Allison Arensman looking confident in the lead – 2015 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup. © Ali Whittier
While many top races headed to Texas to contest the two-day Resolution Cross Cup this past weekend, on Saturday, Kingsport, Tennessee hosted its annual UCI cyclocross race, the Kingsport Cyclocross Cup.
This year’s race in Tennessee, in terms of the Elite level podiums, was nearly completely dominated by North Carolina racers.
In the Women’s race, Reigning Division Two Collegiate Road Race and Mountain Bike (XC and Short Track) Champion Allison Arensman (K-Edge Felt) took her first UCI cyclocross win of the season and successfully defending her 2014 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup victory. Arensman is looking in-form for a run at the Women’s U23 Cyclocross National Championship next week in Austin, TX.
Behind Arensman, Ally Statcher (Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) followed just over 20 seconds in arrears, with Emily Shields (Heart Racing Club) in third to complete an all-North Carolina podium.
Ally Stacher was all smiles on her way to second. 2015 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup. © Ali Whittier
Arensman, who races for Brevard College, follows former D2 Collegiate Cyclocross Champion Erica Zaveta as another talented female cyclocrosser to hail from the small North Carolina school. Fast cyclocrossers don’t just run in the Brevard College family but also in the Arensman genes. Allison’s 17-year-old sister, Hannah, would finish fifth.
Hannah Arensman leads the chase of her sister Allison. 2015 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup. © Ali Whittier
In the Elite Men’s race, Zach McDonald was not present to defend his title, opting instead to pick up UCI points at the Resolution Cross Cup in Texas. In his place, Mock Orange Bike’s Travis Livermon, also hailing from North Carolina, took his first UCI win of the season after two second places in North Carolina.
Travis Livermon in the lead, carving the off-camber turn. 2015 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup. © Ali Whittier
Livermon led a strong Mock Orange Bikes team that massed at the front in attempt to control the race.
The Mock Orange Bikes train. 2015 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup. © Ali Whittier
Former Masters National Champion Dylan McNicholas (Polartec) took second with former Mountain Bike Collegiate National Championship silver medalist Tristan Cowie in third.
Behind, Adam Myerson led home a tight race for the non-podium spots, outkicking Robert Marion, fresh off a European campaign, for fourth.
Marion, like many before him, was outkicked by Myerson at the line. 2015 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup. © Ali Whittier
Notes: In the pre-Nationals event, fields were relatively small for a UCI race, and Texas’ Resolution Cross Cup attracted much of the top-level talent that was racing this weekend. New Hampshires’s McNicholas was the only non-North Carolina racer to podium in the Elite Men’s and Women’s races.
2015 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup Elite Women's Results - Kingsport, TN
| Place | Bib | Name | City, State | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | Allison Arensman | Rutherford College, NC | K-Edge Felt Cyclocross Team | 48:05.1 |
