Four Stars-and-Stripes jerseys were awarded Saturday at the 2014 USA Cycling Elite BMX National Championships, held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. Connor Fields (Henderson, Nev./Chase BMX) and Alise Post (Saint Cloud, Minn./Redline Bicycles) each earned elite victories, while Collin Hudson (Longmont, Colo./Redline Bicycles) and Shealen Reno (Plano, Texas/Hyper Bicycles) claimed the junior elite titles.
Junior Elite Men
Competition got underway on the Beijing track, a replica of the supercross track used at the 2008 Olympic Games, with the junior elite men’s motos. Hudson and 2013 junior supercross world champ Sean Gaian (Santee, Calif./Factory GT Bicycles) each won two out of three to cement their spot in the final. Cole Tesar (Huntersville, N.C./ FBN Plastics/C-yaa Frames/Monster Army/Profile) also picked up a win in the motos.
Hudson and Gaian were off the front early in the junior men’s main, with Gaian taking the lead through the first turn. But Hudson accelerated to come into turn two slightly ahead of Gaian, who came into contact with Hudson’s rear wheel about halfway around the turn. This sent Gaian to the ground, giving Hudson, a five-time amateur world champion, a clear path to victory. He was followed to the line by Tesar. Joshua Banuelos (Medford, Ore./Phoenix Factory Racing) crossed in third.
Women’s Races
With only seven riders putting a wheel to the line, the elite women’s national championship was decided based on points over three rounds. Post was the fastest out of the gate in the first two trips down the supercross track to be the clear favorite heading into the final race. But it was two-time junior time trial and supercross world champion Felicia Stancil(Lake Villa, IL/Factory GT Bicycles) who took an early lead in the final. She was followed by 2012 Olympian Brooke Crain (Visalia, Calif./Haro Bicycles) and then Post.
The three maintained that order through the race, and the third-place finish was enough to give Post her fourth consecutive elite women’s Stars-and-Stripes jersey. Stancil’s win in that final round propelled her to the second spot on the podium ahead of Crain.
Though she raced with the elite women, Shealen Reno (Plano, Texas/Hyper Bicycles) was the only rider in the junior elite category, giving her a second championship in as many years.
Elite Men
The elite men’s motos included twenty riders vying for a national championship. Fields won all three of his motos to advance to the semifinals. With defending champion Nic Long (Lakeside, Calif./Haro Bikes) crossing the line first in two of his. The two riders finished second and third, respectively, behind Corben Sharrah (Tucson, Ariz./Haro) in their semifinal heat to move on to the main. 2012 Olympian David Herman (Wheat Ridge, Colo./ Free Agent/Rockstar) won the other semi.
In the final heat, a slow start put Fields toward the back of the pack through the first straight, with Herman taking the hole shot. But Steven Cisar (Altadena, Calif./Avent Bombshell) came around him on the first turn to take the lead. He was followed close behind by Barry Nobles (Sun City, Calif./DK Bicycles) into the second turn and down the third straight.
Nobles moved to pass Cisar in the final turn, pressing both riders to the outside. That gave Fields, who had moved into third, an inside lane. The 2013 elite men’s time trial world champion used that space to his advantage and took the lead down the finishing straight to reclaim the elite men’s national title that he won in 2012. Nobles placed second and Cisar edged Jared Garcia (Victorville, Calif./SupercrossBMX.com) for third.
Racing continues tomorrow with the 2014 UCI North American Continental BMX Championships, where international riders will go head to head with the best of the U.S. The competition begins at 11 a.m. Pacific time with qualifying motos. The semifinal heats are expected to begin around 12:20 p.m. and the mains should get underway at 12:45 p.m.
Admission and parking at the Olympic Training Center is free. Attendees can park in the Visitor Center parking lot and follow the signage to walk to the Beijing supercross track.
For updated news, photo gallery, results and more, visit the 2014 USA Cycling Elite BMX National Championships page.
2014 USA Cycling Elite BMX National Championships
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Chula Vista, California
Elite Men
1. Connor Fields (Henderson, Nev./Chase BMX)
2. Barry Nobles (Sun City, Calif./DK Bicycles)
3. Steven Cisar (Altadena, Calif./Avent Bombshell)
Elite Women
1. Alise Post (Saint Cloud, Minn./Redline Bicycles)
2. Felicia Stancil (Lake Villa, IL/Factory GT Bicycles)
3. Brooke Crain (Visalia, Calif./Haro Bicycles)
Junior Elite Men
1. Collin Hudson (Longmont, Colo./Redline Bicycles)
2. Cole Tesar (Huntersville, N.C./ FBN Plastics/C-yaa Frames/Monster Army/Profile)
3. Joshua Banuelos (Medford, Ore./Phoenix Factory Racing)
Junior Elite Women
1. Shealen Reno (Plano, Texas/Hyper Bicycles)
Ron Callahan is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.