The 2025 USA Cycling Junior Track National Championships concluded on Sunday evening with forty National Titles awarded over the four-day event at the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome.
The first day of competition kicked off on Thursday with Omnium, Pursuit, and Sprint events. Six riders took home the Stars and Stripes jersey.
After the morning’s Scratch Race and Tempo Race, Rue Tomko (Bellevue, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) and Emma Jimenez Palos (Novi, Mich.; TWENTY28 Aevolo) went into the evening session leading the pack with 78 total points each for the Junior Women 17-18. In the Elimination Race, Jimenez Palos finished first, putting her at the top of the leaderboard. Following an action-packed Points Race, Jimenez Palos won the National Title with 153 points. Tomko earned silver with 147 points, and Avery Cavner (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Groove Subaru Excel Sports) rounded out the podium with bronze.
The points were close for the Junior Men 17-18 after the morning’s Scratch Race and Tempo Race, with David Jackson Clary (Westfield, Ind.; Midwest Devo) and Gavin Newman (Portland, Ore.; East Portland Youth Cycling) going into the evening session with 74 total points each. The Elimination Race re-positioned the leaderboard, where Jackson Clary, Merrick Gallagher (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors), and Newman finished first, second, and third, respectively. The Points Race would re-position the leaderboard yet again, where Kashus Adamski (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team) raced his way to a podium spot and earned silver with a total of 140 points. Gallagher won the National Title with a total of 142 points, and Troy Sanders (Breinigsville, Pa.; Edge Cycling) rounded out the podium with bronze.
The morning session concluded with the Junior 15-16 Pursuit finals where riders took to the track for a 7.5-lap (3km) Pursuit. Reaching speeds of over 41.9 km/h, Lily Nguyen (Brooklyn, N.Y.; Star Track) raced to victory with a time of 4:17.694, claiming the National Title for the Junior Women 15-16. Aine Chen (Del Mar, Calif.; iCademy Cycling) secured silver, and Charlotte Westover (Mercer Island, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) earned bronze.
In a powerfully paced pursuit, reaching speeds of over 49.4 km/hr, Arjuna Burgos (Los Angeles, Calif.; Team California Academy) claimed the Stars and Stripes jersey with a time of 3:38.357 for the Junior Men 15-16. Keegan Fairbanks (Covington, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) earned silver, and Matthew Crabbe (Buford, Ga.; Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team) rounded out the podium with bronze.
In the Junior Women’s 15-18 Semi-Final, Sarah Vargas (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) and Hannah Ford (El Cerrito, Calif.) battled it out in Heat 1, while Gabriella StClair (Bryan, Texas; Star Track) and Uhllana Woods (Ventura, Calif.) went head-to-head in Heat 2. Vargas and StClair would race for gold in the final where Vargas won both heats and the National Title. StClair earned silver and Woods rounded out the podium with bronze.
In the Junior Men’s 15-18 Semi-Final, JC Pile (Kirkland, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) and IanChoi (Flushing, N.Y.; Star Track) battled it out in Heat 1, while Louis Bonilla (Long Beach, Calif.; Ironfly) and William Huang (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) went head-to-head in Heat 2. Pile and Bonilla would ultimately race for the Stars and Stripes in the final. Bonilla won both heats and the National Title. The battle for bronze came down to a deciding third ride, where Choi would claim the podium spot by 0.129.
It was a fast and full Friday with eight National Champions crowned in Time Trial, Scratch Race, and Points Race events.
The Junior Women 17-18 has their eyes on the prize as they took the track for the 1000m Time Trial. Gabriella StClair (Bryan, Texas; Star Track) set the bar in Heat 3 with a time of 1:25.634, which would earn her bronze. Avery Cavner (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Groove Subaru Excel Sports) secured silver with a time of 1:17.843. Rue Tomko (Bellevue, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) took to the line in the final heat and dominantly rode to victory, claiming the National Title, and establishing a new National Record, with a time of 1:14.927.
