still gets regular use as a permanent course. Paul also led the mapping effort for the Sunflower State Games. The Sunflower Games has included orienteering every year since 2013. He also assisted with the “Possum Trot”, a popular goat-style event that draws competitors from across the midwest annually. The Golden Service Award typically recognizes regional and national activities, but like many recipients, Paul was also very involved locally. In particular, he was an avid mapper and always helped out at local events. He most recently made a map of a newly opened local park and set the courses for an event there. Sadly Paul passed away a couple of months ago. His loss was unexpected and will be felt both locally and regionally. He was a good friend of the sport of orienteering.

  • Jim Hall (COK) – Jim has been a member of COK since the early beginnings of the club and has been on the board for many years. He has been meet director for many local meets and has always been willing to help out wherever there was a need. He has also been instrumental in the organization of A-meets (now NRE’s) by COK where he has held roles as Course Setter and Vetter and has spent countless hours preparing for these meets and to make sure that every control was in the correct place. Jim was a member of the USOF/OUSA board from 2007 to 2010 and for the last few years has been a course consultant for several National Meets.

Orienteering USA would like to extend its gratitude and congratulations to these tireless individuals who have given so much of their time and expertise to the promotion of orienteering in the US. A list of previous Golden Service Award winners can be found on the OrienteeringUSA website.

2021 Silva Award Winner: Ed Hicks

The 2021 Silva Award is posthumously awarded to Ed Hicks, who sadly passed away on New Year’s Eve, 2020. Ed was an active and invaluable member of the US orienteering community for over 40 years with Orienteering USA and Hudson Valley Orienteering as well as HVO’s predecessor the Westchester Orienteering Club.

Ed was a tireless and prolific promoter of the sport of orienteering through his teaching and map making activities. He taught a full day program for Avalon Preserves Stewardship Program for 13 years as well as conducting beginner instruction at local events over the entire course of his 40+ year involvement with the sport. Ed also promoted orienteering by authoring dozens of orienteering related publications for schools, Boy Scout groups, camps and nature center personnel; teaching programs and developing maps for World Orienteering Day events and presenting at GIS conventions and conferences throughout the United States.

Ed was perhaps most well known for his passion in making orienteering maps. His map projects ran the gamut from small park and scout camp maps to numerous NRE level maps. Some of his recent projects included developing maps for HVO’s National Meet at Mountain Lakes (North Salem NY), a pair of maps for recent West Point events, Trail-O and Ski-O maps at Windham Mountain, NY and a number of maps/basemaps for BSA Eagle Scout projects. Ed had served as OCAD’s US Sales and Service Representative since the early ’90s providing valuable feedback to the software developers over the years. He also founded Orienteering Unlimited in 1979, which was the first vendor of orienteering equipment and supplies in the US.

Ed Hick’s extensive contributions to the sport of orienteering in the US are far reaching and span decades of devoted service. Orienteering USA is honored to remember him with this years 2021 Silva Award.