Blevins and Blunk Win Elite XCO Titles at the 2026 Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships

On the penultimate day of racing at the 2026 USA Cycling Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships, fans lined the course to watch the Junior 17-18, Elite, and Under-23 fields battle it out on the demanding Black Course for their chance to take home the Stars and Stripes jersey.

The Elite Men took to the course during the hottest part of the afternoon, completing the start prologue before racing five laps of the week’s most technical cross-country course. Eight riders exited the prologue together at the front, but defending champion Bjorn Riley (Boulder, Colo.; Scott-SRAM MTB Racing) and Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Racing) separated themselves from the group during the opening lap. The pair began the second lap together before Blevins made his attack and quickly opened a gap.

After finishing second in Thursday’s XCC race, Blevins came into today ready to turn that result around. Once clear, he continued to build on his advantage each lap as Riley chased alone in second. Behind them, Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Trek - Unbroken) and Ivan Sippy (Durango, Colo.; Team Segment 28 p/b Baird) battled for the final podium position.

Blevins remained in control through the final laps and rode solo to the finish, reclaiming the Elite Men’s XCO National Title for the first time since 2023. Riley crossed the line just over one minute later to earn silver. Amos broke away from Sippy on lap four and held his advantage to secure bronze.

“It was a super hard race, I knew I would have to go super deep to beat Bjorn [Riley] and Riley [Amos], who are two of the top ten riders in the World Cup field, along with myself last weekend in Andorra.” Blevins continued, “I think the level of U.S. Men’s mountain biking is just going to skyrocket these next two years up until the LA Olympics, with the Durango World Champs after that. So, I’m just really excited to be finding my form at this point after an injury earlier this season.”

Results:

1. Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Racing)

2. Bjorn Riley (Boulder, Colo.; Scott-SRAM MTB Racing)

3. Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Trek - Unbroken)

With reigning champion Kelsey Urban absent this year, the Elite Women’s Stars and Stripes jersey was guaranteed to change hands. The field was set to race four laps of the Black course. Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Decathlon Ford Racing) and Gwendalyn Gibson (Ramona, Calif.; Trek – Unbroken) completed the prologue together, but Blunk quickly took control once they entered the main laps, attacking through the opening lap to build a 50-second advantage over Gibson.

Blunk continued to extend her lead with each lap and looked composed as she began her final time around the course with Gibson 2:39 behind. There would be no catching Blunk, who completed the race in 1:10:55 to earn her second national title of the week. Gibson crossed the line 2:41 later to secure silver, while Crystal Anthony (Bentonville, Ark.; Flow Formulas/Kenda/The Black Bibs) delivered another strong performance to earn her second bronze medal of the week.

“This concludes a five-week back-to-back block of racing,” said Blunk. “I was in Europe for two months, then came straight here. It was a big push to race here on Thursday and today, but it means so much to race in front of a home crowd; it makes it so worth it. I’m ready for some rest now, but really proud to wear the jersey in short track and cross-country for the next year.”

Results:

1. Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Decathlon Ford Racing)

2. Gwendalyn Gibson (Ramona, Calif.; Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli)

3. Crystal Anthony (Bentonville, Ark.; Flow Formulas/Kenda/The Black Bibs)

The final race of the day featured the Under-23 Men tackling four laps. After the storm moved through Explore Park, the temperature dropped slightly, but the humidity remained high. Jack Spranger (Colorado Springs, Colo.), defending champion Dan English (San Ramon, Calif.; TRINITY Racing), Thursday’s XCC National Champion Nicolas Konecny (Breckenridge, Colo.; Lexwere Mountain Bike Team), Henry Coote (Manchester, Mass.; TRINITY Racing), and Colin O’Neil (Franklin, Tenn.; Bear National Team) were among the familiar names that emerged at the front following the prologue. 

The lead group remained intact through the next four laps with no one able to establish a meaningful advantage. The five riders entered the final lap still separated by only seconds, setting up a final battle for the national title. English found another gear on his last lap and went clear of the charging group. In a close ending to the day, English crossed the line three seconds ahead of Spranger to successfully defend his Under-23 Men’s National Title. Konecny finished just one second behind Spranger to earn bronze.

Reflecting on the close finish, English said, “It just felt incredible to back myself up and win for the second year in a row. We were with a really strong group of guys so it was a little bit up in the air going into that last lap four wide, but I’m really happy to be able to take the sprint and hold on to the jersey for another year.” 

