Candi Murray/Oregon Bicycle Racing Assn
Anthony, Wicks and Staley Score 'Cross Titles
Portland, Ore. (December 13, 2003)?The 2003 U.S. National Cyclo-cross
Championships continued today under steady rains and cool temperatures as
several events were again contested at the Portland International Speedway
in Portland, Ore. Today?s feature event, the men?s U-23 race, was as
exciting and competitive as predicted when Jesse Anthony (Beverly, Mass)
claimed the stars and stripes jersey in a thrilling victory ahead of Alan
Obye (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Hot Tubes teammate Zak Grabowski
(Lafayette, Colo.).
As the cyclo-cross community awoke to a steady rain that failed to diminish
throughout the day, it was evident that the day?s events would belong to
those who hail themselves as powerful riders. With each passing event the
course deteriorated, resulting in soupy and muddy conditions that the nation
?s best espoir athletes would have to churn through in search of a national
title. With the rain still falling at the 3:00pm start time for the espoir
men, they set off to give the crowd the most dramatic race of the weekend
thus far.
Immediately after the gun went off, a blistering pace was set as David
Fleischauer (Olympia, Wash.) played the role of the rabbit for much of the
first lap. As the 50 minute timed event unfurled, the pace never lightened
up and by the start of the second lap, Obye had taken over the pace setting
on the front of a strong field and opened up a small gap through the more
technical sections of the 0.6 mile course. The strongest reaction to Obye?s
effort came from Troy Wells (Western Park, N.M.), younger brother of
perennial cyclo-cross star, Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.), when he quickly
bridged the gap to Obye. Behind, Grabowski and Anthony hit the gas and
created the winning selection as the Hot Tubes duo made contact with Obye
and Wells. Shortly afterwards, Wells fell off the pace, leaving the trio of
Obye, Grabowski and Anthony to duke it out for the win. An attack from
Grabowski just before the completion of the fourth lap left him with a
temporary lead that was quickly answered by a counterattack from Obye. With
a half lap remaining in the race, Obye held a slight advantage over Anthony,
but as the two crested the last set of barriers and remounted their bikes,
the race for the finish line was on. Anthony attacked as the duo entered the
final section of hairpin turns that lead to the finish, creating an
insurmountable lead with 200 meters to go. The win gave Anthony his first
national title in the U-23 ranks.
?I?m extremely happy?, said Anthony afterwards, who added an espoir national
championship to go with his four junior national titles. ?I?ve been planning
for this race all season and Zak and I were able to pull it off. I couldn?t
have done it without him.?
Earlier in the day, hometown favorite, Barry Wicks (Oregon State
University), rode away from the rest of the men?s collegiate field as he
claimed the collegiate national title by 1?34? over Matt Shriver (Fort Lewis
College). After a conservative start, Wicks put the hammer down near the end
of the first lap and never looked back, steadily increasing his lead with
every flip of the lap cards. The mountain bike pro who rides for the Kona
Clarks team during the fat tire season claimed his first ever U.S. National
Championship.
?I didn?t know who was strong in the beginning of the race?, Wicks said
afterwards. ?I just rode slow to start in order to get a feel for it. I felt
pretty good so I attacked on the backside of the course on the first lap and
that was pretty much it. It?s nice to be out front on a course like this in
these conditions. I?m from around here and race in this weather all the
time, so I sort of had a home field advantage.?
Shriver?s second place finish contributed to the overall Omnium title for
Fort Lewis College who took the team title ahead of the University of
Colorado and the University of New Hampshire who took second and third
respectively.
Keeping the theme of impressive rides, Larssyn Staley (Beaverton Ore.) rode
to an equally convincing win in the Junior Women?s 15-18 category. Staley,
who decided the day before to race, put 54 seconds into Karen Amundson
(Woodinville, Wash.) and now boasts 10 junior national titles to her name.
In other junior racing action, Stephanie White (Bedford, N.H.) won the
Junior Women?s 10-14 category, ten seconds ahead of runner-up, Danielle
Haluman (Denver, Colo.).
In the Junior Men?s ranks, Luciano Worl (Woodinville, Wash.) claimed the
Junior Men?s 10-12 title, Alex Coelho (Loveland, Colo.) took home the
national championship in the Junior Men?s 13-14 class, and Tejay Van
Garderen (Missoula, Mont.) rode to a win in the Junior Men?s 15-16 race.
