More inclement weather caused delays on day three of the 2022 USA Cycling Junior & Elite Track National Championships at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. The full day of racing included the omnium and sprints for the elite riders, scratch races for riders 17-18, and time trials for riders 15-18. The current UCI Nations’ Cup overall champion in the omnium, Jennifer Valente (San Diego; TWENTY24 Pro Cycling), secured her fifth national title in the event.
Reflecting on her experience at the national championships, Valente said, “It’s great to be racing at nationals. Being here to encourage and support all the development riders on my team and the American track cycling community as a whole is important to me. This is the only time I get to ride on U.S. soil for my trade team, [Virginia’s Blue Ridge] TWENTY24.”
Elite endurance riders took on the 4-event omnium event. The four events comprising the best overall contest are the scratch race, the tempo race, the elimination race, and the points race, in that order. Valente controlled the Elite Women’s standings from the get-go, earning top places in all events. Kimberly Zubris (Alburtis, Pa.) entered the final event just behind Valente and defended her second place successfully. Elizabeth Stevenson (Rochester Hills, Mich.; Marian University) earned bronze.
Thursday evening’s scratch race champion, Grant Koontz (Nederland, Colo.; Star Track Racing), added another medal to his collection, winning the Elite Men’s omnium. Koontz earned top points in the scratch race and tempo races, setting himself up for success in the points race. Teammates Lance Abshire (Baton Rouge, La.; Chaney Window & Doors) and Spencer Seggebruch (Saint Louis; Chaney Window & Doors) worked well together through the final event, taking two laps on the field and clinching their podium spots. Seggebruch ends the event with the silver and Abshire the bronze.
Mandy Marquardt (Allentown, Pa.; Team Novo Nordisk) added another stars and stripe jersey to her collection, winning the sprint event for the Elite Women. Her 200-meter time or 11.131 seconds set her up for an easy day, getting a bye through to the evening rounds. Jennifer Wagner (Houston; Atomic Momentum) would battle it out with Marquardt in the final but couldn’t overcome her in the end. Stephanie Lawrence (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Star Track Racing) earned bronze.
Doubling down on his victory in the Elite Men’s sprints from 2021, Jamie Alvord III (Allentown, Pa.; Edge Cycling) successfully defended his title in the event. Sandor Delgado (Hialeah, Fla.; ASCP) gave Alvord a challenge but could not overtake him in the final round, earning him silver. Andrew Chu (Breinigsville, Pa.; Edge Cycling) overcame his qualification of fifth and took home the bronze.
Enzo Edmonds (Brooklyn, N.Y.; Star Track Racing) earned the stars and stripes jersey of the day, winning the Junior Men 15-18 1,000-meter time trial. Edmonds stopped the clock at 1:08.318. Wednesday’s sprint silver medallist, Jacob Evans (Macungie, Pa.; Gotham Cyclists), doubled up on his medal haul, taking the silver today as well. With a time of 1:11.866, Matthew Redfield (Troy, Mich.; American Cycling League – Detroit) earned third.
Divya Verma (Breinigsville, Pa.; Edge Cycling) won the Junior Women 15-18 500-meter time trial in a time of 37.713-seconds. Winning the time trial puts Verma one step away from claiming the hattrick of the junior women’s sprint events. She lines up tomorrow for the keirins to compete in the third event of the hattrick. Verma’s teammate, Annika Flannigan (Bethlehem, Pa.), received silver with her time of 38.312. It was an Edge Cycling sweep, with Reagan Pattishall (Breinigsville, Pa.) earning bronze.