In the Junior Men’s 17-18 event, David Jackson Clary (Westfield, Ind.; Midwest Devo) set the bar in Heat 1 with a time of 1:08.775, which would earn him silver. Louis Bonilla (Long Beach, Calif.; Ironfly) rounded out the podium with a time of 1:08.782. Merrick Gallagher (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) rode a consistently strong race to claim the Stars and Stripes.
The Junior Women 15-16 took the line for a 1000m Time Trial. In a powerfully paced race, Sarah Vargas (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) won the Stars and Stripes, and established a new National Record, with a time of 1:16.493. Sarah Lynch (Sammamish, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) earned silver and Tegan Morgan (Sugar Land, Texas; GHCF p/b Shottenkirk Kia) rounded out the podium with bronze.
In the Junior Men’s 15-16 event, Arjuna Burgos (Los Angeles, Calif.; Team California Academy) set the bar in Heat 3 with a time of 1:11.543, earning him the National Title. Sebastian Pena (South Gate, Calif.; CFC/Team California) secured silver and Michael Perez (Westminster, Calif.; iCademy Cycling) finished with bronze.
In the Junior Women’s 17-18 Scratch Race, nine riders lined up to battle it out for 19 laps and their chance to claim a National Title. Emma Jimenez Palos (Novi, Mich.; TWENTY28 Aevolo) pushed it to the line to win gold. Rue Tomko (Bellevue, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) earned silver, and Jillian Halm (Allentown, Pa.; Kelly Benefits Strategy Cycling) rounded out the podium with bronze.
Thirteen riders took the track for the 19-lap Junior Men’s 17-18 Scratch Race. David Jackson Clary (Westfield, Ind.; Midwest Devo) claimed the National Title. Gavin Newman (Portland, Ore.; East Portland Youth Cycling) earned silver, and Merrick Gallagher (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) rounded it out with bronze.
Five riders took the track for the Junior Women’s 17-18 Points Race. With a smaller field size to split the work, endurance, strategy, and power would be essential. Jillian Halm (Allentown, Pa.; Kelly Benefits Strategies Cycling) swept four out of five Sprints to win the National Title. Louisa Kelly (Sunnyvale, Calif.; SJBC) earned silver, and Julia Barna (Vancouver, Wash.; Valkyr Cycling) took bronze.
On the Junior Men’s 17-18 side, six riders would finish the 30-lap Points Race. David Jackson Clary (Westfield, Ind.; Midwest Devo) won the Stars and Stripes with a total of 23 points. Merrick Gallagher (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) claimed silver with 19 points, and Gavin Newman (Portland, Ore.; East Portland Youth Cycling) rounded it out with bronze.
The schedule was packed for the penultimate day of competition on Saturday with twelve new National Champions crowned in Pursuit, Keirin, Elimination Race, and 11-16 Omnium events.
The Junior Women 17-18 took to the track for a 7.5-lap (3km) Pursuit. In the final, Emma Jimenez Palos (Novi, Mich.; TWENTY28 Aevolo) and Louisa Kelly (Sunnyvale, Calif.; SJBC) raced for gold, while Riley Halpern (Newbury Park, Calif.; Serious Cycling) and Helena Stedman (Portland, Ore.; Valkyr Cycling) battled for bronze. Jimenez Palos raced to victory, winning the National Title and establishing a new National Record with her time of 3:46.349. Kelly claimed silver, and Halpern earned bronze.
On the Junior Men’s 17-18 side, Merrick Gallagher (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) and Kashus Adamski (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team) clocked the first- and second-fastest times in Qualifying to advance to the Final where they would race for gold. In the Final, Gallagherdefended his National Title and set a Track Record with a time of 3:25.955. Adamski earned silver with a time of 3:27.432, and Gavin Newman (Portland, Ore.; East Portland Youth Cycling) raced to successfully secure bronze with a time of 3:38.048.
The Junior Men’s 15-18 Keirin Round 1 took place during the morning session. JC Pile (Kirkland, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) and Louis Bonilla (Long Beach, Calif.; Ironfly) were the top qualifiers in their heats. The Final came down to a well-fought, all-out finish. Bonilla pushed it over the line to claim gold by a margin of 0.244. Pile secured silver and William Huang (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) earned bronze.
