Five junior criterium champions crowned

Philip O'Donnell (Frazier Cycling) duplicated his victory from yesterday's road race in the 13-14 junior men's criterium, but Daniel Parks (GS Tenzing) was the story of the day. O'Donnell and Parks jumped off the front early, dominating the race and riding at a pace nearly 20 percent faster than the field. Unfortunately for Parks, the pair caught the back of the main group on the final lap where the Texan got tangled in a small crash. Although he quickly recovered, his bike did not, leaving him to sprint the remainder of the final lap where he was awarded the same time as the pack and earned the silver medal. O'Donnell emerged from the late-race crash unscathed and rode easily to another national title.

The junior men's 10-12 criterium broke up from the start with an early race crash helping form two lead groups off the front of the 30+ rider field. The large lead group whittled down to around 10 riders as the pace quickened and team tactics even came into play. Matteo Jorgenson (Boise Young Rider Dev. Squad) and Michael Hocking (Boise Young Rider Dev. Squad) were among the riders animating things on the back side of the one-kilometer course, but ultimately it was again Grant McElroy's (Beaverton Bicycle Club) day as he won the sprint to the line.

"I've been racing on the road for six years and this was one of the toughest races of my life," said the 12-year-old McElroy. "People were going into the corners really hard so I just tried to stay up front. Coming into the finish I knew Gage was a good sprinter and I had better be up out of the saddle and in the right gear."

The junior women's 15-16 women criterium ended in exciting fashion with dynamic racing throughout. A lead group of what would be the top eight finishers broke free and it eventually came down to a final bunch sprint where Tara McCormick (Helen's Racing-Cannondale) took the title ahead of Kayla Sterling (Plano Cycling/PAC) and yesterday's road race winner Melissa Garcia (Chester County Cycling). McCormick and the 15-16 junior women's division was the only group of the day able to dethrone yesterday's road race champ.

It was all Katrina Howard (Vapor Racing) again today as the 14-year-old lapped the field to collect her ninth overall national title in the junior women's 13-14 criterium. Howard took off in pursuit of eventual silver medalist Emma White (Capital Bike Racing Club) and simply kept going until she caught the back of the nearly 20-rider field. Howard attacked off the front at the end of the 20th and final lap, winning the sprint even though she had a lap on the field. White came in second and yesterday's road race silver medalist Laurel Rathburn finished third.

"She took off and everyone just kind of looked at each other," said Rathburn. "We tried to work together, but obviously not well enough."

The small, but strong junior women's 10-12 field saw a group of five separate itself from the gun in the 15-kilometer affair. Skylar Schneider, Mina Anderberg (Flatiron Flyers Junior Cycling), Julyn Aguila, Jenna Gardner (PCIM) and Joan Ponath jumped out front and were able to hold a 20-second lead throughout the 15-kilometer event. Starting her sprint at precisely the spot directed by her older sister, Samantha, a professional racer with the TIBCO-To the Top squad, Skylar was able to out-kick Anderburg at the line yet again and earn her second Stars-and-Stripes jersey in as many days.

"I'm used to doing crits with the Cat 4 women, so it was nice to race against people my own age and in the same gears," said Schneider.