The Arctic Orienteering Club (AOC) welcomed orienteers to Alaska for several days of orienteering in varied terrain. There were intricate forests, wide open alpine, a SUP ferry, and snow!
The events were a short forest event at Earthquake Park, classic NRE at Willow Creek, a Mountain-O at Craigie Creek (Hatcher Pass), and a Classic at Mirror Lake.
Livelox for Willow Creek Classics
Last updated July 4
Team USA was represented by 12 athletes at this year’s Junior Orienteering World Championships, held in Trentino, Italy. Here are photos, maps, and results from this year’s event!
The Mixed Sprint Relay is a race between teams of four athletes–two women and two men—in a fast, head-to-head competition with a total winning time of under one hour. In the heat of the afternoon, Team USA athletes pulled off impressive performances, utilizing their speed and wit to race around the streets of Levico Terme. Although blazing temperatures made the race more challenging, the competitors raced hard and smart, enough to earn a promotion in their starting rank for next year’s JWOC, a win against their neighbors (and friendly rivals) to the North – Canada, and gelato for the team.
Only the top team from each country counts for the official results, and in the case of the US that was USA 2: Paige Suhocki, Ben Cooper, Alex Eriksson, and Danny Buchholz, coming in 32nd.
Official Results
Map/Live tracking: Leg 1 Leg 2 Leg 3 Leg 4
With starts throughout the morning, Team USA battled less heat, but more hills and a more technical city sprint on their second day of competition. Still, the juniors kept their brains sharp, navigating well through the cobblestone streets and tunnels of Cembra, and delivered strong performances (and photo finishes) throughout.
Ben Conley (92nd) and Greta Leonard (125th) posted the top results for Team USA this day.
Official Results
Maps and routes on Livelox
Team USA stared down daunting course statistics (8.0km with 410m climb for F20/10.0km with 500m climb for M20) to carry out super solid races in the woods of Fornace. After finding their way around fields of pits deeper than two Coach Dylans, taking strategic route choices across several impressively long legs, and using their strength to take on hill after hill, the team had a renewed excitement for forest racing … and for their rest day.
Mori Finlayson-Johnecheck (104th) and Paige Suhocki (111th) clocked in with the fastest time for US athletes today.
Official results
Maps and routes on Livelox
Team USA took on a new forest for the middle distance race. While the course statistics looked less terrifying, these woods were significantly less forgiving, with blackberry bushes that tore into our athletes and bumpy hillsides that rolled Ian’s ankle (He wisely chose to DNF, but is recovering well!)
The athletes who made it out alive performed solidly, tackling hills, marshes, and an uphill finish chute to all land themselves well under an hour in the woods.
Official results
Maps and routes on Livelox
With three full teams, and one mixed team with a South African friend/lead leg, Team USA took on the relay, on a similar map to their middle. Now knowing what to avoid (green vertical slash and marshes), our athletes bested even more slopes, the distraction of running with others in the woods, and any navigational challenges thrown their way.
The team ended the competition cheering on their coaches in the coaches race, reflecting on their accomplishments, and preparing to enjoy themselves a well-deserved banquet!
Official results
Tracks and maps for Men LEG 1 – LEG 2 – LEG 3
Tracks and maps for Women LEG 1 – LEG 2 – LEG 3
45th Billygoat Run!
Rochester hosted an Ultralong NRE course with wave starts. This enabled a mass start experience with the people in your own age class.
Host: Rochester Orienteering Club (ROC)
Venue: Mendon Ponds Park, Rochester, NY
Event Director: Rick Worner
Course setter: Sergey Dobretsov
Two Sprint NREs in one day in the western NY city of Buffalo.
Host: Buffalo Orienteering Club (BFLO)
Venues:
Event Director: David Cady
Course setters:
All photos by Evalin Brautigam.
Photo album from Evalin Brautigam
Unfortunately, the planned Saturday afternoon relay event was cancelled due to the winter weather, which had caused a 2-hour delay to the morning event.
The photos above are all by Evalin Brautigam and the West Point Public Affairs Office
Hosts: Orienteering Cincinnatti (OCIN) and Indiana Crossroads Orienteering (ICO)
Venues:
This event features some wild weather, cancelling Sunday’s long race, and a fairly unique urban middle distance race on Sunday.