In the Junior Women’s 15-18 Final, tactics, pace, and positioning were key. Rue Tomko (Bellevue, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) rode consistently and held the front until the final sprint, where Sarah Vargas (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) kicked it up a notch to win the National Title by a photo-finish margin of 0.037. Tomko secured silver and Avery Cavner (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Groove Subaru Excel Sports) took bronze.
In the Junior Women’s 17-18 Elimination Race, seven riders battled it out for gold. It came down to a push to the line between Emma Jimenez Palos (Novi, Mich.; TWENTY28 Aevolo) and Rue Tomko, with Jimenez Palos claiming the win and the Stars and Stripes. Louisa Kelly (Sunnyvale, Calif.; SJBC) rounded out the podium in third.
The Junior Men’s 17-18 field was nine riders deep for the Elimination Race. It came down to a final push between Merrick Gallagher (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) and David Jackson Clary (Westfield, Ind.; Midwest Devo) with Gallagher claiming the win and defending his National Title. Kashus Adamski (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Hot Tubes Development Cycling Team) rounded out the podium in third.
Medals were awarded throughout the week to the top three finishers in each individual event making up the Junior Track Omnium. A National Title was awarded to the overall Omnium champions at the conclusion of all Junior Track Omnium events.
Results:
Junior Women 11-12 Omnium National Champion:
Catherine Miller (Ormond Beach, Fla.; Ponte Vedra Racing)
Junior Men 11-12 Omnium National Champion:
Hugo Meyerhoefer (Slatington, Pa.; Edge Cycling)
Junior Women 13-14 Omnium National Champion:
Evie Alvarado (Indianapolis, Ind.; Midwest Devo)
Junior Men 13-14 Omnium National Champion:
Viv Carlow (Brooklyn, N.Y.; Star Track)
Junior Women 15-16 Omnium National Champion:
Aine Chen (Del Mar, Calif.; iCademy Cycling)
Junior Men 15-16 Omnium National Champion:
Michael Perez (Westminster, Calif.; iCademy Cycling)
The fourth and final day of Junior Track Nationals was all about Team Sprint and Team Pursuit, with fourteen Stars and Stripes jerseys awarded.
Five teams battled for gold in the Junior Women’s 15-18 Team Sprint final. THE COASTS THAT CAN’T COAST set the bar in Heat 2 with a time of 1:39.043, which would earn them the bronze medal. TEAM 1 claimed silver with a time of 1:36.058. ABERS IN PINK – Gabriella StClair (Bryan, Texas; Star Track), Avery Cavner (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Groove Subaru Excel Sports), and Rue Tomko (Bellevue, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) – outperformed the competition with a time of 1:28.197 to secure the Stars and Stripes.
Four teams raced for the Stars and Stripes in the Junior Men’s 15-18 Team Sprint final. LIL LEPRECHAUNS established the benchmark in Heat 2 with a time of 1:27.325, earning them a podium spot with bronze. THE 3 STOOGES finished with a time of 1:22.946 to claim silver. In the closing heat, JBJ GEEZERS – William Huang (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors), JC Pile (Kirkland, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors), and Merrick Gallagher (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) – flew through their 1.2km with a time of 1:20.074 to secure the National Title.
In the Junior Women’s 15-18 Team Pursuit, JBJ MINUS KELLY – Wrenna Fuller (Bellevue, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors), Charlotte Westover (Mercer Island, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors), Sarah Lynch (Sammamish, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors), and Rue Tomko (Bellevue, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) – outpaced the competition, securing the National Title with a time of 5:24.146. HIGHSPEED HENS earned silver and SCARED SHIFTLESS rounded out the podium with bronze.
In the Junior Men’s 15-18 Team Pursuit, NECKLACE BOYZ – Gavin Newman (Portland, Ore.; East Portland Youth Cycling), Jack Hampson (Lake Oswego, Ore.; East Portland Youth Cycling), Merrick Gallagher (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors), and Keegan Fairbanks (Covington, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) – rode an impressive 4km pursuit and claimed the Stars and Stripes with a time of 4:33.930. BIG KAHUNAS earned silver and VEINY AHH MIKEY AND THE THREE rounded it out with bronze.
