SCNCA Championship Season is here! Women of So Cal Shine Bright!
By Dorothy Wong
5/20/09 - The SCNCA Championship season kicked off last weekend and with it the future of women’s cycling shining bright on the track with the Junior Track Championships at the Encino Velodrome. In the 10-12 category Rachel Cross (Sho Air/Sonance) commandingly won her events. In the 13-14 field Cal Pacific’s Tara McCormick and Sara Chen (CPT) traded victories throughout the day, with Tara winning the sprint and Sara the endurance events. Amanda Duarte (Eddie B) swept all of the championships in the 17-18 women’s events.
In the 15-16 junior women’s events, Christine Barron, of Hawk Relay Team, is the undisputed speedster and sprint champion of the track. She was able to lay down blistering speed during the 500meter time trial, the 200meter time trial and the matched sprints, to win first place over all in the omnium, but tactics played an important role in Christine's victory as the winner of the matched sprints. While not as fast as Christine Barron, Somersby Jenkins (first place finisher in the Sea otter category 4 women's criterium last month) was able to apply some rather unusual tactics which put the "pure sprinter V.S. the pure roadie" to the test in an exciting game of cat and mouse. With lighting fast reaction, and a great deal of strength and speed, Christine Barron won the matched sprints against second place, Somersby Jenkins, but did not come away with her victory easily. It was hard earned. During the scratch race, supreme team work was shown by Echelon of Santa Barbara (Somersby Jenkins and Sophie Wilson) as Sophie Wilson went on the attack. Sophie was able to make two laps on the field and a first place in the scratch race, through determination, fitness and the blocking efforts of her team mate, Somersby Jenkins. During the points race, Somersby Jenkins was able to use her endurance and lap the field and take a victory. Congratulations for all the great racing from these up and coming women!
The SCNCA offers a wide range of categories for women from Junior to masters, beginner to elite. Championship racing continues this Saturday May 23rd with the SCNCA Individual Time Trial Championships at Lake Los Angeles sponsored by Rotor Cranks, Team Velosport, Rock N Road Cyclery and AV High Desert Cyclists. Race Director, Marty Brown has been hosting TTs for some time and offers a wide range of women’s championship categories including: 10 championship categories for the ladies: Elite 1-2, 3 & 4 as well as Masters 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49 and 50-54. There is even tandem two-women and mixed 70+ 90+ 110+ combined age categories. If that’s not enough, Saturday’s event is offering one-day license non-championship open category racing for those who just want to give TT racing a try. On the following Saturday, May 30th the championships continue with the Team Time Trial which offers five categories for women including: 2-women open, 4 women open, 140+, 180+, 220+ combined age groups. Registration deadline is Wednesday, 11:59pm on www.SoCalReg.com
Sunday, 5/31 Paramount Racing hosts the SCNCA Masters Criterium Championships. Paramount will offer 35+ and 45+ Masters women’s categories along with a $300 cash purse in each category. There is also an Elite Women’s Pro 1-3 race in an already stacked day of racing and is offering $600 cash and Feather Brakes valued at $400!
The Championships roll into June the following weekend in Bakersfield with the Golden Empire Classic also the SCNCA Championship Road Race June 6-7th. This is sure to be epic showdown as the Kern Wheelmen and Team Action Sports bring top-notch road racing and includes six championships for women: masters 35+, 45+ and 55+ and elite 1/2, 3, and 4.
Next up is the Junior Criterium Championships June 13th at Ontario. This will be an exciting day not only for the young ladies of cycling, but this year Pacific Sunset Velo, Cannondale and Incycle have put together over $2500 in cash and prizes in hopes of growing the women's field and rewarding the hard work of women racers.
The Masters Track Championships June 13-14th at the ADT Center. Already our women on the track rock at the national level, so look for this to be an amazing day of racing!
Don’t miss the Elite Criterium Championships in downtown San Luis Obispo on Sunday, July 5th including equal prize money $3,000 cash for Pro Men and Women’s categories and will include a women’s team zone in the heart of the expo! There is even a women’s clinic Friday (7/3) for women new to racing, and a road race Saturday (7/4) offering full categories for women the day before to make your weekend complete!
July 18-19, the Elite Track Championships head down to the San Diego Velodrome and is sure to bring out the best in our region as it is also the Elite National qualifier.
The Juniors go for the CA Bear jersey from Voler on August 15th at the Sisquoc Road Race and will test these young athletes on this rolling course and a special day of racing.
September 13th will bring the Super Masters and Juniors together for the Time Trial Championships at Fiesta Island. Women under 18 and over 55 get their chance at the gold!
The SCNCA District Championships conclude later in the year with cyclocross which also offers championships for elite, masters and junior women. More info on these events can be found at: www.SCNCA.org
The SCNCA championships will offer a wide range of categories for women and provide competition for ladies to reach their potential and ultimately we’d all like to see more ladies racing and more cycling events in the future with these categories. We have seen some success with national champions across the board from our women of the SCNCA.
Currently two of our Junior women are representing So Cal, world-wide, with our bright stars also National Champions Kendall Ryan (Now-MS) and Coryn Rivera (Proman) only 16 years old and having the privilege of racing in Europe as part of USA Cycling’s Junior National Team program. The ladies wasted little time both with amazing performances and Coryn Rivera winning her first European race this past Saturday, winning the Marieke-Bornem kermesse in Belgium. Let’s go ladies! Who will win the 2009 SCNCA Championships? Stay tuned!
