Strath's orienteers celebrate their success
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Badenoch and Strathspey Orienteering Club is celebrating the success of two of its junior members.
Trophies were presented to Alice Kemsley running in the W16 category and Finley Hollinger (M10) for winning their classes in the Scottish Orienteering Championships 2021 earlier this year. The championships were hosted by ESOC at Craig a Barns in Perthshire in June after months of uncertainty.
Due to restrictions in place, the event only hosted the Scottish Individual Championships this time around.
BASOC spokeswoman Jo Cumming said that it was a great achievement by the pair to claim their categories. She said: “This is the biggest event in the Scottish Orienteering calendar, attracting hundreds of competitors each year.
“The orienteers enjoyed courses with challenging and varied terrain, planned to the highest standards.
Hundreds of orienteers competed and there is no qualification criteria – everyone can turn up and have a go alongside the best runners in Scotland.”
Kemsley was also first in the W16 class of the Scottish Junior Cup. Her victory was based on the results of three events over the summer. There are fewer day events over the winter because of uncertainty over the weather.
However, the BASOC’s own club championships and AGM took place in Newtonmore on Saturday.
The handicap scoring system enables all ages to compete equally, with Suzanne Anderson being crowned the overall winner.
The top three finishers in the club championship were – winner: Suzanne Anderson (W50); r/up: Gemma Karatay (W35); 3rd Nick Anderson (M65).
A BASOC spokesperson said: “Together with the results from the juniors, the range of winners demonstrates the inclusivity of a sport where people of all ages and abilities are welcome and can compete at their own level.
As the days are shorter Tuesday training in the forests takes place with head torches. Over the winter, the main competition is the Northern Nights Championships with BASOC, Moray, and Inverness clubs each organising two events.
BASOC did well last season and is aiming for further success again year
