Eighteen riders took the track to battle it out for the Stars and Stripes in the Men\u2019s Elimination Race.\u00a0Colby Lange\u00a0(Edwards, Colo.; Colo. Project Echelon Racing) established a comfortable lead and crossed the finish line solo to win\u00a0his second national title of the week. The race for silver came down to a rapid sprint to the line between\u00a0Merrick Gallagher\u00a0(Redmond, Wash.; Waterline Racing) and\u00a0David Domonoske\u00a0(Palo Alto, Calif.; Alto Velo), with Merrick pushing it over to claim the second step of the podium. Merrick\u2019s performance also earned him the Stars and Stripes jersey for the U23 category.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Results:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0Colby Lange\u00a0(Edwards, Colo.; Colo. Project Echelon Racing)<\/p>\n
2. Merrick Gallagher\u00a0(Redmond, Wash.; Waterline Racing)<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0David Domonoske\u00a0(Palo Alto, Calif.; Alto Velo)<\/p>\n
In the Women\u2019s Elimination Race, fifteen riders lined up for their chance to capture the national title.\u00a0Chloe Patrick (Carson, Calif.;\u00a0Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing) powered\u00a0through to victory, claiming the top step of the podium. This win also earned Patrick the Stars and Stripes jersey for the U23 category.\u00a0Anna Hicks (Boulder, Colo.;\u00a0UCI CTW: Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28)\u00a0secured silver, and\u00a0Stephanie Lawrence (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Star Track)\u00a0earned bronze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Results:<\/p>\n
1. Chloe Patrick (Carson, Calif.;\u00a0Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing)<\/p>\n
2. Anna Hicks (Boulder, Colo.;\u00a0UCI CTW: Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28)<\/p>\n
3. Stephanie Lawrence (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Star Track)<\/p>\n
A true combination of endurance, strategy, and power, the Points Race had spectators on the edges of their seats.\u00a0Otis Engel\u00a0(Mertztown, Pa.; Star Track) made the first major move to successfully gain a lap.\u00a0Aaron Beebe (Indianapolis, Ind.; First Internet Bank Cycling) quickly responded by also gaining a lap. Halfway through the 120-lap race, Engel and Beebe were first and second on the leaderboard, respectively. Beebe continued to build on his position, tallying points on each of the remaining six sprints and rode that momentum to the top step of the podium, winning his second Stars and Stripes jersey of the week. On the seventh sprint, Enzo Edmonds (Brooklyn, N.Y.;\u00a0Star Track) began to strategically bridge the gap,\u00a0tallying points on every sprint, until ultimately winning the final sprint and claiming silver with a total of 31 points. Edmond\u2019s performance also earned him the national title for the U23 category. After an impressively strong race for 105 laps, Engel was lapped by the field with just 15 laps to go, and the battle for the remaining spot on the podium came down to the final sprint. Anders Johnson\u00a0(Huntsville, Utah; Ventum \/ Wove \/ Enve) pushed it across the line to finish second, securing six points and the bronze with a total of 22 points.<\/p>\n
Results:<\/p>\n
1. Aaron Beebe (Indianapolis, Ind.; First Internet Bank Cycling)<\/p>\n
2. Enzo Edmonds (Brooklyn, N.Y.;\u00a0Star Track)<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0Anders Johnson\u00a0(Huntsville, Utah; Ventum \/ Wove \/ Enve)<\/p>\n
In the Women\u2019s Points Race, fifteen riders lined up to race for 80 laps and their chance to take home the Stars and Stripes. The points were close after the third sprint, with\u00a0Reagen Pattishall (Breinigsville, Pa.; Turbo Velo Pickle Juice) and\u00a0Anna Hicks (Boulder, Colo.;\u00a0UCI CTW: Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) sitting first and second on the leaderboard, respectively. Hicks, the reigning National Champion and current Pan American Champion in this event, continued to build on her lead by winning the fifth and sixth sprints to ultimately claim the gold medal and her third national title of the week.\u00a0Kaia Schmid\u00a0(Marblehead, Mass.) rode a consistent and strong race, securing silver with a total of 13 points. Going into the final sprint,\u00a0Stephanie Lawrence (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Star Track) made her move and finished in the first position to claim ten points and a spot on the podium. Ella Sabo (Redlands, Calif.;\u00a0Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) powered through the final sprint to\u00a0earn the Stars and Stripes jersey for the U23 category.<\/p>\n
Results:<\/p>\n
1. Anna Hicks (Boulder, Colo.;\u00a0UCI CTW: Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28)<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0Kaia Schmid\u00a0(Marblehead, Mass.)<\/p>\n
3. Stephanie Lawrence (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Star Track)<\/p>\n
In round 1, fifteen riders raced for their spot in the semi-final, where twelve riders would then compete for the top six spots and their chance to win gold in the final. As the reigning National Champion and the top qualifier in his round 1 and semi-final heats, Dalton Walters (Costa Mesa, Calif.; Turbo Velo Cycling) was one to watch heading into the final, and he did not\u00a0disappoint. Closing it out with a blistering pace and a powerful finish, Walters would once again claim the top step and his third Stars and Stripes jersey of the week.\u00a0Wyatt Paul\u00a0(Seattle, Wash.; Water Line Racing) secured silver, and\u00a0Finn Koller (Bethlehem, Pa.; Edge Cycling)\u00a0rounded it out with bronze. Koller\u2019s performance also earned him the national title for the U23 category.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Results:<\/p>\n
1. Dalton Walters (Costa Mesa, Calif.; Turbo Velo Cycling)<\/p>\n
2. Wyatt Paul (Seattle, Wash.;\u00a0Water Line Racing)<\/p>\n
3. Finn Koller (Bethlehem, Pa.; Edge Cycling)<\/p>\n
In round 1, eight riders competed for their spot in the final.\u00a0McKenna McKee (Vancouver, Wash.; Star Track), Felice Beitzel (Redondo Beach, Calif.), and MacKenzie Wells (Allentown, Pa.; EroSports p\/b Alliance Environmental) were the top qualifiers in heat 1, while\u00a0Kayla Hankins (San Pedro, Calif.), Mandy\u00a0Marquardt\u00a0(Allentown, Pa.; Edge Cycling), and Megan Mattson (Carlsbad, Calif.; Waterline Racing)\u00a0were\u00a0the top qualifiers in heat 2. The six riders would take to the track for the final, where McKee, the reigning National Champion, rode to victory once again to claim her second Stars and Stripes jersey of the week. Rita\u00a0Fedewa\u00a0(Fort Collins, Colo.) earned the national title for the U23 category.<\/p>\n
Results:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0McKenna McKee (Vancouver, Wash.; Star Track)<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0Kayla Hankins (San Pedro, Calif.)<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0Mandy\u00a0Marquardt\u00a0(Allentown, Pa.; Edge Cycling)<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n