Werner and Powless highlight day 2 of cross-country MTB nats
Email
Print Macungie, Pa. (July 19, 2013) – The 2013 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships continued Friday at Bear Creek Resort in Macungie, Pa.
The day was highlighted by races featuring the under-23 men and women and juniors men and women 17-18.
Kerry Werner (Banner Elk, N.C./BMC Mountain Bike Development Team), who grew up approximately 45 minutes away from Bear Creek, won the 39-rider U23 men’s race, coming from behind to do so. After the first lap, Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Trek Factory Racing) and Howard Grotts (Durango, Colo./Specialized Racing) had built a lead on Werner and were threatening to turn it into a two-rider race. With his friends and family lining the course, Werner quickly narrowed his deficit and joined that duo late in the second lap. The three riders rode together until the fifth and final lap of the race when Grotts crashed and Werner got away from Finsterwald just before the descent and cruised to win the race by 56 seconds. Cameron Dodge (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) placed third, 1:20 behind Finsterwald. Nineteen-year-old Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale Factory Racing) claimed fourth place while Richard Cypress Gorry (Brevard, N.C./Whole Athlete-Specialized) finished fifth.
“Once I got on the front, all I had to do was just coast downhill,” Werner said. “I was just being super careful. We all messed up on the last lap, so I didn't know what was going to happen. It feels great to have my hometown crowd here. I grew up here through high school. I was lucky enough to live 45 minutes from here, so I slept in my own bed last night. I drove here with my grandparents, so I was relaxed.”
The U23 women’s race featured several women capable of reaching the podium. Nineteen-year-old Shayna Powless (Roseville, Calif./BMC Mountain Bike Development Team) capitalized on Lauren Catlin’s (Fairfax, Calif./Durango Devo) unfortunate flat tire early in the race to ride away with the national title. Powless passed Catlin on the climb and didn’t look back as she won the race by 56 seconds over Kaila Hart (Durango, Colo./No Tubes Elite Women’s Racing). Deidre York (Boulder, Colo./The Gear Movement Pro Cycling Team), who finished second in last year’s U23 women’s race, earned the bronze medal on Friday, finishing 9:12 behind Powless.
“Lauren just took off right from the start,” Powless said. “I was just trying to hang on for the first lap. She maintained a good distance throughout. I passed her going up to the climb. I didn't see her after that. It was really a fun race. It was really tough. This was one of my favorite races, though.”
The juniors men 17-18 race featured 47 riders toeing the line. Lucas Newcomb (Nicasio, Calif./Whole Athlete-Specialized) gained the lead as the field entered the singletrack on the first lap. He turned a remarkable opening lap in 17:26, 23 seconds faster than his closest competitor, on his way to winning the race by 45 seconds over Luke Vrouwenvelder (Chapel Hill, N.C./Cycle Youth). Sean Bennett (El Cerrito, Calif./Whole Athlete-Specialized) claimed third place, completing the three-lap race in 56:19, 1:33 behind Vrouwenvelder.
“It feels really, really good,” Newcomb said of winning the national championship. “It's been a couple years that I've wanted this. I won it in 15-16. I've been really gunning for it again. This feels so good. All of my work has paid off for me.”
Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif./Whole Athlete-Specialized) collected the third cross-country national championship of her career after winning the juniors women’s 17-18 race on Friday. Courtney, who won a pair of cross-country national championships as a 15 and 16-year-old, won today’s race by nearly four minutes over her closest competitor, Kaylee Blevins (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo). Courtney got the hole shot at the start of the race and reached the singletrack in first place and did not give her advantage up, turning the two fastest laps of any woman in her age group. She completed the course in 42:08. Blevins edged Mercedes Drummond (Springdale, Ark.) by two seconds for the silver medal.
“I'm pretty excited,” Courtney said. “It's been a long season working toward this goal. I've worked a lot on technical skills and trained really hard to be able to compete at this race. I'm just really excited it came together at the right time.”
Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) opened an early lead in the 32-rider juniors men 15-16 race and continued to pressure the field en route to winning the national championship. Blevins completed his first of three laps in 17:56, 55 seconds faster than any other rider in the field before winning the race by 41 seconds. Blevins completed each of his three laps in under 20 minutes as he posted a total of 56:58, 21 seconds faster than Jorge Munoz Jr. (Laredo, Texas/MC Supercenter). Jacob Sacket (Troy, Texas/Tri-City Bicycles) placed third, 52 seconds ahead of Daniel Johnson (Laguna Hills, Calif.), who placed fourth. Brannan Fix (Fort Collins, Colo.) rounded out the podium, finished fifth, one minute behind Johnson.
The juniors women’s 15-16 contest unfolded similarly as the juniors men’s 15-16 race. Haley Batten (Park City, Utah/Whole Athlete-Specialized), who finished second in the juniors 15-18 race at the International MTB Races-Landgraaf while riding for the USA Cycling National Development Program (NDP) in the Netherlands on June 30, was the only rider in her field to complete a lap in under 22 minutes. Her first lap spanned 20:50 and her second was 21:58, allowing her to win the national championship. Emma Drummond (Springdale, Ark.) earned the silver medal, completing the two-lap contest in 45:18, 2:30 behind Batten. Ksenia Lepikhina (Boulder, Colo./BMC US MTB Development Team) finished 16 seconds behind Drummond to place third. Tiziana DeHorney (Albuquerque, N.M./Get Out! New Mexico) and Melissa Seib (Bryantpond, Maine/Bikeman.com) rounded out the podium, placing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS) earned the third national championship of his career after winning the juniors men’s 13-14 cross-country race on Friday. Jorgenson, who crashed on the last lap of Thursday’s juniors men 13-14 short track cross-country race, came from behind to catch the leaders on the last lap of the race to win. Nic Jenkins (Colorado Springs, Colo./Front Rangers Junior Cycling), who won the short track cross-country race on Thursday, finished second, two seconds behind Jorgenson. John Drummond (Springdale, Ark.) placed third, 45 seconds behind Jenkins and 11 seconds in front of the fourth-place rider, Jake Yackle (Cortez, Colo./Yackle Brothers Racing). Cassidy Bailey (Lyons, Colo./Boulder Junior Cycling-Tokyo Joe’s Jr.) completed the podium, placing fifth, 13 seconds behind Yackle.
“I came out and I wasn't sitting very well,” Jorgenson said. “I just slowly moved up through the whole race. I knew I shouldn't blow myself up in the first lap and it paid off. I caught the last guy right before the descent. I got the hole shot into the descent. I outdescended him and came to the line ahead of him.”
Veda Gerasimek (Transfer, Pa./Red Zone Cycling) won the juniors women’s 13-14 race by 6:27. Gerasimek drilled it from the start, opened a gap and never relinquished it on her way to the national title. After opening an advantage approaching one minute, Gerasimek focused on her pace and avoided trouble to cruise to the national championship.
“My bike is Darth Veda, so I guess the force was with me today,” Gerasimek said pointing to a sticker on her bike. “The force helped me, today. On the first lap, my Dad told me I had a one-minute gap and I wanted to bring it down a little, then on the next lap it was up to two minutes, then I said to myself, 'I can't wreck down. Let's bring it down a little more. Nobody's passing me now.' I just wanted to get to the end. The last lap was barely any slower because I was just so excited.
Katja Freeburn (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) finished second to Gerasimek, 1:05 ahead of the bronze medalist Mason Hopkins (Richmond, Va./Tradewinds Racing p/b Bikebeat). Turner Ramsay (Rutland, Vt.) and Camryn Sippy (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) rounded out the top five.
Nathan Hickey (Monrovia, Calif./PAA-Remax) decided the juniors men 11-12 race early. After an even start, the field approached the singletrack switchbacks and Hickey made his move. He passed the leaders and opened an advantage he would not relinquish as he coasted to win the juniors men 11-12 national championship. Noland Jenkins (Colorado Springs, Colo./PAA-Remax) finished in second place, 1:33 behind Hickey while Nye Yackle (Cortez, Colo./Yackle Brothers Racing) earned the bronze medal. Kerem Ayhan (Hackettstown, N.J./Somerset Wheelmen) and Sam Roach (Roanoke, Va.) rounded out the podium, placing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Two girls from Park City, Utah, strutted their stuff in the juniors women’s 11-12 race. Sydney Palmerleger (Park City, Utah/Summit Bike Club-UT) and Katie Clouse (Park City, Utah/Cole Sport) dueled through the race before Palmerleger pulled away to win the national championship. Palmerleger completed the race in 40:51 while Clouse was three minutes behind her and only 18 seconds ahead of the bronze medalist, Ann Drummond (Springdale, Ark.). Madison McDaniel (New Port Richey, Fla./Twin Six) finished fourth while Victoria Brocket (Raytown, Mo./Ethos Racing) placed fifth.