| 2 | 85 | Ally Stacher | Horse Shoe, NC | Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 48:28.0 |
| 3 | 97 | Emily Shields | Advance, NC | Hearts Racing Club | 48:44.0 |
| 4 | 94 | Victoria Gates | Southampton, MA | JAM Fund / NCC | 48:51.2 |
| 5 | 98 | Hannah Arensman | Rutherford College, NC | K-Edge Felt Cyclocross Team | 49:20.8 |
| 6 | 92 | Jenna Blandford | Louisville | VO2 | 49:24.1 |
| 7 | 96 | Katherine Shields | Advance, NC | Hearts Racing Club | 49:27.9 |
| 8 | 95 | Meghan Korol | Asheville, NC | Don Walker Cycles Racing | 49:28.5 |
| 9 | 91 | Jennifer Nichols | Birmingham | Infinity Racing/Tom Williams BMW-Mini | 49:52.3 |
| 10 | 86 | Avanell Schmitz | Newport News, VA | Celerity Cycling | 50:17.3 |
| 11 | 87 | Sarah Hill | Brevard | brevard college | 50:43.1 |
| 12 | 90 | Mackenzie Green | Mason, OH | Red Zone Cycling | 52:53.8 |
| 13 | 88 | Melissa Presnell | Norfolk, VA | Rogue Velo Racing | 55:04.3 |
| 14 | 89 | Rachel Dobrozsi | Loveland, OH | Red Zone Cycling | 56:58.9 |
| DNS | 93 | Julie Hunter | Richmond, VA | SEAVS/Haymarket |
2015 Kingsport Cyclocross Cup Elite Men's Results - Kingsport, TN
| Place | Bib | Name | City, State | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Travis Livermon | Winston Salem, NC | Mock Orange Bikes | 1:03:05 |
| 2 | 16 | Dylan Mcnicholas | Stratham, NH | POLARTEC | 1:03:30 |
| 3 | 27 | Tristan Cowie | Brevard , NC | Mock Orange Bikes | 1:04:17 |
| 4 | 15 | Adam Myerson | Dorchester, MA | Astellas Cycling Team | 1:04:47 |
| 5 | 6 | Robert Marion | Mount Airy, NC | Carpe Diem Racing | 1:04:48 |
| 6 | 31 | Kevin Bradford-Parish | Spokane, WA | 1:04:52 | |
| 7 | 30 | Lewis Gaffney | Angel Fire, NM | 1:04:53 | |
| 8 | 26 | Alex Ryan | Lewisville, NC | Mock Orange Bikes Pro CX | 1:04:54 |
| 9 | 32 | Philip Short (1 - Cat2) | Greensboro, NC | Hearts Racing Club | 1:04:58 |
| 10 | 36 | Byron Rice | Durham, NC | Clemmons Bicycle Racing | 1:06:07 |
| 11 | 54 | Frank Travieso | Athens, GA | The 706 Project | 1:06:40 |
| 12 | 40 | Robert Rimmer | Friendsville, TN | King University | 1:06:46 |
| 13 | 45 | Hunter Resek | East Dover, VT | 1:06:52 | |
| 14 | 33 | Matthew Timmerman | Bethel, CT | 1:08:28 | |
| 15 | 38 | Gunnar Bergey | Banner Elk, NC | Lees-McRae College | 1:09:05 |
| 16 | 43 | Andrew Bailey | Piney Flats, TN | Piney Flats Bicycles/Dean Endurance CX T | 1:09:29 |
| 17 | 44 | Elliott Baring | Banner Elk, NC | Reality Bikes Ambassador | 1:12:00 |
| 18 | 37 | Jonah MeadVanCort (2 - Cat2) | Ithaca | KMS Cycling-Killington Mountain School | |
| 19 | 49 | Grayson Brookshire | Hendersonville, NC | Greenlife-Subaru Benefitting Globalbike | |
| 20 | 35 | Spencer Whittier (3 - Cat2) | Cohutta, GA | Hub Endurance Chattanooga | |
| 21 | 41 | Abe Goorskey (4 - Cat2) | Floyd, VA | ||
| 22 | 47 | Trever Kingsbury (5 - Cat2) | Petoskey | Brevard College | |
| 23 | 46 | Nolan Tankersley (6 - Cat2) | Erwin, TN | Finish Strong Elite Cycling Team p/b Pal | |
| 24 | 50 | Will Barnes (7 - Cat2) | Raleigh, NC | Berger Hardware Bikes | |
| 25 | 48 | Spencer Lowden (8 - Cat2) | Cary Nc | Berger Hardware Bikes | |
| 26 | 52 | Kirby Walke (9 - Cat2) | Blacksburg, VA | Independent Velo | |
| 27 | 21 | Casey Stallard (10 - Cat2) | Bristol, TN | Piney Flats Bicycles/Dean Endurance CX T | |
| DNS | 51 | Erik Tonkin | Portland, OR | Kona | |
| DNS | 53 | Trent Blackburn | Wilmington | Mock Orange Bikes | |
| DNS | 34 | Andrew Reardon | Franklin, TN | Sonic Cycling |
