The 2012 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships kicked off on Thursday with six new national champions crowned at the VELO Sports Center in suburban Los Angeles.
Women’s 500-meter Time Trial
Madalyn Godby (Louisville, CO/enCompass Racing) won the first national title of the event during Thursday’s morning session when she clocked a 35.955 in the women’s 500-meter time trial. The 20-year-old Godby adds this Stars-and-Stripes jersey to a collection which also includes two collegiate national titles, which she picked up just last week, in the 500-meter and the sprint.
Grabbing the silver and bronze medals in the time test were Cristin Walker (Houston, TX/Momentum Coaching Group p/b Atomic) and Missy Erickson (Cypress, CA/) with times of 36.131 and 36.94 respectively. Anissa Cobb (Portland, OR/) and Dana Feiss (Telford, PA/CPT) had the fourth and fifth fastest times.
Men’s Scratch Race
One of the day’s highlights came when 21-year-old Ian Moir (Long Beach, CA/UCI CT: Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) grabbed his first individual national title at the elite level. For the final three kilometers of the men’s 15-kilometer scratch race, Moir and Daniel Holloway (Morgan Hill, Calif.) were off the front.
“You could see the field was kind of holding us, but the race was completely blowing apart,” he said after striking gold. “A lot of riders were really feeling the speed and the effort that was put in early on.”
Moir beat out Holloway in the final sprint to slip into the Stars-and-Stripes jersey while Zachary Kovalcik (Portland, OR/Sizzle Pie Cycling p/b Veloforma) collected the bronze medal. Zack Noonan (Kutztown, PA/BikeReg.com/Cannondale) and Bobby Lea (Mertztown, PA/Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA) were fourth and fifth.
“One of my goals was to win an individual elite title before I left the U23 ranks,” an excited Moir explained. “And I still have another year left in the U23 ranks next year.”
Women’s Individual Pursuit and Scratch Race
Another rider in the spotlight today was Lauren Hall (Dolores, CO/UCI WPT: TIBCO to The Top). She started out her evening session by beating Kimberly Geist (Emmaus, PA/Chester County Cycling Foundation) in the gold medal final of the women’s three-kilometer individual pursuit. She then followed that performance up with another gold medal ride in the women’s 10-kilometer scratch race.
“I had a good warm-up and a good qualifier for the pursuit,” she said when asked how she managed to pull off two back-to-back national titles. “After the individual pursuit, the scratch race was just for fun basically. It was icing on the cake.”
Hall went off the front with second-place rider Jacquelyn Crowell (Maitland, FL/Exergy TWENTY12/Exergy Twenty12) and won the final sprint at the finish to take her second national title of the night.
Cari Higgins (Boulder, CO/Exergy Twenty12) grabbed the bronze medal in the individual pursuit while Crowell and Erin Glover (Portland, OR/Sizzle Pie Cycling p/b Veloforma) rounded out the podium in fourth and fifth.
In the scratch race, Glover was the bronze medalist and Jennifer Valente (San Diego, CA/Exergy TWENTY12/Exergy Twenty12) and Shelby Reynolds (Cypress, TX/Helens/Cannondale/Helens Racing) claimed fourth and fifth.
Men’s Individual Pursuit
In the four-kilometer men’s individual pursuit, 2012 Olympian BobbyLea (Mertztown, PA/Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA) showed his strength by clocking a 4:33 in the gold medal round to beat out the 4:39.9 posted by silver medalist Liam Donoghue (Chicago, IL/xXx Racing). Winning the pursuit for bronze was Stefan Rothe (Austin, TX/Tulsa Tough) who won over fourth-place finisher Ian Burnett (Durango, CO/UCI CT: Competitive Cyclist Racing Team). In addition to his win in the scratch race, Ian Moir was also on the pursuit podium in fifth.
Men’s Team Sprint
The final event of the night was the men’s team sprint in which two-time Olympian Giddeon Massie (Cypress Calif.) teamed up with TJ Mathieson (Redondo Beach, CA) and Andrew Lakatosh (Trexlertown, PA) to win the gold medal in a time of 46.336. They beat out the “Three’s a Party” team of Danny Robertson (Rolling Meadows, IL), Nathan Koch (Buena Park, CA), and Matthew Baranoski (Perkasie, PA). The threesome of Jeffrey Whiteman (Chicago, IL), Jason Garner (Glenview, IL), and Dan Birman (Beaverton, OR) posted a time of 49.557 to win the bronze ahead of Robert Mayfield (Saint Louis, MO), Martin Houston (Highlands Ranch, CO), and Ryan Hieb (Portland, OR).
