Kate Courtney (Specialized) takes the U-23 victory(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Whole Athlete juniors on the front row(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney (Specialized)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
U-23 Women at the start(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney (Specialized) takes the lead and never looks back(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney (Specialized) leads the women onto the course(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney (Specialized) with a gap shortly after the start(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Ksenia Chavez wasted no time in taking the lead(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Haley Batten (Whole Athlete) at the start went on to catch the 17-18 field(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kayless Blevins (Trek) at one of the drops(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Emily Shields (BMC) about to take a digger(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Emily Shields (BMC) survived this crash without injuring herself(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Ellen Noble (Trek) descending the ski hill(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
A riders criss-crosses the ski hill(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Haley Batten (Whole Athlete) may have had the most impressive win of the day(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Haley Batten (Whole Athlete) was pleased with her national championship(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney (Specialized) at the finish(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Shayna Powless (BMC)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Ellen Noble (Trek) and her Mom(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney, Kaylee Blevins, and Shayna Powless at the finish(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney (Specialized) with the race lead after one lap(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Shayna Powless (BMC) racing in second place(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kaylee Blevins (Trek) riding in fourth position after one lap(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Ellen Noble (Trek) on a fast descent(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
X-Terra althete Hanna Finchamp (Luna)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Ksenia Lepikhina on her way to winning the 17-18 race(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Juniors on a steep descent(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney (Specialized) handling a drop cleanly(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney (Specialized) descending the Bear Creek ski hill(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Shayna Powless (BMC) trying to keep Courtney in sight(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Libby White (UVM) putting in a solid ride(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Haley Batten (Whole Athlete) racing to victory in the 15-16 race(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kelsey Urban (Whole Athlete) racing to second place in the 15-16 race(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Cassie Ross having descending through the trees(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Ksenia Chavez on steep singletrack(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Emily Shields (BMC) riding well after a very bad crash(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Shayna Powless and Kate Courtney embrace at the finish(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)
Kate Courtney (Specialized) raced to a decisive win in the under 23 women's cross country race, which opened up the day's action at the US Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championships at Bear Creek Resort in Macungie, Pennsylvania. Courtney finished ahead of Shayna Powless and Kaylee Blevins (Bear Development Team).
“There was a little bit of rain earlier in the week, so I think made it a little more fun and difficult for everyone,” Courtney said. “It was definitely a challenging course and worthy (to be) the National Championships course.
Amongst the U23 action that highlighted the early hours of the day's racing was a compelling series of juniors races, beginning with the category 1 women’s 17-18 contest. Ksenia Lepikhina just edged silver medalist Cassie Ross (Kryki Sports) in 1:17:22, besting Ross’ 1:17:25 effort by three seconds. Shea Chavez took bronze in 1:19:21.
The category 1 women’s 15-16 field was decided by Haley Batten’s (/Whole Athlete-Specialized) 1:10:08 clip, which was contested by teammate Kelsey Urban (Whole Athlete-Specialized), who finished in 1:11:11. Sienna Leger Redel (Summit Utah Devo) wrapped up third in 1:16:42.
Results
Swipe to scroll horizontally
U23 women
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Kate Courtney (Specialized)
1:31:13
2
Shayna Powless
0:00:59
3
Kaylee Blevins (Bear Development Team)
0:03:07
4
Ellen Noble (Bear Development Team)
0:05:41
5
Emily Shields
0:06:09
6
Lauren Catlin (Bear Development Team)
0:10:29
7
Hannah Finchamp (Team LUNA Chix)
0:11:10
8
Elizabeth White (University of Vermont)
0:12:20
9
Emily Schaldach
0:18:34
-1lap
Ginny Jeppi (C3-Twenty20cycling.com)
Row 9 - Cell 2
-1lap
Nathalie Krantz
Row 10 - Cell 2
-2laps
Michelle Khare
Row 11 - Cell 2
-2laps
Caroline Woods
Row 12 - Cell 2
DNF
Elizabeth Lurz
Row 13 - Cell 2
DNF
Briana Heintzelman (South Mountain Cycle & Cafe)
Row 14 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Junior 17-18 women
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Ksenia Lepikhina
1:17:22
2
Cassie Ross (Kryki Sports)
0:00:03
3
Shea Chavez
0:01:59
4
Melissa Seib (Bikeman.com)
0:04:31
5
Jessica Kruse (Team Bulldog)
0:06:53
6
Angelina Palermo (Top Gear Racing)
0:11:43
7
Rachael Jensen (RACC pb GG)
0:15:53
DNF
Nadina Junuzovic (787 Racing)
Row 7 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Junior 15-16 women
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Haley Batten (Whole Athlete / Specialized)
1:10:08
2
Kelsey Urban (Whole Athlete / Specialized)
0:01:03
3
Sienna Leger Redel (Summit Utah Devo)
0:06:34
4
Veda Gerasimek (Whole Athlete / Specialized)
0:07:55
5
Kyra Jackson
0:15:40
6
Jessie Linder (Get Out! New Mexico)
0:17:54
7
Mason Hopkins (Tradewinds Racing)
0:26:56
-1lap
Emma Drummond (Hammer Nutrition)
Row 7 - Cell 2
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