U.S. closes out Pan Am MTB Championships with two more gold medals

  
  


Kate Courtney won the junior women's cross country competition.
Kate Courtney won the junior women's cross country competition.
April 7, 2013 (Tucuman, Argentina) -- The United States closed out the 2013 Pan American Continental Mountain Bike Championships in Tucuman, Argentina with Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif./Whole Athlete-Specialized) and Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-Stan’s No Tubes) each riding off with continental titles on Sunday.

When added to the downhill gold won by Jacqueline Harmony (Tucson, Ariz./A Culture of Speed) on Saturday, the U.S. will leave Argentina with three continental championships.

Courtney took the lead right from the start in the junior women's cross country race and created a sizeable gap which she held all the way to the finish line. She completed the three laps ahead of second- and third-place finishers Irene Elizabeth Flores Lopez (MEX) and Valeria Garcia (COL).

In the elite women's event, McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-Stan’s No Tubes) also took the lead right from the gun and never relinquished it even though silver medalist Mikaela Kofman (CAN) stayed within 30 seconds the whole time. Crossing the line for bronze was Laura Abril (COL) while Erin Huck (Boulder, Colo./Tokyo Joe's) put in a strong performance for the U.S., finishing about eight seconds off of McConneloug's pace in seventh.  

Mary McConneloug took the win in the elite women's race.
Mary McConneloug took the win in the elite women's race.
After working his way up in the U23 men's field all day, Kerry Werner (Banner Elk, N.C./BMC U23 Mountainbike Development Team) rode to fourth behind winner Jonathan Botero (COL). Compatriots Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale Factory Racing) and Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Trek Factory Racing) weren't far behind in seventh- and eighth-places respectively.

In the elite men's competition, Mitchell Hoke (Boulder, Colo./Kenda-Felt) rode just outside the top ten all day and ended up in 13th as the highest-placed U.S. rider. Teammates Colin Cares (Boulder, Colo./Kenda-Felt) and Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven-Stan's No Tubes) were 16th and 25th.

Elite women's cross country results

Junior women's cross country results

U23 men's cross country results


This Article Updated April 9, 2013 @ 09:26 PM For more information contact: