Juniors, masters put on a show during Day 2 of Cyclo-cross Nats

Bend, Ore. (Dec. 10, 2010) — Dominating performances punctuated the second day of Stars-and-Stripes competition at the 2010 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships in Bend, Oregon. Seven junior national titles and three masters Stars-and-Stripes were awarded in Bend’s Old Mill District on Friday.

Sarah Huang leads Corrie Osborne during the junior women's 15-16 race.

Junior Women

The revelation of the day was the performance of the top two 15-16 women, who after starting approximately one minute after the 17-18 women in a combined race, eventually passed the entire field of older competitors. Reigning national champion Sarah Huang (Kenosha, Wis./Planet Bike) went off hard from the gun, but was chased down by Corrie Osborne (Mequon, Wis./Nova Cycle Sports Foundation Inc.). Osborne held off Huang to cross the line ahead of both sets of fields and earn the Stars-and-Stripes jersey.

Alexis Ryan(Ventura, Calif./The Team Socalcross) took home her third national championship after dominating the 17-18 women’s race. "I knew if I went fast enough I could hopefully drop everyone, so that's what I did," explained Ryan, whose sister Kendall is also a multi-time national champ.

Earlier in the day, Emma White (Delanson, NY/Capital Bicycle Racing Club-NYCROSS.com) captured the junior women’s 13-14 crown. Following that race, Ashley Zoerner (Highlands Ranch, Colo./International Christian Cycling Club) nipped Veda Gerasimek (Transfer, Penn./Project Velo Racing-One Call Now) at the line to claim the 10-12 race.

Junior Men

In the junior 10-12 men’s race, Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, ID/Boise Young Riders Dev Squad) earned a Stars-and-Stripes after out-riding the rest of the field. “I was second wheel going into the puddlely, muddy section,” recalled Jorgenson. “I decided to make an attack on the grass. On the pavement I just drilled it and tried to get the biggest gap I could.”

Gage Hecht (Parker, Colo./International Christian Cycling Club) edged out runner-up Karch Miller (El Macero, Calif./Davis Bike Club) to win the junior 13-14 race. “It was a very tough race, so slick, and the competition was amazingly hard,” said Hecht.

Logan Owen (Bremerton, Wash.) claimed his sixth straight national title after winning the junior 15-16 event. “Got a good start – clean – and after that just rode away,” said Owen after the final race of the morning session.

Women’s Masters 30-34 and 35-39

The 30-34 masters women led off the afternoon, with Devon Haskell (Santa Cruz, Calif./Bike Station Aptos) taking a 10-second win ahead of Amanda Carey (Victor, ID/ Kenda).

“I got off to a good start,” said Haskell. “It was a back and forth battle with Amanda, but it was a good race to the end.” On the final lap, Haskell nearly let victory slip away. “I came into the barriers and had a bit of a stumble, but I was able to regain control and kept going to the win.”

The women’s 35-39 race saw less lead changes. After Sally Annis (Nashua, NH/Northeast Bicycle Club) shot off at the start and led from pavement to dirt, Nicole Duke (Boulder, Colo./Hudz-Subaru), dubbed “the one to beat” by race announcers during intros, claimed the lead through the end of the first lap and never looked back.

“I just tried to stay with Sally at the front,” recalled Duke. “Usually I try to get the hole shot. Sally had a bobble on an early turn so I took advantage.” Duke established a sizable lead over the field during lap two, but Barbara Howe (Berkeley, Calif./Ibis and the Danger Twins) sought to close the gap. Howe pulled within 10 seconds during the third trip over the flyover, but wasn’t able to rein Duke in any further.”

Duke, a former professional mountain biker, will join Haskell in the women’s elite race on Sunday. “Now I know where I can recover, where I can attack, what lines I can take.”

Donald Myrah rides his way to a national title in the masters men's 45-49 race.

Men’s Masters 45-49

The final race of the day started off in dramatic fashion, but soon became a one-man show. Jonny Bold (Marston Mills, Mass./Corner Cycle) led the more than 120 competitors over the first stairs, but Donald Myrah (San Jose, Calif./Ibis) was able to pass him during the second lap.

Bold had Myrah in his sights, but took a corner too hot after his second trip over the flyover and crashed. It was all Myrah needed. He gradually added to his lead over the next several laps, winning by more than two minutes.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better race,” said Myrah, who represented the U.S. in mountain biking at the 1996 Olympics. He was greeted at the finish line by his daughter who raced earlier in the junior women’s 10-12.  “It was a blast just jamming through the mud. I was a little nervous at the beginning, but once I got that gap going I could relax.”

Bold, who injured his wrist in the crash, soldiered on to finish third behind runner-up Mark Noble (Ventura, Calif./METALMTN Cycling).

Time trials concluded today in the NW Crossing district. Call up orders for Saturday’s national championship races can be found online here. Racing continues Saturday with the men’s masters, junior men’s 17-18 and U23 races.

Full results are available on the event’s results page.

For more information, including schedules, rules, course maps and more, visit the Cyclo-cross National Championships official event page.