The day also featured some competitive Master?s racing as Richard Feldman
(Ketchum, Idaho) claimed his second consecutive Master Men?s 30-34 title. In
the Master Men?s 35-39 race, James Coats (Seaside, Calif.) outrode Andy
Applegate (Ashville, N.C.) by nine seconds in one of the closest and most
exciting races of the day to take home a stars and stripes jersey. Mark King
(Bend, Ore.) won the Master Men?s 40-44 class.
In women?s competition, Marianne Stover (Portland, Maine) rode to a national
championship in the Master Women?s 30-34 category, and Lori Cox (San Jose,
Calif.) took home the title in the Master Women?s 35-39 ranks.
The U.S. National Cyclo-cross Championships conclude on Sunday with the
elite men?s and women?s categories. Photos from completed events are
available at www.usacycling.org/gallery.
SATURDAY?S RESULTS (Top 5 in each category)
U-23 Men
1. Jesse Anthony (Beverly, Mass.)
2. Alan Obye (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
3. Zak Grabowski (Lafayette, Colo.)
4. Troy Wells (Western Park, N.M.)
5. David Fleischauer (Olympia, Wash.)
Collegiate Men
1. Barry Wicks (University of Oregon)
2. Matt Shriver (Fort Lewis College)
3. Chris Jung (University of Colorado)
4. Andrew Wulfkuhle (Kutztown University)
5. Cory Burns (University of New Hampshire)
Collegiate Omnium
1. Fort Lewis College
2. University of Colorado
3. University of New Hampshire
Junior Women?s 15-18
1. Larssyn Staley (Beaverton, Ore.)
2. Karen Amundson (Woodinville, Wash)
3. Rebecca Much (Chicago, Ill.)
4. Tela Crane (Sammamish, Wash.)
5. Lauren Trull (Greensboro, N.C.)
Junior Women?s 10-14
1. Stephanie White (Bedford, N.H.)
2. Danielle Haluman (Denver, Colo.)
3. Taylor Bogliou (Sammamish, Wash.)
4. Kayla Woolcock (Portland, Ore.)
5. Patty Roper (Portland, Ore.)
Junior Men?s 15-16
1. Tejay Van Garderen (Missoula, Mont.)
2. Bjornk Selander (Hudson, Wisc.)
3. Alex Howes (Golden, Colo.)
4. Chance Noble (Camarillo, Calif.)
5. Tucker Olander (Alma, Mich.)
Junior Men?s 13-14
1. Alex Coelho (Loveland, Colo.)
2. Collin Samaan (Fair Oaks, Calif.)
3. Daniel Summerhill (Englewood, Colo.)
4. Evan Schmitt (Roslyn, Wash.)
5. Bryson Sewell (Los Alamos, N.M.)
Junior Men?s 10-12
1. Luciano Worl (Woodinville, Wash.)
2. Benny Swedberg (Kent, Wash.)
3. Ethan Maier (Yakima, Wash.)
4. Ben Beaston (Aloha, Ore.)
5. Brian Jorgensen (Bend, Ore.)
Master Men 30-34
1. Richard Feldman (Ketchum, Idaho)
2. Shannon Skerritt (Portland, Ore.)
3. Matt Kraus (Cambridge, Mass.)
4. Brandon Dwight (Boulder, Colo.)
5. Jay Noonan (Whelerton, Mont.)
Master Men 35-39
1. James Coats (Seaside, Calif.)
2. Andy Applegate (Ashville, N.C.)
3. Todd Hoefer (Aptos, Calif.)
4. Charles Storm (Cary, N.C.)
5. Will Black (Houston, Texas)
Master Men 40-44
1. Mark King (Bend, Ore.)
2. Mark Noble (Oxnard, Calif.)
3. Gunnar Shogren (Morgantown, W.V.)
4. Emilio Cervantes (San Marcos, Calif.)
5. Dennis Farrell (Littleton, Colo.)
Master Women 30-34
1. Marianne Stover (Portland, Maine)
2. Katrina Davis (Sandy Hook, Conn.)
3. Heather Szabo (Lafayette, Colo.)
4. Sinead Fitzgibbon (Sea Harbor, N.H.)
5. Stella Carey (San Francisco, Calif.)
Master Women 35-39
1. Lori Cox (San Jose, Calif.)
2. Suzanne king (Bend, Ore.)
3. Dorothy Wong (Altapena, Calif.)
4. Amy Hunter Dillinger (Columbia City, Ore.)
5. Danielle Crandall (Seattle, Wash.)