National champion Clara Honsinger is leading the biggest field of riders that USA Cycling has ever sent to the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships for the event in Fayetteville, Arkansas along with Pan American champion Raylyn Nuss. The elite men's team is led by Eric Brunner, who is also the elite men's Pan American champion.
National and Pan American champion Scott Funston heads up the U23 team along with US champion Katie Clouse and Pan American champion Madigan Munro. National champions Magnus White and Katherine Sarkisov and Pan American champion Jack Spranger are among the junior entrants.
The World Championships take place in the US for the second time in the event's history from January 28-30.
"Having a World Championships in the USA is always a major honor, and we are proud to be fielding a full team of dedicated, skilled athletes who will compete at Fayetteville 2022," said USA Cycling Cyclocross Director Jesse Anthony.
"We are coming to the event well-prepared after several podium performances achieved during the holiday period of racing in Belgium. The MudFund-supported USA Cycling Development Program recently competed in three weeks of racing for the Junior and U23 racers. Many elite riders were also competing with their trade teams ahead of this monumental event. All of the riders are extremely motivated to put on a show for the home crowds in Fayetteville."
Honsinger is ranked sixth in the UCI Rankings for elite women and was third at the October UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup that was held on the same course that will be used for Worlds. It was the third World Cup podium of her career, making her the country's top hope for a medal this season.
Clouse, who raced to the top 10 in the Besançon World Cup in the elite women's field, is one of the outside contenders for the U23s, while Sarkisov, who was second in the GP Sven Nys on New Year's Day, is the hopeful for the junior women's race.
Other contenders include Spranger, who finished second in the X2O Trophy races in Loenhout and Herentals during the team's trip to Belgium.
The US will likely have the largest contingent of riders at Worlds, with the major 'cross nations Belgium and the Netherlands sending much-reduced teams because of the difficulties traveling to a small town amid a pandemic that has caused airlines to cancel thousands of flights.
USA Cycling for 2022 UCI Cyclo-cross National Championships
Elite Women
- Hannah Arensman (Sycamore Cycles)
- Caitlin Bernstein (Easton Overland/McGovern Cycles)
- Rebecca Fahringer (Kona/ Maxxis/ Shimano)
- Clara Honsinger (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com)
- Anna Megale (Trek Cyclocross Collective)
- Raylyn Nuss (Steve Tilford Foundation Racing)
- Erica Zaveta (The Pony Shop p/b KPMG)
Elite men
- Eric Brunner (Blue-Stages Racing)
- Gage Hecht (Aevolo)
- Lance Haidet (L39ION of Los Angeles)
- Scott McGill (Aevolo)
- Caleb Swartz (Giant Bicycles/ Neff Cycle Service)
- Kerry Werner (Kona/ Maxxis/ Shimano)
- Curtis White (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com)
U23 Women
- Katie Clouse (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com)
- Lizzy Gunsalus (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com)
- Cassidy Hickey (Lux Cycling)
- Ellie Mitchell (NWCX Project)
- Madigan Munro (Trek Factory Racing)
- Bridget Tooley (Easton-Liv)
- Lauren Zoerner (Alpha Bicycles Co.-Groove Subaru)
U23 Men
- Scott Funston (Blue-Stages Racing)
- Daxton Mock (Trek Cyclocross Collective)
- Sam Noel (Competitive Edge Racing)
- Tommy Servetas (Competitive Edge Racing)
- Andrew Strohmeyer (CX Hairs Devo/Trek Bikes)
- Jules Van Kempen (Alpha Bicycles Co.-Groove Subaru)
Junior Women
- Mia Aseltine (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com Devo)
- Keira Bond (Boulder Junior Cycling)
- Chloe Fraser (Boulder Junior Cycling)
- Katherine Sarkisov (CX Hairs Devo/Trek Bikes)
- Elsa Westenfelder (Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo)
Junior Men
- Andrew August (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com Devo)
- Daniel English (Voler/Easton/HRS/Rock Lobster p/b Joseph Kochlacs Wood Products)
- Frank O'Reilly (FinKraft Cycling Team)
- Marcis Shelton (Mill Valley, Calif.)
- Jack Spranger (Bear National Team)
- Magnus White (Boulder Junior Cycling)