Results:

1. Dan English (San Ramon, Calif.; TRINITY Racing)

2. Jack Spranger (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

3. Nicolas Konecny (Breckenridge, Colo.; Lexwere Mountain Bike Team)

Spectators were treated to a sense of déjà vu in the Under-23 Women's race as Thursday's XCC podium of Greta Kilburn (Burlington, Vt.; Bicycle Express Racing), Alice Hoskins (Charlottesville, Va.; Bear National Team), and Elisabeth Knight (Moab, Utah; Bear National Team) once again found themselves at the front of the race. The trio remained together through the prologue before Kilburn and Hoskins gained an advantage on the opening lap, while Knight settled into third.

As the race unfolded, Kilburn gradually opened a gap over Hoskins while Knight maintained her position in third. With severe weather approaching the venue, officials called for a finish, ending the race one lap early. Kilburn crossed the line first to claim the Under-23 Women's National Title. Hoskins secured the silver medal, and Knight completed a repeat of Thursday's podium with bronze.

“This means the world to me,” said Kilburn. “After winning the short track I had extremely high hopes for today, but the other ladies are so strong, so I didn’t know how it was going to go. I ended up battling it out with Knight, and then it just came down to me and Hoskins. We’ve become close friends, and to battle it out with her was exciting and super stressful, because I know how strong she is. Then, towards the end of the lap, I made an attack and was able to take the win. Couldn’t be happier.”

Results:

1. Greta Kilburn (Burlington, Vt.; Bicycle Express Racing)

2. Alice Hoskins (Charlottesville, Va.; Bear National Team)

3. Elisabeth Knight (Moab, Utah; Bear National Team)

The first race of the morning featured a packed field of 120 Junior Men 17-18 riders. A crash just after the start immediately split the field, leaving riders scrambling to recover before the end of the prologue. By the end of the opening lap, a lead group of four had formed, including Rowan Nistal (Boise, Idaho; Bear National Team), Charles Thomas (Reno, Nev.; WE Development), Myles Perry (Rouleur Devo/Giant), and Thursday's Short Track National Champion, Noah Scholnick (Williamsport, Pa.; Bear National Team), who set the pace at the front. 

As the race continued, Scholnick and his teammate, Nistal, proved to be the strongest riders in the field. The pair rode away from the remaining leaders with two laps to go and worked together to maintain their advantage through the final lap. With just 200 meters left ahead, Scholnick launched his sprint, opening a gap to secure his second national title of the week. Rowan crossed the line to earn the silver medal, while Thomas claimed bronze, finishing only 21 seconds behind the duo.

When asked about the race, Scholnick said, “It feels good to get the double here. I’m super proud of my effort. It was a fast race with the boys all day and it feels incredible to pull off the 1-2 with my teammate, Rowan [Nistal]. I can’t wait to wear the Stars and Stripes next year and super proud to represent the USA.”

Results:

1. Noah Scholnick (Williamsport, Penn.; Bear National Team)

2. Rowan Nistal (Boise, Idaho; Bear National Team)

3. Charles Thomas (Reno, Nev.; WE Development)

The second race of the morning featured a deep and talented field of Junior Women 17-18 riders taking on three laps of the Black course. Another unfortunate crash in the middle of the field shortly after the start disrupted the race and left several riders chasing from behind. Thursday’s XCC National Champion, Scout Wellmeier (Corte Madera, Calif.; Bear National Team), powered through the prologue with Lily Agnew (Charlottesville, Va.; VAHS), the only rider able to match her early pace. Wellmeier continued to push a blistering pace at the front and eventually opened a gap over Agnew, who held on to finish second on the day. Wellmeier extended her advantage with each lap and entered the finish with plenty of time to celebrate. She exchanged high-fives with spectators along the finishing stretch before crossing the line and securing her second national title of the week. Anna Keller (American Fork, Utah; Spry DRT)had a great ride to round out the podium in third.

“I’ve been chasing this jersey for so long,” Wellmeier said after her race. “It feels amazing to be a three-time National Champion in the span of one month. This is a really nice way to cap off my time in the 17-18 category. I’ve progressed every year, and I feel so humbled and grateful that this community exists and that I found it.”

Results:

1. Scout Wellmeier (Corte Madera, Calif.; Bear National Team)

2. Lily Agnew (Charlottesville, Va.; VAHS)

3. Anna Keller (American Fork, Utah; Spry DRT)

Full results from Saturday’s events can be found here.

Sunday is the final day of the 2026 USA Cycling Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships and will feature the Junior Men and Women 15-16 and the Masters Men categories. Click here for the full event schedule.

Photo credit: SnowyMountain Photography