The day’s tightest race featured the juniors men 6-10 as the top five places were separated by only 39 seconds. Aidan Bond (San Antonio, Texas/Hill Country Bicycle Works) bested the 21-rider field to secure the national championship. Bond finished the race in 21:36, only six seconds faster than Dominic Turner (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Triple Threat Cycling Team). Bronze medalist, Will Drummond (Springdale, Ark.) was only nine seconds behind Bond and only five seconds ahead of the fourth-place Jesse Lippner (Flanders, N.J./Team Bulldog). Kahill Bailey (Lyons, Colo./Boulder Junior Cycling-Panache) completed the top five, finishing only 39 seconds behind Bond.
Aided by some cloud cover and brief rainstorm, the masters races capped Friday’s racing. The masters men 55-and-over contested a two-lap race.
Frederic Schmid (Waco, Texas/Jubilee Subaru) added another Stars-and-Stripes jersey to his closet after winning the men's 80-and-over category with a time of 1:18:50. Ronald Riley (Waco, Texas/Jubilee Subaru) finished his race in 1:45:41 to win the men's 75-79 national title.
Jim Matthews (Boalsburg, Pa.) won the first national championship of his career, winning the men's 55-59 race with a time of 1:27:06. Matthews' closest competitor, James Frith (Martinsville, Va./Greensboro Velo Club) finished second, completing the race 5:47 behind Matthews. Paul Curley (Taunton, Mass./Spin Arts Cycling) was only eight seconds behind Frith to earn the bronze medal. Alan Blanchard (New City, N.Y./Century Road Club Assoc) and Kevin Willson (Carbondale, Colo./Woody creek Tavern-Hub of Aspen) rounded out the top five.
D. Douglas Long (Chillicothe, Mo./360 Racing) topped the men's 60-64 field with a time of 1:35:36, 44 seconds faster than Peter Crisci (West Whately, Mass.), who earned the silver medal. Jon Miller (Newbury Park, Calif./Platinum Performance Cycling Team) finished 5:22 behind Long to collect the bronze medal. Robert Sampson (Holderness, N.H./Pemi-Baker Cycling Club) completed his two-lap 6:21 behind Long to place fourth while James Schulz (Athens, Ohio) finished in fifth place.
With a time of 1:42:49, Alan Moats (West Fairlee Center, Vt./Bikeman) topped the men’s 65-69 field by 23:12. Stan Ford (Temecula, Calif.) finished second. Tomas Pastalka (Belvedere, Calif.) claimed the bronze medal, finished 56:47 behind Moats. Dean Ferrandini (Newhall, Calif.) placed fourth, finished about seven minutes behind Pastalka.
The day's racing was capped by the masters women's races, featuring women 50-and-over. Susan Lynch (Medfield, Mass./Union Velo Club) completed her two-lap race in 1:52:49, 4:49 faster than the silver medalist Ursula Sanfeur (Auburn, Ala.). Loretta Simpson (Woodstock, Ga./Peachtree Bikes) earned the bronze medals while Diana Tanner (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport and Jane Hodess (Ocala, Fla.) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
Ellen White (Ho Ho Kus, N.J.) climbed to the top step of the masters women's 55-59 podium after finishing her race in 1:53:59. Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wis.) topped the masters women's 60-and-over podium after completing her two-lap race in 2:29:21.
Saturday’s racing begins with eight groups turning three laps of the amateur cross-country course at 8 a.m. The category 1 seniors men 19-29, masters men 30-54 and the men’s singlespeed racers are each slated to race early on Saturday morning. The senior women 19-29 will race alongside the masters women 30-49 and the singlespeed women’s racers at 10:30 a.m. The penultimate day of competition concludes with the professional men’s and women’s cross-country races. The women’s race is slated to begin at 1 p.m. while the men’s race starts at 3:30 p.m.
