Over the March 12-13 weekend, the Buccaneer Orienteering Team competed at the National Finals in San Jose, California. If you don’t know what orienteering is, it is a group of sports that involves the participants traversing through unfamiliar terrain, moving through checkpoints, and the group with the fastest time wins. Groups are given helpful tools, such as a map and a compass. Orienteering works on testing and increasing a group’s navigation skills. The National Finals in which Allatoona competed in had a total of 30 teams competing, and over 300 competitors total. Before going into the competition, our orienteering team has been conditioning and building their navigation skills through regular practices during the week and during competitions that have taken two to three weekends each month since late August. Colonel Jeff Knudson says, “I could not be prouder of the hard work and dedication that was demonstrated by all our athletes through the entire season. They truly lived the phrase ‘Never Quit.’” When asked what piece of advice he always gives to his students, Knudson said, “Before every single competition, we reinforce that success comes through ‘brilliance in the basics.’ Focus all actions and individual energy on the fundamental skills of the sport and do not bring any energy back with you. I tell them to give it all to the course.” 

Now let's recognize and honor how well our team really did over this weekend. First off, senior Walker Reid finished as the top Varsity Male in the country! Walker says, “It honestly does not feel real, ever since I was a freshman doing this, I was good but the best I ever did was placing second in a state meet. Going to Nationals, I definitely wasn’t expecting that I would win while competing against some of the best in the nation. At the end of the day, winning this event feels amazing as this is what I have been trying to achieve ever since I joined the team three years ago.” Then, Jana Macon finished top freshman female in the nation and says, “I dreamed of earning this title, but never believed I could actually earn it. My family and team were my biggest supporters, and I couldn’t have done it without them. I was told if I push myself past my limit, I could do anything.” Next, Layla Arias finished 4th overall and says, “It was amazing to be in the hills of California with over four hundred orienteering runners competing. I loved exploring the state and representing my school with my teammates.” Last, Aidan Rowe was able to finish 9th overall and goes on to say, “I came a long way from the hills of Georgia, and I am proud of where I've managed to place. I am mainly proud of my team and how we pushed through Area Twelve competitors and represented not only our unit, but also our school.” 

Congratulations to our Buccaneer Orienteering Team for finishing 9th overall with each of the Varsity, JV, and Intermediate teams all finishing in the top ten! The Intermediate team was even able to finish 3rd in the nation! We are so proud of their achievements and how far they have come as a team.