With just one night of rest and some additional rain, our juniors were able to enjoy what just might have been the best iteration of a classic OBRA cyclocross venue at Cyclocross Crusade: PIR Heron Lakes. The venerable monolith and a huck-to-flat B-line, enough mud to make things slippery without annihilating drivetrains, and line choices changing from one lap to the next all made for engaging racing and spectating!
We are spoiled to have had two local photographers on the day: Chloë Spritz was out in official capacity and you can find her work here; Jay Ortiz has several galleries in his Instagram profile and is generally happy to share if you shoot him a DM!
Hattie Usher pipped Bobbie Buswell by just two seconds to lead the Women 9-12 Category 3/4/5 race with Phoebe Hogue nabbing third. Vivi McManuis remains atop the series with her trio of wins. Ada Souders took a win in the Women’s 13/14 Cat 3/4/5s, and in doing so, grabbed the series lead. In the Women’s 15/16 Category 3/4/5 race, Ari Tabish raced home ahead of Taylor Ferdaszewski. Ari and Mayumi Sugahara are now tied atop the overall standings. Madeleine Duval soloed to victory in the Women 1/2/3 13-18 race, but Morgan Filer retains her lead in the series.
In the Junior Open races, Caleb Farley flew in for his third win of four races ahead of Luka Dedrick and Everett Hawes for the day’s 9-12 podium. Caleb is narrowing the gap, but Everett is still out in front for the series. Alex Usher joined his sister Hattie in victory, and Garett Hawes and Ezra White followed him in second and third for the Open 13/14 3/4/5 field. With that second place finish Garett nabbed the series lead.
With his win in the Open 15/16 field, Luke Tabish represented another family with two siblings atop the podium. Bjorn Swanson and Axel Weaver took the remaining medals for the day. Leo Herriges fell just short of the podium, but is now the overall leader courtesy of his fourth. Trekken Paddock was our Open 17/18 Cat 3/4/5 victor, with Oliver Woods retaining his first place overall. Johnie Hogue took his second consecutive Open 13-18 Category 1/2/3 and separated himself from his prior co-leaders in doing so. Ollie Litinsky nabbed second place in his first race, having moved himself up to the 1/2/3s from the 3/4/5s.
—Robin