Bishop, Compton win short-track mountain bike titles

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Jeremiah Bishop of Harrisonburg, Va., who is headed to the Beijing Olympics, brought home his second national title in the month of July, winning the pro men’s short-track contest today, the final day of competition at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championship in West Dover, Vt.

In the women’s short-track event, Katie Compton of Colorado Springs, Colo., was the winner. Adam Craig of Bend, Ore., won the super-D competition, while Gerritt Beytagh of Fletcher, N.C., and Melissa Buhl of Chandler, Ariz., won the men’s and women’s downhill, respectively.

‘It’s always been one of my goals to be a rounded, complete rider,’ Bishop said on the USA Cycling website. ‘I’d prefer to win a cross-country title, but this is a close second.’

At the start of the men’s short-track event, then-reigning champion Ryan Trebon of Ventura set the pace but eventually was overtaken after his breakaway companion, 2008 Olympian Todd Wells of Durango, Colo., suffered a flat. Those overtaking Trebon included Bishop and fellow Olympians Adam Craig of Bend, Ore., and Jeremy Horban-Koebelski of Boulder, Colo.

Bishop managed to hold off a surging Barry Wicks of Santa Cruz to take home his first short-track national title with a time of 24 minutes 16 seconds. Wicks was eight seconds behind that.

In the pro women’s short-track contest, Compton got off to a great start and not even 2008 Olympian Mary McConneloug (Saturday’s cross-country champion) could close the gap. Compton won in 26:15 while McConneloug, Saturday’s cross-country national champion, finished 34 seconds later.

-- Debbie Goffa