Photos above by Evalin Brautigam and OCIN.
The US Youth Ski Orienteering Team delivered record-breaking performances at the 2025 European Youth Ski Orienteering Championships, which serves as the de facto World Youth SkiO Championships.
Erik Fey led the team with historic results, placing 5th in the long, 6th in the sprint, 6th in the middle, and anchoring the US to 6th in the relay—marking the best-ever individual finish by a male non-European in a major international skiO event. [Ali Crocker has the best ever American result, with a 4th place in a 2011 World Cup race.] He narrowly missed 4th in the long by just four seconds, pushing to the limit in the final stretch. “I really wanted a top-three finish, but I’m proud of my performance and our growing US SkiO youth team,” Erik reflected.
Liam Browne (22nd), Euell Browne (24th), and Mark Fey (25th) also delivered strong results in the long distance race, with Euell edging Mark by five seconds.. The Browne brothers, competing in their first international skiO event, impressed many, showcasing the rising strength of Grizzly Orienteering Club in Montana and the US SkiO program.
Liam called the experience “amazing,” crediting Erik and Finnish champion Niklas Hirvilahti for inspiring his improvement. When reflecting back on the week of races Euell Brown said, “It was a great privilege to race for my country at European Youth Champs. My navigation got better with each race, and by the long event I felt much better making decisions on the go. I am very thankful
for encouragement of my team: Mark, Erik, Liam and Coach Carl!”
With Erik and Liam moving up to the junior category next year, the US Youth SkiO Team seeks new talent. Interested athletes and media inquiries can contact Coach Carl Fey at carlffey@nullgmail.com.
Host: North Texas Orienteering Association (NTOA)
Venue: Sid Richardson Scout Ranch, Bridgetport, TX
This event was a two-day Classic distance NRE, and also the Interscholastic and Intercollegiate Championships.
The US Boys Youth Ski-Orienteering Team finished 6th today in the relay at the European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships. This is the best relay result for the US ever at a European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships, which this year are taking place in Posio, Finland, far North of the arctic circle, March 20-23, 2025.
Erik Fey skied the first leg, getting the team off to a good start. Erik finished third on his leg, one minute and 18 seconds behind the leader and 10 seconds behind second place. Erik’s solid result motivated his relay teammates Liam Browne from Montana and younger brother Mark Fey, who both skied solidly to help the team to earn an impressive and record-breaking sixth place for the US. It is especially impressive that this was Liam’s first international ski-orienteering race. Results in ski-orienteering seem to be influenced by genetics as the US Youth Boys’ Team consists of two sets of brothers this year. Liam’s younger brother Euell skied the first leg of the relay for the second US team (which was incomplete) and was only slightly behind Mark and Liam–a very impressive result for his first international ski-orienteering race. The race was won by Finland followed by Sweden and Czech Republic.
The races took place in an area that included a large lake and much marshland as well as some steep, but rather short, hills (see the above map). The race finished with a tough steep 20 meter climb to the finish which was difficult for many athletes tired at the end of their races, but the US’s last leg skier Mark Fey looked strong as he sprinted up the hill to the finish. Liam and Euell come from a strong background in cross-country skiing and come from the Grizzly Orienteering Club in Montana, which has been producing an increasing number of strong orienteers and ski-orienteers in recent years. The Browne brothers also ski for the strong Glacier Nordic Ski Team.
When asked about his race Erik said, “I skied a solid race today and am pleased I stayed calm and in control which was our game plan.” US Ski-O Team Coach Carl Fey commented, “It is great to see that the US Ski-O Youth Team is becoming stronger and deeper than in past years. I am really impressed with how well the Browne brothers did today given that this was their first international race. They clearly have much talent, and I expect them to have a great future in ski-orienteering. It was also good to see that hard training by Erik is paying off allowing him to ski a very good first leg for the relay team.”
The US Youth Ski-Orienteering Team would like to thank their main sponsor Berman Orienteering Supply for their important support. The races continue tomorrow with a sprint race followed by a medium length race on Saturday and a long race on Sunday. You can follow the US Ski-O Team’s results at: Liveservices – Lapin Lumirastit & ESOC, JWSOC, EYSOC 2025. Enquires from the press or messages of good luck to the US Ski-O Team can be sent to: carlffey@nullgmail.com
