The following orienteers have been selected for the 2013 U.S. Orienteering Team (Foot-O):
Men A: Eric Bone, Ross Smith
Men B: Eddie Bergeron, Boris Granovskiy, Wyatt Riley, Ken Walker Jr, Sergei Zhyk
Men C: Giacomo Barbone, Clem McGrath, Nikolay Nachev, Brendan Shields, Ian Smith
Women A: Ali Crocker, Samantha Saeger
Women B: Alex Jospe, Hannah Culberg
Women C: Pavlina Brautigam, Alison Campbell, Cristina Luis
Congratulations to all of you.
A strong lineup. Nice to see some depth in the men!
I recall some Child medalling at NAOC. Is that not enough?
Not naming those 20 and under to the Team is the current policy. If you are Emily Kemp caliber, the policy may be reconsidered.
Only based upon US Rankings.
Jordan should be at least in C team. Will give him support and ability to get into European competitions under the USA banner.
And Childs should be named too. Abandon those policies - we need to support our young athletes who enter elites with such bang.
The selection was based primarily on the results of the North American and all U.S. Championships, but also on end-of-year Orienteering USA rankings.
The Childs are on the Jr team?
Ethan is. Andrew just aged out.
Wow, and he wasn't good enough to be named to the US C team? Who are you guys, Sweden or Norway?
I don't mean to dispute the standing team, as I'm sure a lot of thought and discussion went into it, but I too would be interested in seeing some explanation of why Andrew Childs is not on the C team, after some very good runs this year, at both JWOC and NAOC (bring it when it counts). Is it that he has not run at enough meets this year? And missed several of the US Championships?
I think Vlad wrote above: "Not naming those 20 and under to the Team is the current policy. If you are Emily Kemp caliber, the policy may be reconsidered."
I also believe that people can be (and have been) added to the Standing Team during the year, and I hope that this will happen in Andrew's case in 2013.
Andrew's orienteering age is 21, no?
Edit to add: Not disputing the second part, just the statement that Andrew is too young.
The current selection policy is based on prior-year results of adult competition. Boris is correct, athletes can be added to the Team at any time during the year if they show results that qualify them for the Team.
Might I suggest that a more politically astute and polite way to champion a person's cause would be to discuss this directly with the ESC and the selection committee.
In my own case, I am trying to get Eddie removed for transgressions against proper etiquette for sharing of McVities Digestives. However, venting on AP just embarrasses Eddie and the committees. He did take the last one without asking though!
I was not surprised to see Andrew was omitted from the team; he only had a few M21 races. In fact, I would have been a little surprised to see his name there.
I did sort of expect to see Jordans name though he hasn't raced in the US for a while. I suppose the same could be said for Matt Scott
The Committee does look at WREs. Matt Scott's two Team-caliber scores came in 2013.
There are three more A meets this year before team trials. Andrew has a chance to prove himself ready at those meets if he can get there.
You don't have to be on the standing team to make the WOC team - you could be added at the same time as you are selected for WOC. So, if someone like Andrew comes to TT and crushes it, he'd be set, even without being on the Team already.
Don't panic... the selection is not totally final, it never is!
This has interesting parallels with a discussion in the UK...
If being on the "Team" doesn't give you priority in selection for races, or extra funding, what is the point of this annual ritual of anguish and grief?
The A, B, and C tiers are there for recognition, but mostly so that when fat-sponsor funding magically materializes, it could be allocated quickly and fairly. Since the clause is hypothetical and has been such for 40+ years, perhaps it's high time to get rid of the A, B, C levels? but that would be acknowledgement of defeat, and so it goes.
Tiers aside, the Standing Team has a purpose—it's the only instrument for deciding who gets to participate in non-WOC IOF events, such as the World Cup.
Giacomo was added to the Team following his Team Trials races last year (which were good enough, you may recall, to get him on the WOC team). As others have said, Andrew -- and any other person not yet named to the Team -- can be added if his results warrant. In past years, people have generally been added about mid-year, roughly after the Team Trials.
I'm looking forward to seeing how the spring results shake out.
Also, last year, the ESC distributed some funds for travel to NAOCs based upon A, B, C team levels. So it does matter a small bit at the present point, although it is mostly for recognition.
We will be reconvening after the spring season to review results and make any necessary additions. Also, the ESC will be assessing the entire selection process for all opportunities for improvement. Any changes will be implemented with the 2014 Team selection.
As always, we welcome any input from you usotesc@yahoogroups.com
You can't email that address unless you are a member of the yahoo group. Just another example of the ESC "Man" trying to keep us down. For what it's worth, I sent the following but it bounced.
**************
I would like to get Eddie Bergeron removed from the standing team because he is not a good sharer of digestives.
Also, I would like to discuss the creation of a D team. They will be the biggest and the fattest of the teams, just like the batteries.
Disrespectfully,
Anonymous
Oops, Linda meant if you had feedback to email usotesconly at the yahoogroups domain, not usotesc, that shouldn't bounce and goes to only the current members of the ESC, not the 42 people on the usotesc list that we periodically include for wider opinions on things! (If anyone has issues with either of these, drop a line, I'm apparently managing...)
Abhorrent that eddie doesn't share digestives. Let the biscuit-hording commence...
If you're not on usotesc, you can't send to usotesc. Don't know about usotesconly.
Yup, for hopefully 100% clarity:
usotesc - 42 people, many who have been on the ESC, or are highly concerned with senior team matters, a closed list where only those on it can post (feel like you meet the bill of highly concerned with senior team members and want to be on the list? shoot me an email.)
usotesconly - only the 7 members of the current ESC but accepts email from all email addresses, where to send feedback to if you have concerns the ESC needs to address
usoteam - currently 95 people, to include everyone on the current US senior team, and those even peripherally involved in senior team matters, it's also members-only
Ali, thanks for clarifying!
@Iamstillhungry...does this mean you are looking for a place on the team???
Yes! The D team. Biggest, baddest and fullest of juice!
Sign me up for the 9-volt team.
Wow..the D-team- such a cool idea. The team will promote a new style of orienteering, a mix of trail and park orienteering, the trailer-park orienteering. Bubba-Goat will serve as the trial to the team. To be eligible, one must run in blue overalls, and carry water and 3-day supply of food. The "true Americans" will be able to relate to this team, tons of money from sponsors, this is just the beginning...
This discussion thread is closed.