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Note from the President
The Board of Directors will hold a meeting on November 29th via uberconference. As the year comes to a close, we often have a very full agenda of items. This agenda is no exception. The board will discuss championship bids for 2018, the 2018 budget, and some rule changes for 2018.
In addition, a few proposed policies are to be voted on:
- First, due to changes in the law, we are updating our Abuse and Misconduct Policy to meet the requirements of the Safe Sport code. The new law requires that those working with youth in amateur athletics become mandatory reporters and receive appropriate safe sport training. Barb Bryant has done a lot of work to develop the new policy document. Be sure to check it out prior to the meeting and send comments to her if you have any concerns.
- Second, Alex Jospe will be discussing new procedures and policies related to bidding for National Championship events and support provided by OUSA to those events.
All OUSA Board meetings are open to the membership. You can find information on how to join the uberconference here.
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Recent and Upcoming Board Meetings
- Minutes of recent meeting of the OUSA Board of Directors, 4 October 2018
Next OUSA Board meeting: November 29, 2018, 8:30PM Eastern Time, via teleconference. The Board meeting agenda will be available here.
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Update from VP-Competition 
Ranking Kings and Queens
This list is current as of November 16, 2018. Officially, rankings only apply to OUSA members. Here are your leaders!
F/M-10: Nicole Aleksieva (QOC), John Ratermann (OCIN)
F/M-12:Kendal O’Callaghan (AOC), Grant DeMorro (QOC)
F/M-14: Priscilla Kelley (OCIN), Samuel Loustaunau (QOC)
F/M-16: Kirsten Mayland (DVOA), Chris Merlo (QOC)
F/M-18: Diana Aleksieva (QOC), Anthony Riley (DVOA)
F/M-20: Julia Doubson (BAOC), Aidan Minto (ICO)
F/M-21+: Alison Crocker (CROC), Greg Ahlswede (DVOA)
F/M35+: Cristina Luis (TSN), J-J Cote (LROC)
F/M40+: Victoria Campbell (COC), Jonathan Campbell (COC)
F/M45+: Angelica Riley (DVOA), Niels Lyng-Olsen (WCOC)
F/M50+: Kristin Hall (NEOC), Joe Brautigam (WCOC)
F/M55+: Peggy Dickinson (OK), Gregory Balter (DVOA)
F/M60+: Chiori Shimizu (COO), Tim Parson (NEOC)
F/M65+: Linda Kohn (ROC), Tom Nolan (QOC)
F/M70+: Sharon Crawford (RMOC), Dennis Wildfogel (BAOC)
F/M75+: Judith Dickinson (HVO), Joe Sehnal (CAOC)
F/M80+: Donna Gookin (SDO), Geoffrey Connor (HVO)
F/M85+: (none), Edwin Gookin (SDO)
Annual rankings are computed by averaging each competitor’s best four ranking scores for the individual National Ranking Event races that competitor has completed on a given course during the calendar year. The full OUSA rankings methodology, is here.
There is a really tight race in M65 right now among the top three of Tom Nolan (QOC), Glen Tryson (EMPO), and Stephen Tarry (UNO), separated by only 1.38 points! Now that is what we call a battle for the podium. Steve has been to the most events, though, at 22 different races. We have another incredibly tight race for first among the M-20s, with Thomas Laraia (MNOC) just 0.35 points behind Aidan Minto, and Peter Zakrevski (HVO) only 0.65 points behind that.
It’s been a long time since Sharon Crawford has had competition on F35, but she has finally been upset from the leading position by Cristina Luis, an actual F35 (who happens to own some very nice results from the World Masters Championships). We’ve got some family pairs winning their classes as well – Angelica Riley and her son AJ, the Aleksieva sisters, and the power-couple Campbells winning the 40s.
A look back on 2018
Lots of really exciting racing went down in 2018. As you read in the last issue of ONA, our teams have been traveling all across the world, posting stellar results in a huge variety of disciplines and at all ages. We had medals at the World ARDF Championships in South Korea, the World Masters Orienteering Championships in Denmark, and brought home the Björn Kjellström Cup from the North American Championships. Our junior team had their best finish from the boys’ relay, and our senior team is going through an overall building phase, but posted some really great individual results. At the North American Championships, Team USA won both the Björn Kjellström Cup and the Future Champions Cup – congratulations to all the athletes, coaches, and team leaders and supporters who made this possible!
