Category: Junior Team

2023 Youth European Summer Trip

This summer young orienteers from both the National Team and the Youth Development Program will be embarking on a three week summer trip to Europe to take part in two major international orienteering events. The trip will run from approximately June 19th through July 10th.

First stop on the trip will be to the European Youth Orienteering Championships (EYOC) in Velingrad, Bulgaria. Since US Youth are not eligible for the EYOC Championships, they will participate in the concurrent EYOC Tour events June 23-25th.

From Bulgaria, the group will travel on to Baia Mare, Romania for the 2023 Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) running from July 2-9th. Twelve US youth were recently selected to compete at JWOC this year. Non-JWOC youth will take part in the JWOC Tour races being held during the same period.

Plenty of opportunities for sightseeing and cultural activities will be built into the itinerary around the competition days as well as time to do what kids like to do – have fun… A series of fund-raising efforts are planned to help raise money to provide stipends to attending youth to offset travel costs for this trip.

First up will be this weekend at West Point! On Sunday, April 16th, juniors will be hosting a bake sale to raise funds for summer youth travel. Stop by to enjoy some delicious cakes and meet our talented juniors. They would also welcome (and appreciate!) any donations of baked goods. If you’re planning to bring any, please email Keegan at keegan@nullharkador.com to let us know.

There will also be a “Control Challenge” where donors can pledge a particular amount based on the number of controls youth participants visit over a fixed time period – April 17th – June 4th. Final details on the control challenge can be found on the National Team Blog.

You can also make a donation directly to support the Junior Summer Trip by using our secure donation form and pay by credit card, bank ACH or PayPal. The future of our sport depends upon youth and we thank you for supporting this amazing opportunity for our National Team and Youth Development Program youth to gain such valuable experiences in Europe this summer.

Below are a few photos from last summers youth excursions in Portugal and Switzerland.

2023 US National Team Announced

The Selection Committee of Peggy Dickison, Eric Weyman, and Matt Smith are pleased to announce the 2023 US National Orienteering Team.

Placements were based primarily on the Selection Criteria, including OUSA ranking scores, IOF ranking scores, and head-to-head competition. In general, we were most flexible/inclusive with the Juniors, who we understand are still improving and have less consistent results; less flexible/inclusive with the Performance Squad; and least flexible/inclusive with the Elite Squad.
 
We are excited to see our team grow, with two athletes returning to the Team after breaks, and six Juniors new to the Team.

2023 TeamUSA Elite Squad

Greg Ahlswede – DVOA
Joe Barrett – QOC
Tori Borish – RMOC
Evalin Brautigam – WCOC
Ali Crocker – CROC
Thomas Curiger – OLC Kapreolo
Thomas Laraia – MNOC
AJ Riley – DVOA
Danny Riley – NEOC
Anton Salmenkylä – A/L
Ricardo Schaniel – Bussola OK

2023 TeamUSA Performance Squad

Diana Aleksieva – QOC
Eric Bone – COC
Isabel Bryant – NEOC
Alison Campbell – DVOA
Jessica Colleran – COC
Julia Doubson – BAOC
Will Enger – COC
Bridget Hall – NEOC
Oriana Riley – DVOA
Sergei Ryzhkov – DVOA
Tyler Wilson – USMAOC

2023 TeamUSA Junior Squad

Lily Addicott – GAOC
Ben Brady – COC
Anna Campbell – NEOC
Ben Cooper – COC
Ian Dunlap – OLOU
Mori Finlayson-Johnecheck – NEOC
Keegan Harkavy – NEOC
Greta Leonard – COC
Kirsten Mayland – DVOA
Alex Merka – QOC
Shawn Mather – USMAOC
Annika Mihata – COC
Hana Myers – USMAOC
Emelia Schmidt – QOC
Zoe Sibthorp – COC
Holden Sopoti – USMAOC
Ava Suhocki – DVOA
Zariah Zosel – COC

JWOC ’22 Portugal Event Recap

July 10-16, 2022

Summary: TeamUSA sent a strong team of 6 women and 4 men to Portugal this year to compete at JWOC ’22. A majority of the team arrived a week early and got in some solid training in the very hot and rocky terrain around Aguilar. Unfortunately, the extreme heat and fire danger would force the country to close all access to forested areas which effectively killed the middle, long and forest relay events for the competitors.