The ancillary entertainment concludes on Saturday night with a fireworks extravaganza. Spectators are encouraged to watch the night sky fill with sparks from the Rock Garden beginning at 9:30 p.m.
For complete details on this event, including a complete schedule, results, course maps and a photo gallery, please visit the event web site. If you can’t make it out for the event, follow all of the action on Twitter using the hashtag #MTBNats.
2013 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships
Bear Creek Mountain Resort
Macungie, Pa.
July 18-21, 2013
Cross-Country Mountain Bike
U23 Men
1. Kerry Werner (Banner Elk, N.C./BMC Mountain Bike Development Team) 1:23:18
2. Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Trek Factory Racing) +0:56
3. Cameron Dodge (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) +2:16
4. Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale Factory Racing) +3:38
5. Richard Cypress Gorry (Brevard, N.C./Whole Athlete-Specialized) +7:46
U23 women
1. Shayna Powless (Roseville, Calif./BMC Mountain Bike Development Team) 1:28:37
2. Kaila Hart (Durango, Colo./No Tubes Elite Women's Racing) +0:56
3. Deidre York (Boulder, Colo./The Gear Movement Pro Cycling Team) +9:12
4. Jill Behlen (Boulder, Colo./University of Wyoming) +11:58
5. Emily Shields (Salisbury, N.C.) +14:19
Juniors men 17-18
1. Lucas Newcomb (Nicasio, Calif./Whole Athlete-Specialized) 54:01
2. Luke Vrouwenvelder (Chapel Hill, N.C./Cycle Youth) +0:45
3. Sean Bennett (El Cerrito, Calif./Whole Athlete-Specialized) +2:18
4. Neilson Powless (Roseville, Calif./Folsom Bike-VW-Raley's-Giant) +2:19
5. Skyler Taylor (Mill Valley, Calif./Bear Development Team) +2:53
Juniors women's 17-18
1. Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif./Whole Athlete-Specialized) 42:08
2. Kaylee Blevins (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) +3:55
3. Mercedes Drummond (Springdale, Ark.) +3:57
4. Ellen Noble (Kennebunkport, Maine) +4:33
5. India Waller (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) +4:33
Juniors men 15-16
1. Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) 56:58
2. Jorge Munoz Jr. (Laredo, Texas/MC Supercenter) +2:41
3. Jacob Sacket (Troy, Texas/Tri-City Bicycle) +3:24
4. Daniel Johnson (Laguna Hills, Calif.) +4:16
5. Brannan Fix (Fort Collins, Colo.) +5:16
Juniors women 15-16
1. Haley Batten (Park City, Utah/Whole Athlete-Specialized) 42:48
2. Emma Drummond(Springdale, Ark.) +2:30
3. Ksenia Lepikhina (Boulder, Colo.) +2:46
4. Tiziana DeHorney (Albuquerque, N.M./Get Out! New Mexico) +5:14
5. Melissa Seib (Bryantpond, Maine/Bikeman) +7:37
Juniors men 13-14
1. Matteo Jorgenson (Boise, Idaho/BYRDS) 51:14
2. Nic Jenkins (Colorado Springs, Colo./Front Rangers Junior Cycling) +0:02
3. John Drummond (Springdale, Ark.) +0:47
4. Jake Yackle (Cortez, Colo./Yackle Brothers Racing) +0:58
5. Cassidy Bailey (Lyons, Colo./Boulder Junior Cycling-Tokyo Joe's Jr.) +1:11
Juniors women 13-14
1. Veda Gerasimek (Transfer, Pa./Red Zone Cycling) 1:02:26
2. Katja Freeburn (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) +6:27
3. Mason Hopkins (Richmond, Va./Tradewinds Racing p/b Bikebeat) +7:32