On the domestic front, this was the first year under the new regime of a limited set of Championship events. The former Interscholastic/Intercollegiate Championships has been reborn as Junior Nationals, which was hosted by the New England Orienteering Club at Mt. Tom State Park, in Northampton, MA last April. The former U.S. Individual Sprint, Middle, and Long distance Championships has been reborn as Orienteering USA Nationals, and this year's event was a collaborative effort between Orienteering Cincinnati and Southern Michigan Orienteering Club this past October. The Middle distance was at St. Patrick’s County Park in South Bend, IN; the Sprint Distance was held at Plymouth Centennial Park in Plymouth, IN; and the Long Distance was at Bishop Lakes in Bristol, MI. These were well-organized events, hosted by two very experienced teams of organizers. I want to extend a sincere thank you from Orienteering USA leadership for taking on these events!
In 2017, we introduced the idea of being able to host a one-day National Event with no additional sanctioning fees to Orienteering USA. We continued this program into 2018, with a number of clubs taking advantage of the lower fee to host a one-day NRE. Thank you to BAOC, COC, GPHXO, TOC, ROC, BFLO, LAOC, WCOC, and BAOC for trying out this new idea! That said, our competitive culture in this sport relies on our traditional two-day National Events, as both an arena for friendly competition and as a place for orienteers of all ages to get together and trade their battle stories. How many event banquets have you been to where the chatter revolves around the course, the tricky controls and the man-eating swamps? Big thank you to our multi-day event organizers for the Westchester County Challenge, West Point, Troll Cup, Winter Pig, Georgia Navigator Cup, the Flying Pig, Rocky Mountain O Fest, and the California Orienteering Week. We all understand and appreciate how much effort goes into sanctioning and hosting these events!
Behind the scenes, the VP of Competition, Sport Working Group, Sanctioning Committee, Junior and Senior Team Executive Steering Committees, Course Consultants, Rankings Coordinator, and Equipment managers are working hard to keep our sport fun, fair, and true to its roots. One of our biggest challenges is trying to get a long-term schedule ironed out. We are working on the idea of having more of a regional rotation of Championship events, but the primary concern is trying to get the dates and locations ironed out a few years in advance! As I’m sure every event organizer can relate, this is often easier said than done. If your club has thought about hosting a Championships event but then backed out, I would love to hear from you about what help you need to make it happen.
This year we implemented a new Championships medal design, that is true to the Orienteering USA brand, and has the class names engraved on the back. Hopefully these medals are meaningful for the event where you earned it! We’ve also pushed to continue the one-day NRE program, and saw a number of clubs taking advantage of this. We are working to reinvigorate the event consultant role, to assist clubs to hosting top-notch events, and are also working on a Championship Bid document, that will make it more clear about how, when, and where you ought to submit a bid to host one of the National Championships, along with a list of resources that Orienteering USA can provide to clubs who are hosting these events.
On the coaching front, we have both a Junior National Team coach and a Junior Development Team coach who are contracted through Orienteering USA. I have been working to secure the funding for these excellent young men to continue their work, and things are looking positive for the future. We have nearly 45 kids on the Junior Development Team, and the Junior Team ESC and the Team Coaches are discussing ways to build on a regional development team concept, with qualified coaches. Erin Schirm will be offering some Level 1 coaching clinics this fall, and we are trying to expand on a coaches’ dialogue that began at the 2018 Junior Nationals to improve that event for all competitors. As always, if you have suggestions or critiques, please send them to me!
Looking ahead to 2019 and beyond
We have some exciting events on our radar. Pending a board vote, the 2019 Junior Nationals will be held by the Quantico Orienteering Club at the Marine Corps Military Base, in April. Of note – this venue requires that all people entering the base provide either a passport number of social security number. More information about that will be provided on the registration page. The 2019 Masters Nationals has been awarded to the Up North Orienteers, at the Boulder Dash, on a new map in New Hampshire in October. We are still collecting bids for the 2019 Nationals, so give me a shout if you’ve been considering this one! Also of note, the senior Team Trials event will happen at the 40th annual West Point Orienteering Race, in April.
Internationally, our teams will be heading back to Europe this summer. JWOC will be in Denmark, with WMOC happening nearly concurrently in nearby Latvia. The WTOC will be in Portugal, WMTBO in Denmark, and WOC itself will be in Norway.
Looking forward to seeing you in the forests, or maybe at a race dinner rehashing your latest mistake on the course!
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Giving Tuesday
#GivingTuesday is coming up! Approximately 30% of our income comes in the form of donations. These funds support our National Teams as well as special projects, such as technology improvements, marketing initiatives, and junior development programs. Your continued support helps us to support you. How to give to OUSA.