The organizing team pivoted to make the best of the situation and the sprint competition and sprint relays were held with some modifications (extra teams, unofficial teams) so everyone got a chance to run. Additionally a non-championship urban relay (3 person teams, Men’s & Women’s) was put together in a nearby town which included the twist of running through a local nursing home facility.

JWOC ’22 isn’t over yet though – the organizers did not hold a closing ceremony and plan to hold the canceled forest races in early November at the same venues. It will be a huge expense to send our team back to Portugal to round out the competition, but hopefully some of our TeamUSA athletes will be able to make the journey depending upon their school schedules. Stay tuned…

Update: JWOC ’22 Part 2 Team Announcement | JWOC ’22 Part 2 Event Recap

July 4-9, 2022 – Pre-JWOC Activity

Relay Mass Start Training

Sun July 10, 2022 – Opening Ceremony

  • Team Photo & Official Athlete Photos – Junior Team Facebook
  • Sprint Relay medal event added – Junior Team Facebook
    • TeamUSA will field 2 medal eligible teams – 2 Women/2 Men – teams tba
    • 2 TeamUSA women will tentatively run on an unofficial team with South Africa
    • Rumors of a possible non-championship 3-person sprint relay later in the week.

Mon July 11, 2022 – Sprint @ Carapito

1Elisa Mattila (FIN)14:57
2Lilly Graber (SUI)15:10
3Anna Karlova (CZE)15:16
76Bridget Hall19:01
123Lily Addicott21:56
133Zoe Sibthorp24:52
134Alexis Merka25:51
135Kirsten Mayland25:51
141Anna Campbell27:13
Women’s Sprint Results
1Axel Elmblad (SWE)13:45
2Tobias Alstad (NOR)14:11
3Mikkel Holt (NOR)14:13
108Keegan Harkavy18:01
125Victor Frolenko18:53
134Ben Brady19:46
149Holden Sopoti26:33
Men’s Sprint Results
Team USA Men at Accreditation (Jul 9)

Tue July 12, 2022 – Long @ Carapito

Forest Races cancelled due to high heat and fire risk.

Wed July 13, 2022 – Sprint Relay

1



Norway 1
Oda Scheele
Mikkel Holt
Tobias Alstad
Pia Young Vik		57:50
15:53
14:05
13:17
14:35
25



United States 1
Lily Addicott
Keegan Harkavy
Benjamin Brady
Bridget Hall		1:10:29
20:08
15:13
16:20
18:48
n/c



United States 2
Zoe Sibthorp
Victor Frolenko
Holden Sopoti
Kirsten Mayland		1:28:03
22:35
20:26
20:05
24:57
B-Teams
19


USA/RSA United States & South Africa
Alexis Merka
Simon Pienaar
Luke Schipholt
Anna Campbell		1:35:30
28:23
21:00
20:12
25:55
Sprint Relay Results
Team USA Medal Eligible Teams #1 & #2

Thu July 14, 2022 – Middle Qual @ Quinta das Lameiras

Forest Races cancelled due to high heat and fire risk.

Fri July 15, 2022 – Middle Final @ Quinta das Lameiras

Forest Races cancelled due to high heat and fire risk.

Sat July 16, 2022 – Urban Relay @ Dornelas

Forest Relay cancelled due to high heat and fire risk. A substitute (non-championship) urban relay was produced on short notice in the town of Dornelas.

