Kate Courtney (Specialized) raced to a decisive win in the under 23 women's cross country race, which opened up the day's action at the US Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championships at Bear Creek Resort in Macungie, Pennsylvania. Courtney finished ahead of Shayna Powless and Kaylee Blevins (Bear Development Team).
“There was a little bit of rain earlier in the week, so I think made it a little more fun and difficult for everyone,” Courtney said. “It was definitely a challenging course and worthy (to be) the National Championships course.
Amongst the U23 action that highlighted the early hours of the day's racing was a compelling series of juniors races, beginning with the category 1 women’s 17-18 contest. Ksenia Lepikhina just edged silver medalist Cassie Ross (Kryki Sports) in 1:17:22, besting Ross’ 1:17:25 effort by three seconds. Shea Chavez took bronze in 1:19:21.
The category 1 women’s 15-16 field was decided by Haley Batten’s (/Whole Athlete-Specialized) 1:10:08 clip, which was contested by teammate Kelsey Urban (Whole Athlete-Specialized), who finished in 1:11:11. Sienna Leger Redel (Summit Utah Devo) wrapped up third in 1:16:42.
Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kate Courtney (Specialized) | 1:31:13 |
| 2 | Shayna Powless | 0:00:59 |
| 3 | Kaylee Blevins (Bear Development Team) | 0:03:07 |
| 4 | Ellen Noble (Bear Development Team) | 0:05:41 |
| 5 | Emily Shields | 0:06:09 |
| 6 | Lauren Catlin (Bear Development Team) | 0:10:29 |
| 7 | Hannah Finchamp (Team LUNA Chix) | 0:11:10 |
| 8 | Elizabeth White (University of Vermont) | 0:12:20 |
| 9 | Emily Schaldach | 0:18:34 |
| -1lap | Ginny Jeppi (C3-Twenty20cycling.com) | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
| -1lap | Nathalie Krantz | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
| -2laps | Michelle Khare | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
| -2laps | Caroline Woods | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Elizabeth Lurz | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Briana Heintzelman (South Mountain Cycle & Cafe) | Row 14 - Cell 2 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ksenia Lepikhina | 1:17:22 |
| 2 | Cassie Ross (Kryki Sports) | 0:00:03 |
| 3 | Shea Chavez | 0:01:59 |
| 4 | Melissa Seib (Bikeman.com) | 0:04:31 |
| 5 | Jessica Kruse (Team Bulldog) | 0:06:53 |
| 6 | Angelina Palermo (Top Gear Racing) | 0:11:43 |
| 7 | Rachael Jensen (RACC pb GG) | 0:15:53 |
| DNF | Nadina Junuzovic (787 Racing) | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haley Batten (Whole Athlete / Specialized) | 1:10:08 |
| 2 | Kelsey Urban (Whole Athlete / Specialized) | 0:01:03 |
| 3 | Sienna Leger Redel (Summit Utah Devo) | 0:06:34 |
| 4 | Veda Gerasimek (Whole Athlete / Specialized) | 0:07:55 |
| 5 | Kyra Jackson | 0:15:40 |
| 6 | Jessie Linder (Get Out! New Mexico) | 0:17:54 |
| 7 | Mason Hopkins (Tradewinds Racing) | 0:26:56 |
| -1lap | Emma Drummond (Hammer Nutrition) | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
-
'I'm looking forward to my return' - Jolanda Neff joins star-studded field in cyclocross comeback at Namur World Cup
'It's in your culture. I don't find this anywhere else: the experience, the ambiance, the cheering from the crowd' Swiss multi-discipline racer considers Hulst World Championships -
'I already miss it' - Why Isabella Holmgren is setting cyclocross aside for the season
Canadian double under-23 MTB world champion aiming for more road success in 2026 -
Best commuter bike tyres: Durable rubber for a range of riding
Avoid flats and make the ride to work a pleasure by choosing the best commuter bike tyres -
Christmas shopping for a cyclist can be notoriously difficult, but cycling tech is always a winner – the Garmin Edge 540 bike computer has $100 off, and is a sure-fire festive hit
The holiday season is fast approaching, and if you're still scratching your head on what to get the cyclist in your life, the Edge 540 is one of the best Garmin computers, now reduced by almost 30%
