USA Cycling announced Friday the 14 juniors athletes that will represent the United States at the 2012 UCI Juniors Track World Championships in Invercargill, New Zealand from Aug. 22-26.
All but one of the riders qualified to represent the United States of America at the Juniors Track World Championships based on automatic criteria, including winning national titles in their respective events at the recent 2012 USA Cycling Juniors Track National Championships in Breinigsville, Pa.
Headlining the contingent of riders are Jennifer Valente (San Diego, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12), who collected a pair of medals, including a gold in the keirin, at the 2011 event, and Chloe Chepigin (Chappaqua, N.Y./Young Medalists-Team Rothrock), who will be Valente’s teammate in the women’s team sprint. In addition to the women’s team sprint, that duo will contest the women’s 500 meter, women’s keirin and women’s sprint. Valente also is slated to compete in the women’s scratch race. On the men’s side, Kaleb Koch (Glenview, Ill./Cycle Sports Foundation Inc.-ISCorp Cycling Team) earned an automatic spot in the men’s team sprint and the men’s kilo.
After their performances at the 2012 USA Cycling Juniors Track National Championships, several riders earned automatic nominations in the endurance events. Among the automatic qualifiers are Jordan Cullen (Hudson, Wisc./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team), Zack Gould (Boulder, Colo./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team) and Jonathon Schilling (Grover, Mo./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team), who will each contest the men’s team pursuit. Other automatic qualifiers are Alexander Freund (Davis, Calif./Davis Bike Club), who is slated to compete in the men’s omnium, Cesar Lopez (El Paso, Texas/Stage 17 Racing), who is scheduled to contest the men’s points race, Imari Miller (Fort Worth, Texas/Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team), who is one of the riders competing in the men’s Madison and Lucas Wardein (Naples, Fla./Florida Velo), who will contest the men’s scratch race. Two women earned automatic nods in endurance events as Tara McCormick (Long Beach, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12), who will compete in the women’s omnium and Valente, who is set to ride in the women’s scratch race. Nadia Latzgo (Fogelsville, Pa./Young Medalists-Team Rothrock), who will compete in the women’s omnium, was a discretionary selection.
Men’s Sprint
*Calan Farley (Pittstown, N.J./Team Alliance Environmental) — men’s team sprint, men’s keirin
*Conor Klupar (Fall City, Wash./Revel Consulting-Rad Racing NW) — men’s team sprint, men’s sprint
*Kaleb Koch (Glenview, Ill./ISCorp Cycling Team) — men’s team sprint, men’s time trial
Women’s sprint
*Chloe Chepigin (Chappaqua, N.Y./Team EPS-CSS p/b Shebell & Shebell) — women’s time trial, women’s keirin, women’s sprint, women’s team sprint
*Jennifer Valente (San Diego, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12) — women’s time trial, women’s keirin, women’s sprint, women’s team sprint
Men’s Endurance
*Jordan Cullen (Hudson, Wisc./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team) — men’s team pursuit
*Alexander Freund (Davis, Calif./Davis Bike Club) — men’s omnium
*Zack Gould (Boulder, Colo./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team) — men’s team pursuit
*Cesar Lopez (El Paso, Texas/Stage 17 Racing) — men’s points race
*Imari Miller (Fort Worth, Texas/Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team) — men’s Madison
*Jonathon Schilling (Grover, Mo./Slipstream-Craddock Junior Development Team) —men’s team pursuit
*Lucas Wardein (Naples, Fla./Florida Velo) — men’s scratch race
Women’s Endurance
Nadia Latzgo (Fogelsville, Pa./Young Medalists-Team Rothrock) — women points race
*Tara McCormick (Long Beach, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12) — women omnium
*Jennifer Valente (San Diego, Calif./Exergy TWENTY12) — women scratch race
* — Automatic qualifier