MTB Gravity Nats continue with dual slalom contest

  
  


The 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships continued Saturday in Beech Mountain, N.C. with the dual slalom competition. The day started overcast and foggy, but slowly cleared, leaving the racers to compete in cool temperatures under partly cloudy skies.

Mitch Ropelato and Jill Kintner earned the men's and women's pro dual slalom national championships.
Mitch Ropelato and Jill Kintner earned the men's and women's pro dual slalom national championships.
When the professional riders assumed center stage Saturday, Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah/SPS North America) and Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash./RedBull-Transition Racing) topped the men’s and women’s podiums.

Kintner, who won the national title in the women’s professional four-cross in 2010, earned the Stars-and-Stripes jersey Saturday.

“It means a lot,” Kintner said of winning the national championship. “I'm a little bit sick, but I've been feeling really good riding my bike.”

Ropelato had previously won the national championship in four cross in 2009.

“The fans were good,” Ropelato said of the many fans who flocked to watch. “They're exciting. They kept us going real fast all day.”

In the pro men’s race, 18-year-old Neko Mulally (Reading, Pa./Trek World Racing) qualified ninth, but came back to place second in the race while Cody Kelley (Riverton, Utah) earned the bronze medal.

In the junior men’s 14-and-under competition, Joseph Foresta (South Jordan, Utah), who won the downhill national title among the 10-and-under competitors in 2010, added a dual slalom jersey to his closet. Luca Shaw (Hendersonville, N.C./North Carolina Cyclocross) topped the junior men’s 15-18 podium, winning the race after qualifying with that group’s best time. Thomas Wilkinson (Johnson City, Tenn.), who qualified sixth among men 19-29, rebounded to win the race. William Murray (Charlotte, N.C.) earned the top spot of the men’s 30-39 podium while Andy DeVault (Martinsville, Va.) narrowly qualified in the top spot and hung on to win the race among men 40-and-over.

Crystal Kalogris (Fort Wayne, IN/Lindsey Wilson College) took home the Stars-and-Stripes jersey after qualifying with the second-fastest time of 54.37. Caroline Westray (Charlotte, N.C.), who qualified with the fastest time of 53.67, earned the silver medal.

In the day’s category 2/3 competition class races, Davis Nonno (Massillon, Ohio) won the junior men 18-and-under race while Gus Michaels (Medina, Ohio) posted the fastest time among men 19-29. In the men’s 30-39 competition, Bryan Morgan (Cameron, N.C.) descended fastest while Kurt Dressler (Clayton, N.C.) was the fastest among men 40-and-over.

The event culminates on Sunday with the national championship downhill races.

For information about ancillary events, please visit the Beech Mountain home page.

Visit the official event webpage of the 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships for more information on the event, including complete schedule, results, photo gallery and more. Follow the event on Twitter, using hashtag #MTBNats.



USA Cycling 2011 Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships
Sept. 23-25, 2011
Beech Mountain, N.C.

FULL RESULTS

PHOTO GALLERY

Men - 1-14
1. Joseph Foresta (South Jordan, UT) 53.25
2. Tyler Krenek (Tucson, AZ) 49.80
3. David Dressler (Clayton, NC) 59.89
4. Phillip Steele (Burnsville, WV) 1:01:02.6

Men – Category 1 –15-18
1. Luca Shaw (Hendersonville, NC/North Carolina Cyclocross) 45.87
2. Reid Dressler (Clayton, NC/Inland/Back to Dirt/Inland Construction) 47.00
3. Christian Wright (Auburn, CA) 47.51
4. Jimmy Leslie (Pittsburgh, PA) 47.18
5. Lain Van Ogle (Auburn, WA) 47.97

Men – Category 1 –19-29
1. Thomas Wilkinson (Johnson City, TN) 49.44
2. Danny Cesare (Etowah, Nc) 49.00
3. Chase Hines (Summerville, SC) 47.43
4. Joshua Patton (East Bernstadt, KY/Lindsey Wilson College) 47.11
5. Vance Nonno (Massillon, OH) 48.22

Men – Category 1 -30-39
1. William Murray (Charlotte, NC) 47.55
2. Shawn Metcalf (Dover, OH) 50.39
3. David Bethea (South Daytona, FL) 50.60
4. Shawnee McGovern (Boulder, CO) 51.36
5. Gary Bethea (Palm Coast, FL) 52.33

Men – Category 1 – 40+
1. Andy DeVault (Martinsville, VA) 51.20
2. Jerry Mailloux (Newton, NJ) 51.90
3. Matthew Mills (Greensburg, KY) 54.01
4. Michael Cobler (Clemmons, NC/Cycletherapy) 53.92
5. Jason Gibb (Redmond, WA) 55.23

Men - Pro
1. Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, UT/SPS North America) 44.61
2. Neko Mulally (Reading, PA/Trek World Racing) 47.98
3. Cody Kelley (Riverton, UT) 45.51
4. Logan Binggeli (Saint George, UT/KHS Bicycles) 45.86
5. Timothy Price (Great Falls, VA) 46.10

Men - Category 2/3 - 1-18
1. Davis Nonno (Massillon, OH) 48.53
2. Eric Vest (Davidson, NC) 50.95
3. Kyle Grau (Terrace Park, OH) 51.64
4. Kenneth Banner (Oxford, MS/Brevard College) 52.58
5. Toby Estes (Greensburg, KY) 53.00

Men - Category 2/3 - 19-29
1. Gus Michaels (Medina, OH) 48.48
2. Sam Anderson (Fletcher, NC) 50.49
3. Cory Diamond (Ormond Beach, FL) 52.72
4. Brandon Sbordone (Cheshire, CT) 54.30
5. Diego Ramirez (Banner Elk, NC) 53.45

Men - Category 2/3 - 30-39
1. Bryan Morgan (Cameron, NC) 52.90
2. Ryan Kramer (Cumming, GA) 54.85
3. John Shane O'Shura (Morganton, NC) 50.34
4. Reid Allred (Hillsborough, NC) 54.05
5. Fred Mudd (La Grange, KY) 56.02

Men - Category 2/3 – 40+
1. Kurt Dressler (Clayton, NC) 52.35
2. Doug Tate (Kokomo, IN) 56.28
3. Scott Branney (Highlands Ranch, CO) 1:01:18.0

Women - Pro
1. Jill Kintner (Seattle, WA/RedBull/ Transition Racing) 47.55
2. Darian Harvey (Durango, CO/VIXEN RACING) 51.34
3. Jacqueline Harmony (Sedona, AZ) 51.11
4. Johanne Tuttle (Brevard, NC) 53.68
5. Rebecca Gardner (Marlboro, NY) 54.74

Women - Category 1/2/3
1. Crystal Kalogris (Fort Wayne, IN/Lindsey Wilson College) 54.37
2. Caroline Westray (Charlotte, NC) 53.67
3. Madison Pitts (Lake Worth, FL) 58.76
4. Stephanie Sowles (Colchester, VT) 56.06
5. Nicole Kendle (Loveland, OH) 1:01:00.2

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