Womens
1

Hungary 1
Boglarka Czako
Viktoria Mag
Rita Maramarosi		57:41
19:47
18:18
19:36
Womens
33

United States 1
Lily Addicott
Bridget Hall
Zoe Sibthorp		1:19:23
26:19
23:35
29:29
Womens
40

United States 2
Anna Campbell
Kirsten Mayland
Alexis Merka		1:36:31
35:31
28:20
32:40
Mens
1

France 1
Mathias Barros Vallet
Basile Basset
Guilhem Verove		49:15
16:59
16:03
16:13
Mens
dsq

United States 1
Keegan Harkavy
Benjamin Brady
Victor Frolenko		mp
mp
21:01
22:14
Mens
dsq

RSA/USA South Africa & United States
Connor Morrison
Simon Pienaar
Holden Sopoti		mp
23:03
mp
28:18
Urban Relay Results (non-championship)

Coming November 2022

No closing ceremony at this time. Decision was made to hold the forest races in early November. Hopefully some of our TeamUSA athletes can make the trip back to Portugal in the fall to close out JWOC 2022.

TeamUSA Welcomes Newest Members

The Executive Steering Committee is pleased to announce the promotion of four athletes to the US National Team bringing the TeamUSA roster to 36 athletes for 2022.

Sergei will be competing in Denmark next month as part of our 6-person team at the 2022 Sprint World Orienteering Championships (WOC). In July, Anna & Holden will be part of our 10-person roster competing at the 2022 Junior World Championships (JWOC) in Portugal and Tyler joins our 12-person squad heading to Switzerland for the biennial 2022 World University Orienteering Championships (WUOC) in mid August.

We’re looking forward to a great summer of international racing with full teams traveling to all the major competitions, including the The World Games right here in the US. Congratulations to all the athletes on the 2022 TeamUSA Roster!!

Sergei Ryzhkov (DVOA)
Elite Squad
Anna Campbell (NEOC)
Junior Squad
Holden Sopoti (USMAOC)
Junior Squad
Tyler Wilson (USMAOC)
Junior Squad

Be sure to visit the National Team page on the website for details on all 2022 team members and the international events they have been selected for this year. Historical info on previous years teams can be found in the OUSA Library. Thanks to all the volunteers on the Executive Steering Committee and the various team selection committees for their efforts in putting together such a great roster of athletes to represent us!

US Team Merger Announced

Orienteering USA is excited to announce the merger of the US National Team, aka TeamUSA, with the US Junior National Team to create a single, unified US National Team beginning in 2022. This merger will provide a more streamlined pathway for competitive junior athletes interested in advancing to the elite level.

Starting in 2022, the National Team will consist of three tiers: the Elite Squad, the Performance Squad, and the Junior Squad. The Elite Squad will consist of those athletes who consistently perform at a high level and are deemed most likely to be selected for WOC, WC or TWG teams. Performance Squad athletes also perform at a high level but may not yet be consistent picks for international team selection. The Junior Squad will encompass all Team members age 20 and under but are fully eligible to take part in all team activities and to compete for spots on the international event teams. Team selection for races such as JWOC and WUOC will of course be subject to the age restrictions of the individual competitions.

Applications for the 2022 US National Team were announced in December and athletes interested in applying for this year’s team should have submitted their applications. The entry period for 2022 is now closed. Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement about the revised Junior Development Program which will include exciting new options for youth orienteers beyond the competitive track.

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.

2021 Junior World Orienteering Championships

September 5-10, 2021

From Left to Right:

  • Jessica Colleran, COC, JNT
  • Ben Brady, COC, JDT
  • David Runde, MNOC and KristiansandOK (NOR), JNT
  • Anthony Riley, DVOA, JNT
  • Diana Aleksieva, QOC, JNT

Go Team USA!!

Follow TeamUSA through their personal training logs over on AttackPoint!

August 28-Sept 1 (Sat-Wed): Training

Friday, September 3: Arrival & Accreditation

Saturday, September 4: Opening Ceremony

Sunday, September 5: Sprint

Sprint Results

Men – Map71st – Anthony Riley18:21 (+2:42)
Men – Map119th – Benjamin Brady22:09 (+6:30)
Men – Map123rd – David Runde22:31 (+6:52)
Women – Map111th – Jessica Colleran24:16 (+9:19)
Women – Map112th – Diana Aleksieva24:28 (+9:31)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMcLU-7F2cI

