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Although the conditions at Rancho San Rafael Park were not muddy on Saturday morning, several of the corners were rendered rather slick by melting frost. Having a successful race meant knowing where the tricky corners were and making sure to not push too hard on the slick surface.
One of these corners was the 180-degree turn right before the barriers. Several riders went down on the corner, and in the last lap, the turn would give Katherine Sarkisov (Rock Creek Velo) the advantage she needed to win out of a tough group.
In the first lap, Kaya Musgrave (Avout Racing) got a solo lead after a rider crashed on the corner before the barriers. When everything sorted out after the first lap, it was Musgrave, Sarkisov and Keira Bond (Rage Cycling Team). During the next half lap, Sarkisov and Bond escaped off the front.
Kaya Musgrave led the way early on. Junior Women 13-14. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © D. Mable/ Cyclocross Magazine
It was during the second lap that Bond also was bitten by the cursed corner, giving Sarkisov a gap with just half a lap left.
“[Bond] fell on the turn right before the barrier. I actually crashed there during pre-ride and bent my hanger, so I was like, okay, this turn is pretty bad. I wanted to do well on the turn and don’t fall. I didn’t push it too hard through that turn, she fall, and I said, ‘Okay, give it everything you’ve got.'”
Once she had a lead, Sarkisov did not give it up. She came across the line as the new Junior Women 13-14 National Champion.
Katherine Sarkisov celebrates her Junior Women’s 13-14 title. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine
Sarkisov’s caution on the turns near the barriers was indicative of her attention to line choices and course details.
“There’s this one sweeping turn after the stairs where I took the outside line on the grass,” Sarkisov said. “Some of the other girls who rode on the mud couldn’t go as fast because they could slip.” She continued, “Around the turns before the barriers, I really wasn’t pushing it that hard because I didn’t want to go down. I could gain maybe have a second if I go faster, but I could lose the whole race if I break something.”
Bond finished second for the silver and Reagan Long (Boulder Junior Cycling) took third.
Keira Bond and her family went home happy from Reno. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © D. Mable/ Cyclocross Magazine
Interviews, photos and results are below.
Bronwynn Garaouy hops over the Little Loenhout ditch. Junior Women 13-14. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © D. Mable/ Cyclocross Magazine
Keira Bond focuses ahead. Junior Women 13-14. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © D. Mable/ Cyclocross Magazine
Callah Robinson leads seveal other riders. Junior Women 13-14. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships. © D. Mable/ Cyclocross Magazine
Junior Women's 13-14 Results: 2018 Reno Cyclocross Nationals
| Place | Bib | LAST | First | Team | City ST | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 125 | SARKISOV | Katherine | Rock Creek Velo | North Potomac MD | 16:36 | |
| 2 | 101 | BOND | Keira | Rage Cycling Team | Louisville CO | 16:53 | 17 |
| 3 | 116 | LONG | Reagan | Boulder Junior Cycling | Niwot CO | 16:56 | 20 |
| 4 | 113 | MUSGRAVE | Kaya | Avout Racing | Littleton CO | 17:07 | 31 |
| 5 | 129 | ROBINSON | Callah | Bellevue WA | 17:11 | 35 | |
| 6 | 122 | GARAOUY | Bronwynn | Rad Racing NW | Mercer Island WA | 17:25 | 49 |
| 7 | 130 | VISNACK | Natasha | Bend Endurance Academy | Bend OR | 17:35 | 59 |
| 8 | 103 | BENAVIDES PEREZ | Irene | Northwest Cycling Club | College Station TX | 18:04 | 1:28 |
| 9 | 104 | STIERWALT | Alexa | Lionhearts Junior Racing | Maineville OH | 18:49 | 2:13 |
| 10 | 106 | SANDOVAL | Olivia | Baltimore Youth Cycling | Baltimore MD | 19:16 | 2:40 |
| 11 | 121 | FERGUSON | Lilly | Central Junior Cycling Devo | Le Mars IA | 19:36 | 3:00 |
| 12 | 102 | MALONEY | Kayleigh | Meridian ID | 19:53 | 3:17 | |
| 13 | 107 | OLDENBURG | Jordyn | Endurance Boise | Boise ID | 19:56 | 3:20 |
| 14 | 120 | CROCKELL | Hope | Orangevale CA | 19:57 | s.t. | |
| 15 | 112 | STOVER | Madeline | Portland OR | 19:57 | s.t. | |
| 16 | 123 | AMALONG | Anne | Constellation Cycling | Chapel Hill NC | 20:13 | 3:37 |
| 17 | 131 | BOTT | Charlotte | Baltimore Youth Cycling | Towson MD | 20:27 | 3:51 |
| 18 | 126 | LAWSON | Olivia | VeloGroms | Carlsbad CA | 20:38 | 4:02 |
| 19 | 124 | MOROCCO | Bella | Chandler AZ | 20:38 | s.t. | |
| 20 | 109 | MCFADIN | Una | Portland OR | 21:25 | 4:49 | |
| 21 | 110 | DIVIETRO | Caroline | Boise ID | 21:26 | 4:50 | |
| 22 | 118 | PETERSON | Mahika | Endurance Boise | Boise ID | 21:29 | 4:53 |
| 23 | 114 | BROWN | Ella | Boulder Junior Cycling | Boulder CO | 21:29 | s.t. |
| 24 | 117 | KRULL | Kaisa | TEAM LAS VEGAS CYCLERY | Las Vegas NV | 21:31 | 4:55 |
| 25 | 111 | SECRIST | An | Endurance Boise | Boise ID | 21:56 | 5:20 |
| 26 | 105 | WORTENDYKE | Avery | Scottsdale AZ | 22:46 | 6:10 | |
| 27 | 127 | KEEN | Amber | Reno NV | 22:51 | 6:15 | |
| 28 | 115 | KREDO-BROWN | Grace | San Rafael CA | 23:04 | 6:28 | |
| 29 | 128 | NAVARRO | Liliana | KCOI U20 | Shawnee KS | 27:01 | 10:25 |
| 30 | 108 | PATCH | Sophia | Bike Like a Girl | Reno NV | 33:09 | 16:33 |
For more from Reno, see our continuing coverage of the 2018 Reno Cyclocross Nationals on our dedicated Nationals page.
Photos from the races and reports are available to license here, with more to be added throughout the next week.
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