Orienteering may not be the newest sport to Liberty, and although it may not have the largest following at our school, it certainly has its niche crowd. Orienteers from Liberty are currently in the process of starting a school club for the sport, allowing them to develop a skill set fit for the fast-paced, fun sport.
“It’s basically an extension of Cascade Orienteering Club, and we’ll practice reading maps, orienteering for the meets, and we’ll hopefully go on field trips to our local orienteering meets,” club secretary Brigitte Larkin said. A second-year orienteer, she hopes to spread the sport to the masses and enjoys going to many of their meets.
But if you haven’t heard of the sport, you’re not alone: Orienteering may be a much popular sport in Finland, Norway, and Europe in general, but only a few thousand orienteers span the US—most being on the East Coast. In brief, orienteers are given a map, a course, and a starting time
Orienteering is what you make of it: It can range from a noncompetitive, fun pastime to a high stakes race through the woods at 5k race pace. Liberty’s new Orienteering club hopes to combine both groups of people, as well as combine both the Liberty Varsity and ROTC teams, developing the skills of people involved in the sport. Contact junior Nicholas Vanni, junior Jay Beeman, Larkin, or sophomore Dave Young if you would like to learn more.