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Call for OUSA Award Nominations
Nominations Open for 2018 Orienteer of the Year Competitive Awards
Read the full article here.
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Applications for the $1,000 Wilson Community Growth Grant are being accepted today at www.orienteeringusa.org/wilsongrant. This grant helps to “develop and implement programs aimed at expanding access to orienteering for youth.” Applicants of all ages partner with a local club or nonprofit to build creative, sustainable programming. Funds may be used for equipment, transportation and other appropriate uses. Applicants partner with an Orienteering USA-affilitated club, Orienteering USA or a registered nonprofit organization, which will disburse and administer funds.
Pictured: Iain Wilson
Now entering its fifth year, the $1,000 Iain Wilson Character Through Competition Award is also accepting applications at www.orienteeringusa.org/wilsonaward. 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.
These awards honor the memory of Iain Wilson. Iain was a dedicated orienteer whose spirit and dedication inspired those around him. Applications for both awards are due by February 1, 2019. Visit the links above for additional information.
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Junior National Team Call for Applications
The U.S. National Junior Program (NJP), consisting of the Junior Development Team and the Junior National Team, is overseen by the Junior Team Executive Steering Committee (JTESC) along with the Junior National Coach and the Junior Development Coach. The National Junior Program uses a whole-athlete approach. Athletes are trained in three areas: navigational skills, physical running fitness, and strength and agility. In addition to developing physical skills, the program emphasizes self-awareness and individual potential. Our goal is to have athletes train so that they keep their bodies healthy, learn to be self aware, and develop skills that will help them become strong orienteers and to be successful in life.
The Junior teams have four guiding principles:
- To focus on the process needed to accomplish a goal rather than the result,
- To ensure that all training is backed by principles that transfer to other areas of life,
- To find creative ways through tough situations, and
- That athletes always strive for the best of themselves.
Each athlete is encouraged to develop self-awareness by reflecting on assigned activities, identifying the best course of action in a given situation, learning to take care of themselves, developing good biomechanical form, and developing a structure for their training and daily life. Each athlete is expected to set goals that better the team and the team is expected to be supportive of each individual. Dialogue and clear communication are essential to accomplish these goals.
Information is provided below that describes each team more specifically. Read this information, paying particular attention to the commitments required for members of the NJP and, if appropriate, the JNT, and fill out the application form (available on the OUSA website). If you are under 18 years of age, discuss the information with a parent or a coach; a parent must complete the application form with you. If you have questions about the information provided here or about the application form, please contact the Junior Program at: ousajuniorprogram@gmail.com
The fee for membership in the National Junior Program is $100 payable upon application. JNT membership incurs an additional $100 fee. Fee reduction is available for cases of financial hardship. Please contact the NJP coaches at ousajuniorprogram@gmail.com for more information.
The application for the 2019 NJP and more information is available here.
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Mapping Workshop at Georgia Navigator Cup
Attend an OUSA Mapping Workshop at the Georgia Navigator Cup January 19th, 2019! You can orienteer and learn more about mapping, too.
There will be two workshops:
1) 1:00 to 5:00 PM Saturday afternoon: Field Checking Maps Using LIDAR
2) 8:00 to 9:30 PM Saturday evening: “How to Get and Use LIDAR” an Introduction.
Saturday Afternoon, January 19th - Workshop on Using Basemaps for Making Orienteering Maps (1-5 PM)
This workshop will be in the afternoon so you can run in the morning and still participate in the workshop.
Saturday January 19th - Evening LIDAR Workshop at Event Hotel (8-10 PM)
This will be an introduction to what you can get from LIDAR to use in map making. The goal is to allow prospective mappers to see what can be obtained through a LIDAR mapping program and then how to use that in the field.
There will be no charge for the workshop although you must pre-register so there are enough materials for all the participants.
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noname Uniforms
noname is a genuine Scandinavian sports  brand specializing in the design, production, and sale of custom-made sport textiles for clubs and companies for Nordic Skiing, Orienteering, Track and Field, and Cycling. In addition, noname offers an expanding retail collection with delivery from stock.
The noname head office and warehouse is located in Vaasa, Finland, while national offices are situated in Borlänge, Sweden; Halden, Norway; Moscow, Russia; and Tartu, Estonia. During 2009, noname opened its first brand store in central Tampere, Finland.