Next up at Elite Track Nationals
Action at the VELO Sports Center continues tomorrow with the men’s sprint, women’s keirin, men’s and women’s team pursuits, and the para-cycling pursuits. Also on Friday, 2012 Olympians Dotsie Bausch (Lexington, Ky./OUCH Pro Cycling), Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash./OUCH Pro Cycling), Lauren Tamayo (Asheville, N.C./Exergy TWENTY 12), and Bobby Lea (Mertztown, Pa./Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA) will be on hand to sign autographs and take pictures with fans.
Watch LIVE ONLINE
Want to catch the action? USA Cycling members get $5 off the cost of admission for each session. Just visit the Home Depot Center box office before the event and show your USA Cycling license.
Not in the area, but still want to watch? You’re in luck because the Friday and Saturday evening sessions will be streamed LIVE below at 5 pm on Friday and 6 pm on Saturday.
Live video from your Android device on Ustream
2012 Elite Track National Championships
VELO Sports Center – Home Depot Center – Carson, Calif.
September 27 – 30, 2012
Women’s 500-meter Time Trial
1. Madalyn Godby (Louisville, CO/enCompass Racing) 35.955
2. Cristin Walker (Houston, TX/Momentum Coaching Group p/b Atomic) 36.131
3. Melissa (Missy) Erickson (Cypress, CA/) 36.94
4. Anissa Cobb (Portland, OR/) 37.338
5. Dana Feiss (Telford, PA/CPT) 37.351
Men’s Individual Pursuit
1. Bobby Lea (Mertztown, PA/Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA)
2. Liam Donoghue (Chicago, IL/xXx Racing)
3. Stefan Rothe (Austin, TX/Tulsa Tough)
4. Ian Burnett (Durango, CO/UCI CT: Competitive Cyclist Racing Team)
5. Ian Moir (Long Beach, CA/UCI CT: Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
Women’s Individual Pursuit
1. Lauren Hall (Dolores, CO/UCI WPT: TIBCO to The Top)
2. Kimberly Geist (Emmaus, PA/Chester County Cycling Foundation)
3. Cari Higgins (Boulder, CO/Exergy Twenty12)
4. Jacquelyn Crowell (Maitland, FL/Exergy TWENTY12/Exergy Twenty12)
5. Erin Glover (Portland, OR/Sizzle Pie Cycling p/b Veloforma)
Men’s Scratch Race
1. Ian Moir (Long Beach, CA/UCI CT: Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies)
2. Daniel Holloway (Morgan Hill, CA/)
3. Zachary Kovalcik (Portland, OR/Sizzle Pie Cycling p/b Veloforma)
4. Zack Noonan (Kutztown, PA/BikeReg.com/Cannondale)
5. Bobby Lea (Mertztown, PA/Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA)
Women’s Scratch Race
1. Lauren Hall (Dolores, CO/UCI WPT: TIBCO to The Top)
2. Jacquelyn Crowell (Maitland, FL/Exergy TWENTY12/Exergy Twenty12)
3. Erin Glover (Portland, OR/Sizzle Pie Cycling p/b Veloforma)
4. Jennifer Valente (San Diego, CA/Exergy TWENTY12/Exergy Twenty12)
5. Shelby Reynolds (Cypress, TX/Helens/Cannondale/Helens Racing)
Men’s Team Sprint
1. Velocity Sports Performance – TJ Mathieson (Redondo Beach, CA), Giddeon Massie (Cypress, CA), and Andrew Lakatosh (Trexlertown, PA) 46.336
2. Three’s a Party – Danny Robertson (Rolling Meadows, IL), Nathan Koch (Buena Park, CA), and
Matthew Baranoski (Perkasie, PA) 46.445
3. Brihop/Garner Compos – Jeffrey Whiteman (Chicago, IL), Jason Garner (Glenview, IL), and
Dan Birman (Beaverton, OR) 49.557
4. Tyson’s Cerious Whit – Robert Mayfield (Saint Louis, MO), Martin Houston (Highlands Ranch, CO), and Ryan Hieb (Portland, OR) 51.097
Photo Courtesy Brian Weaver
