Skyler Trujillo snags the holeshot in the U23 race at MTB Nationals. © Cyclocross Magazine
Soaring temperatures meant for hard racing at XC MTB Nationals at Bear Creek in Pennsylvania. Juniors and U23 riders took to the course starting at 8:30 this morning, and with Richard Fries announcing, it felt almost like cyclocross Nationals, except for the rapidly skyrocketing temperatures.
In the women’s U23 race, Shayna Powless took the win, and cyclocrosser Emily Shields took fifth place. Shields is based in North Carolina, and last season, took third place at the North Carolina Grand Prix UCI cyclocross race. In the women’s 17-18 field, while Kate Courtney took the win, New England cyclocrosser Ellen Noble (featured in our Issue 20 Nationals Special and the 17-18 Cyclocross National Champion for 2013) took fourth.
In the U23 men’s field, Kerry Werner of BMC took the win after a long contest between him, Harold Grotts and Russell Finsterwald. Werner was the D1 National Champion at Cyclocross Nationals back in January. Cyclocross Elite Nationals Silver Medalist Zach McDonald also made an appearance, but dropped out after two laps due to the heat. “I was getting dizzy,” he later told Cyclocross Magazine. Worlds team member Skyler Trujillo also battled with the heat after snagging the holeshot and didn’t finish.
Other cyclocross notables included Keegan Swenson from Utah, who took fourth, and well-known junior racer Cypress Gorry, who took fifth.
Stay tuned for the elite races tomorrow!
