Three jerseys awarded on first day of US cross country nats

The first three Stars-and-Stripes jerseys of the 2013 USA Cycling Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championships were awarded Thursday at Bear Creek Resort in Macungie, Pennsylvania.

Three late surges in the short track cross country races landed the winning riders on the top step of the podium. Nic Jenkins (Front Rangers Junior Cycling) won the juniors men's 10-14 race in the last lap of the race. Jason Blodgett (Spin-Litzler Automation) emerged from a group of four riders to win the senior men's 19-29 race and Brandon Gritters (Blackstar Racing) won the men's 30-and-up Thursday's last race.

With one lap remaining in the 39-rider juniors 10-14 race, it seemed to be a battle between two riders, Mateo Jorgenson (BYRDS) and Michael Mace. Jorgensen tried to pass Mace, but their bars tangled, sending both riders temporarily to the ground. Mace bounced back up and began to ride, but Jorgenson's handlebars were twisted, preventing him from riding. The delay was all Jenkins needed to capitalize as he caught Mace and sprinted past him at the finish line. Cole Avery (Whole Athlete-Specialized) placed third.

"I got in this pile up at the start then I just passed people," said Jenkins, who finished second at the 2012 USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships. "There was a bottle up with the two leaders and I somehow got them at the hill and beat them to the finish."

The senior men's 19-29 race quickly turned into a five rider contest as Casey Hildebrandt (Twin Six), Jason Blodgett (Spin-Litzler Automation), Westley Richards (Clemmons Bicycle Racing), Matthew Spohn (The Performance Lab p/b Caffeinated Cyclist) and Tyler Jenema built a lead on the 21-rider field. As the five riders turned into their last lap, Jenema was unable to continue with the lead group due to a flat tire. As the foursome made its final small climb, Hildebrandt attacked, but Blodgett answered and cruised to secure his first individual national championship.

"Going into the last lap, Casey made a move at the top of the hill," Blodgett said. "I came around the other two guys to get on his wheel. I was able to beat him to the rocks and that was the big difference, beating him there and being able to create a little bit of a gap."

The day's final race, pitted 25 category 1 men 30-and-up against each other. After a few laps, Jared Nieters (SEAVS-Haymarket) and Gritters distinguished themselves as the riders to beat. About midway through the race's penultimate lap, Nieters dropped on a sweeping left turn, allowing Gritters to open a margin. Nieters closed the margin on the climbs, but Gritters regained his gap on the descents as he pulled away on the last lap to secure the second national championship of his career.

"With two to go, I got to the front," Gritters said. "I just wanted to keep him behind me from that point on. He kinda lost it in the loose stuff in the corner. I just put my head down and went from there. I didn't want to give him a chance to catch back up."

The first day of competition in Pennsylvania began with category 2 and 3 cross country mountain bike races. The morning's races featured the category 3 riders turning one lap of the six-kilometer amateur course while the category 2 riders completed two laps of the same course in their national competitions.

Sixteen-year-old Carson Beckett (Wood-n-Wave) registered the best time among the category riders, finishing his two-lap contest in 1:25:33 to win the juniors men's 15-18 race by three minutes over Carter Anderson (Cycle Youth). Anderson edged Robert Pearce by one second to secure second place. Grayson Keppler (Cadence Cyclery) won the senior men's 19-29 race by only 12 seconds over Kurt Daniello (Laurel Bicycle Club). Joshua Cauffman was nearly two minutes faster than his closest competitor in the masters men's 30-34 field, posting a time of 1:36:58. Sean Keefe topped the masters men's 35-39 field, posting a time of 1:29:28, over four minutes faster than his closest competitor, Fraser Kirkpatrick. Albert Picarello (Down Cycles) won the masters men's 40-44 race with a time of 1:37:17 while Tony Doll (Keystone Velo Club) finished second, 1:54 behind Picarello. John Bobb was 2:26 faster than Jim Dowd to win the masters men's 45-49 race. Michael Falk (Rogue Racing Project) topped the masters men's 50-54 field with a time of 1:40:54.

Miki Kedo (Greensboro Velo Club-Cone Health-Cycles de Oro) was the only category 2 woman to complete the two-lap race in under two hours, as she won the masters women's 30-39 race with a time of 1:58:07. Anna Poulton (Activator Cycle Club) won the juniors women's 15-18 race by 1:39 over Fiona Dougherty (Jubilee Subaru). Nicole Miranda (Mirco Racing) won the senior women's 19-29 race by over 28 minutes after finishing her two-lap race in 2:05:35. Katie Casey (Gould Academy) nearly cracked the two-hour mark, won the masters women's 40-49 race with a time of 2:01:00.

In the category 3 races, Dylan Drake won the juniors men's 15-18 race by 1:41 over Nathan Hake (Mason Dixon Field). Jason Mariani (Pure Energy Racing) won the senior men's 19-29 race with Matt Galantuomini (Spradley Barr Wind Chill Cycling) placing second. Johnny Hudson recorded the best time among the category three riders, completing his one-lap race in 41:41 to win the masters men 30-39 by over 10 minutes. Local rider Joel Allmandinger won a tightly-contested race among masters men 40-49. Allmandinger's closest competitor was Brian Grace, who finished the race only 2:55 behind the winner while Peter Southam was only nine seconds behind Grace in third place. Robert Gebel (Somerset Wheelmen) won the masters men 50-54 race, finishing his lap in 57:46. Hailey Fortin (Get Out! New Mexico) won the juniors women's 15-18 race by nearly five minutes over Leela Hornbach (Gould Academy). April Nabholz (Mason Dixon Velo) finished the senior women's 19-29 race 16:08 faster than Amanda Swords (Swashbuckler Brewing Co Cycling). Amy Alton topped the masters women's 30-39 field after finishing her one-lap contest in 1:02:54. Christa Ross (Allegheny Cycling Association) won the masters women's 40-49 race, completing her lap in 1:02:21, nearly seven minutes faster than Suzanne Kornutiak (Iron-Tree Data Networks Cycling).

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