EATOUGH, SAWICKI REPEAT AS USA CYCLING 24-HOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Nine National Champions Honored at Ultra-Endurance Off-Road Race
Wausau, Wis. (August 3, 2008) — Nine national champions were crowned at the
USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships on Sunday morning
after the nation’s best ultra-endurance off-road cyclists wrapped up 24
grueling hours on the trails of Wisconsin’s Nine Mile County Forest.
Riders set out on Saturday for as many laps as they could complete on the
14-mile course in a 24-hour period. When time ran out this morning, Chris
Eatough (Baldwin, Md.) and Pua Sawicki (Mililani, Hawaii) both defended
their titles in the men’s and women’s solo divisions.
It was the fifth year in a row for Eatough to take the win in the men’s open
division, but he first had to overcome strong opposition from runner-up Josh
Tostado (Breckenridge, Colo.) who hoped to dethrone the four-time defending
champ. Early on, Eatough and Tostado clearly defined themselves as the
strongest riders in the 36-man field and the ensuing battle saw the pair
swap the lead several times and complete 20 laps of the 14-mile course
before the clock stopped. In the end, Eatough secured his spot atop the
podium by finishing the 20 laps in 23 hours and 22 minutes compared to
Tostado’s 23 hours and 37 minutes. Nat Ross (Golden, Colo.) completed 19
laps for the bronze medal.
Sawicki successfully defended her title from a year ago with 18 laps which
she completed in 24 hours and 3 minutes. Taking a huge lead right from the
start, she put 13 minutes on her nearest threats in just the first lap and
continued to distance herself from the rest of the 11-woman field over the
24 hours. When time ran out, she had completed two more laps than silver and
bronze medalists Danielle Musto (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Sarah Kauffman
(Big Bear Lake, Calif.) who each completed 16 laps.
In the men’s duo division, Dax Massey (Boulder, Colo.) and Dean Miller
(Littleton, Colo.) of Team Shake & Bake narrowly took the win over Jerry
Long (Moscow, Idaho) and Ryan Krayer (North Freedom, Wis.) of Two Steps
Beyond Chaos. Both duos completed 22 laps - Massey and Miller in 24 hours
and 35 minutes, Long and Krayer in 24 hours and 36 minutes. On the women’s
side, Chipotle-Titus pair Heidi Godsil (Nederland, Colo.) and Kay Levesque
(Boulder, Colo.) combined their efforts over 18 laps for the women’s duo
national title.
After leading the mixed duo field for the entire 24 hours, Dejay Birtch
(Tucson, Ariz.) and Rebecca Tomaszewski (Bone, N.C.) of Team
Sho-Air/Niner/Wake Racing bested Sho-Air/Ronance/Rock N Road riders Mario
Correa (Chino Hills, Calif.) and Heidi Volpe (Topanga, Calif.) for the gold
medal after both pairs completed 21 laps.
Velo Rochester riders Sam Oftedahl (Shoreview, Minn.), Brendon Moore, Chris
Fisher (Inver Grove Heights, Inn.), and Ben Moore (Rochester, Minn.) teamed
up for a total of 24 laps to fulfill their stars-and-stripes dreams in the
men’s 4-person team division while Team Ketchum If you Can led the women’s
4-person field from start to finish with riders Claudia Hattrup (Ketchum,
Idaho), Rebecca Rusch (Ketchum, Idaho), Karoline Droege (Ketchum, Idaho),
and Muffy Ritz (Ketchum, Idaho) completing 21 laps to earn top honors.
In the junior category, Baraboo B.A.M.F. riders Zack Geyer (Green Bay,
Wis.), Mitch Gantz (Green Bay, Wis.), Erik Meier (Baraboo, Wis.), and Sam
Stone (North Freedom, Wis.) beat out EXPO Racing for the national title
after both squads completed 21 laps.
Michigan Masters foursome of John Meyers (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Neil
Scharphorn, Dan Jansen (Grand Rapids, Mich.), and Nate Versluis (Grand
Rapids, Mich.) completed 23 laps in 24 hours and 38 minutes and bested the
22 laps of runner-up Team Weak Sauce.
In its third consecutive year hosting the national championship event,
America’s Dairyland 24-Hours of Nine Mile drew nearly 1,000 participants
who, in addition to the nine national championship races, also competed in
twenty non-national championship team and solo events in the 12-hour and
24-hour categories.
2008 USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships
Nine Mile County Forest - Wausau, Wis.
Aug. 2-3, 2008
Men’s Solo
1. Chris Eatough (Baldwin, Md.)
2. Josh Tostado (Breckenridge, Colo.)
3. Nat Ross (Golden, Colo.)
Women’s Solo
1. Pua Sawicki (Mililani, Hawaii)
3. Danielle Musto (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
3. Sarah Kaufmann (Big Bear Lake, Calif.)
Men’s 4-Person
1. Velo Rochester Team: Sam Oftedahl (Shoreview, Minn.), Brendon Moore,
Chris Fisher (Inver Grove Heights, Inn.), and Ben Moore (Rochester, Minn.)
Women’s 4-Person
1. Ketchum If you Can Team: Claudia Hattrup (Ketchum, Idaho), Rebecca Rusch
(Ketchum, Idaho), Karoline Droege (Ketchum, Idaho), and Muffy Ritz (Ketchum,
Idaho)
Men’s Duo
1. Team Shake & Bake Duo: Dax Massey (Boulder, Colo.) and Dean Miller
(Littleton, Colo.)
Women’s Duo
1. Chipotle-Titus Duo: Heide Godsil (Nederland, Colo.) and Kay Levesque
(Boulder, Colo.)
Mixed Duo
1. Team Sho-Air/Niner/Wake Racing Duo: Dejay Birtch (Tucson, Ariz.) and
Rebecca Tomaszewski (Bone, N.C.)
Mixed Junior 4-Person
1. Baraboo B.A.M.F. Team: Zack Geyer (Green Bay, Wis.), Mitch Gantz (Green
Bay, Wis.), Erik Meier (Baraboo, Wis.), and Sam Stone (North Freedom, Wis.)
Mixed Masters 4-Person
1. Michigan Masters Team: John Meyers (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Neil Scharphorn,
Dan Jansen (Grand Rapids, Mich.), and Nate Versluis (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Categories: Races, race results
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