 At noname, we live and breathe running, skiing, and orienteering. It’s in our veins and it’s built into our textiles. noname sports gear lives up to the highest standards of every aspect in sports textiles. The excellent function and style is designed by people who love their sport. No matter if you are a world-class athlete or just exercise for fun, we have the products that will help you go all the way. The rest is up to you. Blood, sweat, and tears—that’s all it takes. |
Orienteering
noname offers a complete collection of orienteering textiles. Our collection includes several training and warm-up suits, four different racing shirts, and a huge selection of trousers and pants for every level of orienteering. For many pieces, we use digital printing techniques since it is a superior technology for profiling the club with a great design and high quality sponsor logos.
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QualityNordic
QualityNordic is a Park City, Utah-based clothing distributor that sells noname sport textiles in USA and Canada. All of our products are made with the highest quality materials and available for the lowest prices possible. Shop online (no minimum) or contact us for custom made design for your team/club.
noname is the proud partner of Team OUSA since 2014.
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Contest: Course of the Year
The OUSA Newsletter is announcing a new contest, recognizing the best orienteering course of the year in the United States!
  
The purpose of this contest is to highlight the time, energy, and expertise that goes into course setting - an integral part of making our sport enjoyable for everyone.
Nominate the course you think deserves the honor by emailing boris.granovskiy@gmail.com. Include an image (or a link to an image) of the course, the names of the course setter and the event (you cannot nominate yourself), and a reason for why you think it was the best course set in the U.S. this year.
Prizes! The course setter of the winning course will get a free entry to a National Ranking Event day of their choice in the U.S. in 2019.
More Prizes! Also, a random drawing will be held among all newsletter readers who submitted a nomination. The winner of that drawing will also receive a free entry to a National Ranking Event day of their choice in the U.S. in 2019.
Conditions: The nominated courses can be at any level (White-Blue, Goat, or Relay) and any discipline (Foot-O, Ski-O, Trail-O, ROGAINE). At least one person besides the course setter has to have run the course in 2018. The course has to be at least partially in the U.S.
Selection: The winning course will be selected by a panel of experts. The nominated entries and the winning course will be published in upcoming issues of the newsletter.
Submission Deadline: December 10, 2018.
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Include relevant XC ski race results as well as recent ski-orienteering race results.OUSA membership and U.S. citizenship are also requirements.
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MTBO Training and Racing Opportunities!
The annual Danish Mountain Bike Orienteering Camp takes place April 17-22, 2019 and is in the same region as the World Champs (July 26 - August 4) - an opportunity to train on similar terrain and maps from the same map maker.
There are two weeks available for training. The first week is geared for national teams and the second training week is open to all categories, beginner to advanced. Click on the flyer for more info or email Sue Grandjean with any questions.
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One-Day National Ranking Event: WCOC's Experience
30 Years at Pond Mountain - National Ranking Event (NRE)
Kent, CT - Sept. 22nd, 2018
On September 22, WCOC organized a one-day National Ranking Event in conjunction with a one-day training camp held by Junior Development Team coach Greg Ahlswede. Course setter Niels Lyng-Olsen discusses WCOC's experience with OUSA's recently introduced free single-day NRE format. WCOC's experience may be of interest to other clubs interested in exploring this option:
In summary, we had 112 participants at the NRE meet compared with 30-50 people that typically attend our regular local events. After reviewing the participant list and making a few assumptions, we identified three main rationales for coming to this event:
- ~40 people were local runners who are regulars at our races (WCOC, HVO)
- ~50 people seemed to be motivated by the NRE status, including 27x USMAOC
- ~20 people attended both the Training Camp and the NRE event
Feedback to OUSA with regards to hosting a one-day NRE event:
- The one-day NRE event was a positive experience and we recommend OUSA to continue this program.
- For WCOC, the immediate outcome was a significantly higher participation level compared with our club's regular local events. Bigger crowds increase the motivation for our members and produce greater revenues for the club.
- The NRE status incentivized the WCOC crew to elevate its game in terms of production quality. The organizing team required was larger than for a local meet, but the overall workload and complexity was closer to a local meet than a National Event/A-meet.
- The Sanctioning Committee process and the OUSA course vetting outreach were straightforward and commensurate with a 'local' NRE event's lower level of complexity.
- Teaming up with Greg Ahlswede to organize a Training Camp in connection with the NRE event created a weekend attraction without putting additional strain on WCOC volunteers. Camping was available at the Event Center at no cost.
- The combination of the NRE status and the Training Camp motivated orienteers from clubs farther away (NEOC, DVOA, QOC) to come to the event.
- WCOC benefited from having no other competing NRE events in the region this weekend. This was partially achieved by collaborating directly with nearby clubs at an early stage (NEOC/UNO in particular).