Monday, September 6: Middle Qualification

Middle Qualifier Results

Men A – Map31st – Anthony Riley27:27 (+6:59)
Men B – Map36th – David Runde26:57 (+6:22)
Men C – Map40th – Benjamin Brady32:32 (+12:00)
Women B – Map36th – Jessica Colleran31:11 (+11:39)
Women C – Map36th – Diana Aleksieva36:25 (+17:01)
https://youtu.be/ebXTeexnUWs

Tuesday, September 7: Middle Final

Middle Final Results:

Men’s B Final – Map37th – David Runde30:40 (+6:44)
Men’s B Final55th – Benjamin Brady42:11 (+18:15)
Men’s B FinalAnthony RileyMSP
Women’s B Final – Map38th – Jessica Colleran47:51 (+19:56)
Women’s B Final40th – Diana Aleksieva49:03 (+21:08)
https://youtu.be/n7AjEFKLd7k

Wednesday, September 8: Rest Day

Thursday, September 9: Long Distance

Long Distance Results:

Men Long – Map68th – Anthony Riley1:25:26 (+16:29)
Men Long111th – David Runde1:43:36 (+34:39)
Men Long122nd – Benjamin Brady1:58:22 (+49:25)
Women Long – Map101st – Diana Aleksieva1:30:21 (+37:22)
Women Long104th – Jessica Colleran1:36:23 (+43:24)
https://youtu.be/JR3kGP5tUD4

Friday, September 10: Relay & Closing Ceremony

Relay Results:

Note: Diana & Jessica ran on a mixed team with Kristina Pashchenko from Ukraine. Because this was an ‘unofficial’ team, their results were not published in the official JWOC results.

PlaceNameLeg
Time		Leg
Place		Total
Time		Team
Place		Time
Diff
34United States Mens 1 – Map2:34:19+50:05
1. Anthony Riley42:203342:2033
2. Benjamin Brady1:00:24411:42:4438
3. David Runde51:35332:34:1934+50:05
https://youtu.be/9mDbvFCh6iM

2021 JWOC Team Announced

The JWOC Selection Committee (Erin Schirm, Anton Salmenkylä and Jon Torrance) is pleased to announce the 2021 US Team selected to compete at the Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) to be held September 5-10 in Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey, about 50km from Istanbul.

From Left to Right:

  • Jessica Colleran, COC, JNT
  • Ben Brady, COC, JDT
  • David Runde, MNOC and KristiansandOK (NOR), JNT
  • Anthony Riley, DVOA, JNT
  • Diana Aleksieva, QOC, JNT

Go Team USA!!

Accompanying the team as JWOC coaches will be Anton Salmenkylä, JNT Coach and National Team member, and Tyra Christopherson, National Team member.

Update on JWOC 2021 Dates, Team Selection, and Policies

JWOC 2021 has been postponed to September 5-10, 2021 due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on preparations for the event.  The deadline for the submission of petitions for selection to the US JWOC team has been extended to June 5, 2021 with the announcement of the team to be made no later than June 15, 2021.  Team selection criteria can be found here.

The IOF has announced general COVID-19 policies to minimize risk at world orienteering events.  These policies mean that the JWOC experience will be very different this year.  All participants at JWOC 2021 will enter and remain in an Event Bubble dependent upon negative PCR tests and there will be strict rules to avoid contacts outside the Bubble and minimize contacts within the Bubble.  OUSA will be upholding all of the IOF and local organizer’s COVID-19 restrictions.  Please take these policies into consideration when deciding to submit a petition for JWOC team membership.

JWOC 2021 – Moving to September

Following a meeting on April 23, 2021, the IOF made the following announcement regarding the 2021 JWOC:

“The organisers and regional authorities in Turkey have requested that the Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) 2021 be postponed from July to new dates in September 2021. The July dates are no longer possible due to planning difficulties caused by the pandemic. The new dates will be confirmed next week.”

Following confirmation of the new dates for JWOC, JTESC will publish a new deadline for the petitions and team announcement, as well as added information regarding any IOF or JWOC Covid-19 pertinent information. The current IOF Bulletin Covid-19 may be found here: https://orienteering.sport/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/iof-covid-19-bulletin-10-feb-2021.pdf.