Outdoor Central Oregon Issue 3 | February/March 2018 | Page 10

10 GALLERY| 2018 USA CYCLING CYCLOCROSS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS RENO, NEVADA | JANUARY 9-14 All photos by Josh Brownlee With only a seven hour drive to Reno, Bend cyclocross racers turned out in force this January. Adults raced during the week, Juniors, U23 and Elite on the the weekend. The weather was mild in the 40’s and 50’s and the course was mostly dry with a few tricky paisty spots that made many riders slip out. Junior racer Ava Lilley took podium for BEA. Anything can happen in cross racing and it did. Henry Jones (Jr Mens 17-18) was looking strong in third until a flat. Ryder Uetrecht (Jr Mens 15-16) was in third until he had a nasty crash over the handlebars on the off camber section. Former Bend resident, Lance Haidet (U23 defending champion), also flatted early on in his race ending up 9th. In 13-14, Ian Brown and Tanner Westcott ended up 4th and 6th, as expected, as they are two of the top Middle School racers in America. Nationals moves to December 2018 next year in Louisville, KY and lands back west in Tacoma, WA in 2019. 11-12 11-12 13-14 13-14 13-14 13-14 15-16 15-16 15-16 15-16 15-16 15-16 17-18 17-18 17-18 17-18 17-18 17-18 U23 U23 Jr Men Zain Strait 7th (BEA) Jr Men Cameron Wescott 34th (BEA) Jr Men Ian Brown 4th (BEA) Jr Men Tanner Westcott 6th (BEA) Jr Men Tanner Bowen 30th (BEA) Jr Women Natasha Visnack 7th Jr Men Ryder Uetrecht 9th Jr Men Elijah Krause 29th (BEA) Jr Men Sam Day 38th (BEA) Jr Men Jake Olander 45th (BEA) Jr Men Gavin Bowen 47th (BEA) Jr Men Nyall Trout 59th (BEA) Jr Women Ava Lilley 3rd (BEA) Jr Men Henry Jones 9th (BEA) Jr Men Calvin Keane 13th (BEA) Jr Men Joe Lukens 26th (BEA) Jr Men Gavin Beer 36th (BEA) Jr Men Lucian Spampinto 41th BEA) Lance Haidet 9th Cameron Beard 13th “ THE RACE THIS YEAR WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE! THIS NATIONALS WAS DEFINITE- LY A LOT DIFFERENT THEN LAST YEAR, CONDI- TIONS WISE AND THE OVER ALL EXPERIENCE. I HAD THE BEST RACE I COULD HAVE HOPED FOR, AND HAD SO MUCH FUN CHEERING ON THE REST OF THE TEAM AND ALL THE RIDERS. I’M READY FOR NEXT YEAR, AND TO HOPE- FULLY DO EVEN BETTER IN LOUISVILLE.” - AVA LILLEY Ava Lilley taking 3rd on the podium Ryder Uetrecht was looking strong in third place until a bumpy section through him straight over the handlebars and back to ninth place. Joe Lukens climbing his way up.