To view a collage of photos from the event check out USA Cycling’s photo gallery,and to view and purchase a variety of high-quality images from the week’s racing, visit CascadeEventPhotography.com. Also check out USA Cycling’s YouTube page to view a random selection of videos from the event and follow the event on Twitter using the tag #CXNats.

For more info on ancillary activities around Bend, check out Visit Bend.com

2010 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships
Dec. 7-12
Bend, Ore.

RESULTS

Junior Women 10-12
1. Ashley Zoerner  (Highlandsranch, Colo./ International Christian Cycling) 0:18:24 
2. Veda Gerasimek (Transfer, Pa./ Project Velo Racing/One Call No) 0:18:24  
3. Frances Haley (Louisville, Ky./Red Zone Cycling) 0:20:11 
4. Cate McShane (Louisville, Ky./Red Zone Cycling) 0:20:44 
5. Anya Malarski (St. Paul, Minn./Minnesota Junior Cycling) 0:20:45 
 
Junior Women 13-14
1. Emma White (Delanson, N.Y./Capital Bicycle Racing Club) 0:15:56 
2. Mina Anderberg (Louisville, Colo./Flatiron Flyers Junior Cycling) 0:16:42 
3. Emma Swartz (Madison, Wisc./PlanetBike) 0:16:59 
4. Tiziana DeHorney (Albuquerque, N.M./Active Knowledge) 0:17:03 
5. Ksenia Lepikhina (Boulder, Colo.) 0:17:43 
 
Junior Women 15-16
1. Corrie Osborne (Mequon, Wisc./Nova Cycle Sport) 0:28:56 
2. Sarah Huang (Kenosha, Wisc./Planet Bike) 0:29:15
3. Andrea Casebolt (Olympia, Wash./Rad Racing NW-Hagens Berman) 0:31:37
4. Laurel Rathbun (Monument, Colo.) 0:31:45
5. Bailey Semian (Mertztown, Pa./Chester County Cycling Foundation) 0:33:19
 
Junior Women 17-18
1. Alexis Ryan (Ventura, Calif./The Team-SoCalCross) 0:30:11 
2. Emily Shields (Salisbury, N.C./Carolina Masters) 0:30:37
3. Kaitlyn Lawrence (Emmaus, Pa./Charm City Cycling) 0:30:52
4. Katherine Shields (Salisbury, N.C./Carolina Masters) 0:31:13
5. Emily Curley (Taunton, Mass./Blue Steel Cyclery) 0:31:38
 
Junior Men 10-12
1. Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho/Boise Young Rider Dev Squad) 0:19:09         
2. Scott Funston (Black Diamond, Wash./Old Town Bicycle) 0:19:55      
3. Denzel Stephenson (Broomfield, Colo.) 0:20:13    
4. Cassidy Bailey (Lyons, Colo.) 0:21:01      
5. Henry Geary (Seattle, Wash./Northwest Velo/First Rate Mortgage) 0:21:15      
 
Junior Men 13-14
1. Gage  Hecht (Parker, Colo/International Christian Cycling) 0:18:05    
2. Karch Miller (El Macero Calif./Davis Bike Club) 0:18:10      
3. Ben Hogan (Louisville, Colo./Justin'S-Titus Mountain Bike) 0:18:32   
4. Ian McShane (Louisville, Ky./Red Zone Cycling) 0:18:42      
5. Lance Haidet (Bend, Ore.) 0:18:46             
 
Junior Men 15-16
1. Logan Owen (Bremerton, Wash.) 0:32:42
2. Zack Gould (Boulder, Colo./Clif Bar Development Cross Team) 0:33:12   
3. Spence Peterson (Mill Valley, Calif.) 0:33:15
4. Nate Morse (Cohasset, Mass.) 0:33:24
5. Curtis White (Delanson, N.Y./Clif Bar Development Cross Team) 0:33:33
 
Master Women 30-34
1. Devon Haskell (Bike Station-Aptos) 0:37:14
2. Amanda Carey (Victor, Idaho/Kenda) 0:37:24
3. Andrea Smith (Somerville, Mass./Minuteman Road Club) 0:38:24
4. Emily Thurston (San Pablo, Calif./3Rd Rail Cycling Club-Missing Link) 0:38:28
5. Nicole Thiemann (Philadelphia, Pa./CF Mass Team CF Elite) 0:38:39
 
Master Women 35-39
1. Nicole Duke (Boulder, Colo./Hudz-Subaru Cycling Team) 0:36:11    
2. Barbara Howe (Berkeley, Calif./Ibis And The Danger Twins) 0:36:29
3. Kerry  Barnholt (Mountain View, Calif./Scott-Ritchey) 0:37:02     
4. Sara Bresnick-Zocchi (Arlington, Mass./Cyclocrossresults.com) 0:37:19
5. Sally Annis (Nashua, N.H./Northeast Bicycle Club) 0: 37:46
 
Master Men 45-49
1. Donald Myrah (San Jose, Calif./Ibis) 0:48:36 
2. Mark Noble (Ventura, Calif./MetalMTN Cycling) 0:50:46 
3. Jonny Bold (Marstons Mills, Mass./Corner Cycle) 0:51:01
4. James Coats (Campbell, Calif./California Giant) 0:51:17
5. Richard McClung (Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington Velo) 0:51:26