The 2024 USA Cycling Junior Track National Championships kicked off on Thursday morning with Pursuit, Sprint, and Omnium events.
The morning session concluded with the Junior 15-16 Pursuit finals. Reaching speeds of over 49.9 km/h, Kashus Adamski (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Mad Track Cycling/Lexus Velodrome Detroit) raced to victory with a time of 3:36.191, claiming the National Title and a new American Record in the Junior Men’s 15-16 Pursuit.
The Junior Women 15-16 took to the track for a 5-lap (2km) Pursuit. Clocking the fastest times on every single lap, Emma Jimenez Palos (Novi, Mich.) outpaced her competition and took home the Stars and Stripes jersey.
In the Junior Women’s 15-18 Semi-Final, Rita Fedewa (Fort Collins, Colo.; Boulder Valley Velodrome) and Sarah Vargas (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) battled it out in Heat 1, while Danielle Scoville (Lake Stevens, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) and Maya Brothers (Havertown, Pa.; Star Track) went head-to-head in Heat 2. Fedewa and Brothers would race for gold in the final where Fedewa won both heats and the National Title. Brothers earned silver and Vargas rounded out the podium with bronze.
In the Junior Men’s 15-18 Semi-Final, JC Pile (Kirkland, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) and Andrew Ford (El Cerrito, Calif.) battled it out in Heat 1, while Gabriel Takagi (Kirkland, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors) and Louis Bonilla (Long Beach, Calif.; Ironfly) went head-to-head in Heat 2. After a deciding third ride for each heat, 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 another deciding third ride, where Takagi would claim the podium spot by 0.007.
After the morning’s Scratch Race and Tempo Race, Reagen Pattishall (Breinigsville, Pa.; Edge Cycling) went into the evening session leading the pack with 80 total points for the Junior Women 17-18. In the Elimination Race, Pattishall and Kat Kendall (Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Ironfly/iCademy Junior Development) finished first and second, respectively. Pattishall swept all four Omnium events and won the National Title with a total of 160 points. Kendall earned silver with 127 points and Eire Chen (Del Mar, Calif.; SDBC Powered by Bonnici Law Group p/b UC Cyclery) 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 Otis Engel (Mertztown, Pa.; Kelly Benefits Cycling) going into the evening session in the top spot with 74 total points. The Elimination Race re-positioned the leaderboard, where Enzo Edmonds (Brooklyn, N.Y.; Hot Tubes Development Cycling), Merrick Gallagher (Redmond, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors), and Jack Diemar (Eagle, Colo.; Primal-Audi Denver) finished first, second, and third, respectively. The Points Race would re-position the leaderboard yet again, where Fenton Balfus (Boulder Creek, Calif.) raced his way to a podium spot and earned silver with a total of 127 points. Engel won the National Title with a total of 132 points and Edmonds rounded out the podium with bronze.
Medals would be awarded to the top three finishers in each individual event that make up the Junior Track Omnium. A National Title will be awarded to overall Omnium champions at the conclusion of all Junior Track Omnium events.
Junior Women 11-12:
Addison Blumenthal (Richmond, Texas; GHCF p/b Shottenkirk Kia)
Junior Men 11-12:
Max Ebens (New York, N.Y.; Star Track)
Junior Women 13-14:
Aine Chen (Del Mar, Calif.; Ironfly/iCademy Junior Development)
Junior Men 13-14:
Keegan Fairbanks (Covington, Wash.; Jerry Baker Juniors)
Track medals were awarded to the top three finishers in the Under-11 Scratch Race Final / Omnium I non-championship event.
Junior Women Under-11:
Frances Mawhinney (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.; Star Track)
Junior Men Under-11:
Diego Avery (Sunol, Calif.; Work Health Solutions Racing)
Full results for day one, along with the schedule and live timing for day two, can be found here.
Photo By: Tory Hernandez, Evrgrn Photo
