Moravian Orienteers shine on international stage as Finlay McLuckie produces strong performance at European Youth Championships while Isobel Howard stars at Junior World Championships
Two young orienteering stars have been putting Moray on the international map in their sport this summer.
Finlay McLuckie (16) earned the right to represent Great Britain at the European Youth Orienteering Championships in Poland.
The Moravian Orienteers star took his introduction to the pressures of major international competition in his stride with a superb performance in the long distance race, coming 14th in a field of 100 entrants.
Unfortunately, along with the other two British competitors and 25 percent of the whole field, he was disqualified in the sprint race.
Fellow Moravian Isobel Howard continued her rise in prominence in her sport, as she was also called up to the GB team taking part in the Junior World Orienteering Championships in Czechia.
The Edinburgh university student and former Forres Academy pupil took part in the sprint race and was just one-and-three-quarters of a minute behind the joint winners of the race in 44th place.
Howard was also one of 150 runners competing in the long distance event and comfortably finished in the top half in 54th.
With still another year to go before she joins the senior ranks, the Moravian orienteer produced a very creditable performance on the world stage.
Moravian also sent a small team of ten members to the Hermitage in Perthshire for the Jamie Stevenson Trophy, an annual Scottish junior inter-club competition.
This event has the added attraction of accommodation and social amongst the nation’s juniors on the preceding night.
Despite having a small and inexperienced team, Moravian came third overall with Anna Howard’s second place, Michael Bishenden’s and Kate McLuckie’s 4th places, Scarlett Britain’s and Emily Fraser’s 5th place, and Sophie Howard’s and Antonia Henderson’s 6th places being the most valuable performances on a cold and wet day.
The Northern Urban League, a series of five urban events on Wednesday evenings organised by the 3 Northern clubs, has seen Moravian domimnate the top of the table.
Andrew Campbell is ahead of Colin Hall in the top two, but Michael Bishenden who has only run in two of the three events so far looks to be in the strongest position having dropped only two of the 2000 points on offer.