Summary of key event processes and organization:
- Pre-registration was voluntary, but recommended. Most people pre-registered, which simplified registration and payment at the Event Center.
- Attractive event fee of $10 per individual and $15 per family.
- Runners self-selected their own start time. The Start Crew registered name and start time and facilitated a minimum 2 minutes spread between runners on the same course.
- Bagged and sealed maps were handed to the runners at their start time.
- Managing the Start was significantly more complex compared with a typical local meet. The Start team should probably have been 3 people instead of 2.
- Control stands were used on all the advanced courses.
- There were no reported or observed issues with control placements, maps or control descriptions, and runners gave positive feedback on the courses.
- The Finish and Results crew used two computers for timing, one main and one back-up machine, and runners downloaded to both computers. We experienced no breakdown of the results function.
- Live results were immediately displayed and available to participants on two computer monitors situated next to the finish area.
- Participants were told in advanced that there would be bragging rights, but no awards. An amount equal to what would have been spent on awards will be donated to the Junior Team.
- Results and RouteGadget were posted later on the race day.
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Orienteer Kansas: Underground Sprint!
Orienteering Underground: a first for the US
There have been underground O events in other parts of the world, but the first one in the US was held on Nov 17, at Park University in Parkville, MO.
Photo by Gene Wee
The Kansas City metro area has many limestone caves, remnants of past mining activities, that have now been turned into commercial spaces. Possum Trot O Club and Orienteer Kansas had wanted to hold an orienteering event in one of these underground spaces for a long time, but it has been hard to get permission. We lucked out with the folks at Park University, who allowed us to map the main campus (above ground) as well as the auxiliary underground campus. We held a sprint there as part of the Possum Trot XIX Weekend.
Participants were shown a copy of the underground map before the start, since we had to use a lot of non-standard symbols as we figured out how to map this unique area. They also saw the clue descriptions ahead of time, since "stone pillar" was used a lot and is not a common description!
Underground part of the sprint. Click on map for larger image.
Above-ground part of the course. Click on map for larger image.
53 participants from around the US and Canada ran above ground, underground and above ground again on the 3 km course. They had to get used to intermittent lighting, rock walls and man-made walls, narrow passages and passable doors. The floor is mostly asphalt, with some areas of polished concrete. The temperature inside the underground portion was 55F, much nicer than the outside temp of 40F. Everyone enjoyed the unique experience of running underground.
See results here.
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Highlight Your Club/Event!
Every club is unique and can contribute to the growth and health of orienteering in the U.S. Whether your club had an extraordinarily successful event, is planning something unique or special, or simply wants to advertise quality events that it puts on, we want to highlight it here!
Please contact the editors at newsletter@orienteeringusa.org to add content to the next newsletter!
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Trail Orienteering NRE
The Board of Directors of OUSA would like to extend thanks to CRNA for hosting the recent Trail Orienteering NRE in Windham, NY. It is nice to see Trail Orienteering events on the calendar. Thanks to all of the volunteers, including Event Director Russ Myer and Course Setters Mika Latva-Kokko and Joe Brautigam. Also thanks to the Windham Country Club for access to their grounds and facilities.
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2018
2019
Notes:
** = Pending sanctioning
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Preview: Georgia Navigator Cup 2019
Featuring Georgia Navigator Cup and SE Interscholastic Championships
We're excited to offer 4 days of orienteering.
The Middle venue is McIntosh Reserve, a historic site on the banks of the Chattahoochee River.
Georgia Navigator Cup and SE Interscholastic Championships, both 2-Day Classics, will be held at Chattahoochee Bend State Park.
For the non-interscholastics classes we will be offering touch-free SIAC punching.
The Mal Harding Extreme-O which will also be at Chattahoochee Bend State Park.
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Preview: Junior Nationals 2019
The 2019 Orienteering USA Junior Nationals bid is currently under review by the OUSA Board of Directors. Pending board approval, the Junior Nationals will be held April 13-14, 2019, at the Marine Corps Base Quantico, ~35mi southwest of Washington, DC. Of note, every individual entering the base will be required to submit a passport ID number or a social security number to the Marine Corps for a background check. Registration and other information will be available soon. Save the date, and we hope to see you all there!
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Newsletter Contributions
If you would like to send content for the next edition of the newsletter, please email it to the editors by the 20th of the month.
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Newsletter Compiled and Edited by Allison Brown and Boris Granovskiy
Banner Photo credits: Cristina Luis, WCOC/HVO, Valerie Meyer, Facebook
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recognize and reward outstanding competitive accomplishments by U.S. orienteers at the end of every year.
