Age Group Track Cycling Championships - Night 2 Wrap

Three Sessions In To The 2013 Age Group Track Cycling Championships And Southland’s Erin Criglington Has Broken Three National Records

Her third tonight was perhaps her most impressive. After lowering her national mark in qualifying earlier today, she demolished it in the Masters 1 Women Individual Pursuit final tonight at Stadium Southland Velodrome in Invercargill.

Criglington shaved an extra three seconds of her previous best in recording 2:32.814. To put it in context the world best performance for her age bracket is 2:28.727, set by Australian Michelle Crawford in Melbourne in 2010. West Coast North Island’s Tamara Ross secured silver and Southland’s Kylea Gough bronze.

Southland’s Sam Kopae secured her first national title in her come from behind victory over Jacqui Dearlove with Otago’s Viv Allen-Kelly taking bronze over fellow Otago rider Glenda Bruce.
The Under 17 Individual Pursuit titles went to Auckland’s Bryony Botha in the girls and West Coast North Island’s Campbell Stewart in the boys. Botha beat team mate Holly White for silver with Michaela Drummond from West Coast North Island taking bronze. Stewart’s boys victory was hugely impressive. After sweeping all four under 15 titles at last year’s championships, he underlined his undoubted class with a title in his first year in the under 17 ranks. Lachie McGregor (Otago) took a deserved silver medal while jack Ford finished strongly to power to the bronze medal.

Points races across the under 15 and Masters Men provided some spectacular racing. Jenna Merrick (Auckland) won the final race to the line to leap in to the gold medal position in the Under 15 Girls ahead of the West Coast North Island duo of Amy Horn and Lakein Cottam.

A nasty crash in the closing stages marred the end of the Under 15 Boys Points race. It brought down race leader Kain Bowles, which opened the door for Canterbury Josh Scott who took the final sprint and the gold ahead of Bowles and Aucklander Jamie Leitch.

Steve Chapman produced a timely burst to get away from the chasing bunch in the Masters 3 Men and take his first track title ahead of Auckland’s Russell Scott and Feyes Botha.

Southland’s Jerard Stock claimed the Masters 2 title, leading all the way and holding off the challenge of Canterbury’s Craig Scott and West Coast North Island’s John Stewart. Otago’s Justin Stott successfully defended his national title in the Masters 1 Men’s points race. The top three riders found themselves tied on 11 points and in the end the final sprint order decided the medals. Stott took the win ahead of Mid South Canterbury’s Craig Domigan and Southland’s Andrew Lienert.

Maxyna Cottam took out the under 19 Women’s omnium elimination from Jennifer Muhl and Laura Heywood. At the halfway point of the competition, Cottam leads the overall standings on 8, one ahead of Mulh with Heywood third a further point in arrears.

Josh Haggerty (Southland) successfully held off East Coast North Island’s Regan Gough to take out the Men’s Elimination, with Canterbury’s Max Beckert taking third. With three of the six events completed, Gough leads the standings on 7 with Haggerty in second place on 11 and Nick Kergozou and Reon Sheath together in third and fourth on 15 points.

Racing continues across two sessions tomorrow starting at 10am. Thursday features the U17 Men’s Sprint, Masters Men Individual pursuits, Under 15 Derbies, the Omnium Individual Pursuits and Scratch race heats for the Under 17s and under 15 girls.

For full race information and results visit www.cyclingsouth.org.nz/tracknationals.

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Cycling Calendar 2013:
Feb 26 to Mar 2 - Age Group Track National Championships (incl Elite & U19 Omniums) | Mar 9 – Gore to Waikiwi Handicap Classic | Mar 10 – South Island Team Time Trial Champs | Mar 29 to Apr 1 - Vital Signs Tour de Lakes (Central Otago) | Apr 6 – Southland Time Trial Champs | Apr 7 – Southland Road Champs | Apr 18 to 21 - 2013 Club Road National Championships (Queenstown) | Oct 4 to 6 Yunca Junior Tour of Southland | Oct 8 to 9 – ILT Junior Track Carnival | Nov 3 to 9 – Tour of Southland

ENDS

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