Action Heats Up On Day Four of Masters Track Nationals

The youngest age group of masters women, 30 – 34, started things off in the early hours of the fourth day of competition at the USA Cycling Masters Track Nationals. Last night’s sprint bronze medalist, Samantha Van Gerbig (Cambridge, Mass./Wachovia-IBC), stepped things up this morning to take the national championship in the 2000-meter time trial event. Van Gerbig posted a time of 2:51.284 over the six-lap event with Kara Vidaca (Norco, Calif./Bicycle John’s) grabbing the silver less than one second behind. In the women’s 35 – 39 contest it was Margaret Smigiel (Flourtown, Pa./Unattached) swooping in to set the impressive time to beat at 2:45.285. Her standard held by more than five seconds over last night’s sprint medalists and today’s second and third place finishers Deborah Kidd (Sante Fe, N.M./Hammer Racing) and Laura Summers (Southington, Conn./Horst-Benidorm-PRC).

The evening concluded with the 50+ 10-kilometer women’s points race. The action was a little easier to follow as three riders dominated nearly all of the sprints. Shannon Youngquist Lucy (Parker, Colo./Hammer Racing) won the 50 – 54 national championship with the most overall points at 21. Patricia Marzi (Kutztown, Pa./Team Fuji) and Patty Walsh (Chesterfield, Mo./Big Shark Racing) were close behind, grabbing 18 and 16 sprint points respectively to take second and third overall and the silver and bronze in the same age group. Marsha Macro (Littleton, Colo./Hammer Racing), Louella Holter (Flagstaff, Ariz./Greggs-Specialized) and Elizabeth Digennaro (Albany, Calif./Solo Velo-Cliff Bar) went one, two, three for the 55 – 59 women and Julie Lockhart (Dunstable, Mass./NEBC-CycleLoft) took home the national championship in the over 60 age division.