4. Turner Ramsay (Rutland, Vt.) +8:28
5. Camryn Sippy (Durango, Colo./Durango Devo) +11:55
Juniors men 11-12
1. Nathan Hickey (Monrovia, Calif./PAA-Remax) 35:04
2. Noland Jenkins (Colorado Springs, Colo./PAA-Remax) +1:33
3. Nye Yackle (Cortez, Colo./Yackle Brothers Racing) +2:37
4. Kerem Ayhan (Hackettstown, N.J./Somerset Wheelmen) +3:31
5. Sam Roach (Roanoke, Va.) +4:51
Juniors women 11-12
1. Sydney Palmerleger (Park City, Utah/Summit Bike Club-UT) 40:51
2. Katie Clouse (Park City, Utah/Cole Sport) +3:00
3. Ann Drummond (Springdale, Ark.) +3:18atha
4. Madison McDaniel (New Port Richey, Fla./Twin Six) +5:36
5. Victoria Brocket (Raytown, Mo./Ethos Racing) +10:39
Juniors men 6-10
1. Aidan Bond (San Antonio, Texas/Hill Country Bicycle Works) 21:36
2. Dominic Turner (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Triple Threat Cycling Team) +0:06
3. Will Drummond (Springdale, Ark.) +0:09
4. Jesse Lippner (Flanders, N.J./Team Bulldog) +0:14
5. Kahill Bailey (Lyons, Colo./Boulder Junior Cycling-Panache) +0:39
Juniors women 6-10
1. Lindsey Groves (Goldsboro, Md.) 24:24
2. Skylar Bovine (Whitsett, N.C./Revolting Cogs) +2:26
3. Autumn Bartels (Williamsburg, Va.) +5:16
4. Vallen Tupper (San Antonio, Texas) +6:03
5. Zoe Colfax (Santa Fe, N.M.) +10:35
Masters women 50-54
1. Susan Lynch (Medfield, Mass./Union Velo Club) 1:52:49
2. Ursula Sanfeur (Auburn, Ala.) +4:49
3. Loretta Simpson (Woodstock, Ga./Peachtree Bikes) +14:11
4. Diana Tanner (Boulder, Colo./Boulder Cycle Sport) +27:04
5. Jane Hodess (Ocala, Fla.) +38:59
Masters men 55-59
1. Jim Matthews (Boalsburg, Pa.) 1:27:06
2. James Frith (Martinsville, Va./Greensboro Velo Club) +5:47
3. Paul Curley (Taunton, Mass./Spin Arts Cycling) +5:55
4. Alan Blanchard (New City, N.Y./Century Road Club Assoc) +6:24
5. Kevin Willson (Carbondale, Colo./Woody Creek Tavern-Hub of Aspen) +11:54
Masters women 55-59
1. Ellen White (Ho Ho Kus, N.J.) 1:53:59
2. Christina Perkins (South Plainfield, N.J./Colavita Racing Inc) -1 lap
Masters men 60-64
1. D. Douglas Long (Chillicothe, Mo./360 Racing) 1:35:36
2. Peter Crisci (West Whately, Mass.) +0:44
3. Jon Miller (Newbury Park, Calif./Platinum Performance Cycling Team) +5:22
4. Robert Sampson (Holderness, N.H./Pemi-Baker Cycling Club) +6:21
5. James Schulz (Athens, Ohio) +7:57
Masters women 60+
1. Diane Ostenso (Cottage Grove, Wis.) 2:29:21
2. Lydia Barter (N. Brookfield, Mass./Team Bike Alley) -1 lap
Masters men 65-69
1. Alan Moats (West Fairlee Center, Vt./Bikeman) 1:42:49
2. Stan Ford (Temecula, Calif.) +23:12
3. Tomas Pastalka (Bel Vedere, Calif.) +56:47
4. Dean Ferrandini (Newhall, Calif.) +1:03:55
5. Whitney Fanning (Waco, Texas/Jubilee Subaru) -1 lap
Masters men 70-74
1. Charles Goodrich (Southport, N.C.) 1:41:28
2. James Long (Germantown, Md.) +49:12
Masters men 75-79
1. Ronald Riley (Aptos, Calif./Bike Station Aptos) 1:45:41
Masters men 80+
1. Frederic Schmid (Waco, Texas/Jubilee Subaru) 1:18:50
Related Articles
- Three jerseys awarded on first day of Cross-Country MTB Nats - Jul 18, 2013
- 2013 Cross-Country MTB Nationals begin Thursday - Jul 16, 2013
This Article Updated July 20, 2013 @ 04:46 AM For more information contact:
