We closed Day 3 with the always-chaotic Elimination—16 riders, constant pressure, last wheel out each lap. After a heavy few days, Anna Hicks (Boulder, Colo.; UCI CTW: Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) bowed out early. Stephanie Lawrence (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Star Track) kept her nerve and uncorked a decisive sprint to take the national title. Our own Bethany Ingram (Columbia, S.C.; UCI CTW: Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) rode brilliantly to silver—despite a small tactical misread in the final half-lap—and Morgan James (Costa Mesa, Calif.; Velo Club La Grange) claimed bronze. Shoutout to Kat Kendall (Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Ironfly/iCademy Junior Development), who earned the U23 Stars and Stripes.
"I've been working hard to improve my elimination all year, so being able to put the learning into practice this week was a huge win for me. In the standalone elimination, I tried to stay out of trouble early on and eventually took to the front for a few laps to stay safe. I had never been in a "match sprint" situation before, so I definitely wish I did a few things differently in the end, but I'm proud of the improvements I've made in this race and hope to build on them through the rest of the year." - Bethany Ingram
Results — Women’s Elimination
Gold: Stephanie Lawrence (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Star Track)
Silver: Bethany Ingram (Columbia, S.C.; UCI CTW: Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28)
Bronze: Morgan James (Costa Mesa, Calif.; Velo Club La Grange)