December 10, 2018 -USA Cycling announced today the athletes who have been named to the 2019 USA Cycling Olympic Development Program for Track Cycling.
USA Cycling announced in July the creation of an Olympic Development Program which aims to foster development and growth in both sprint and endurance track cycling in the U.S. among young riders ages 15 to 21.
To fully develop the nation’s top talent, the Olympic Development Program will provide coaching, training and international competition opportunities to top qualified athletes. This portion of the program is being led by two coaches focused on assisting USA Cycling with the development of athletes to compete on the international stage: Benjamin Sharp, the USA Cycling ODP Endurance Coach, and Lee Povey, the USA Cycling ODP Sprint Coach.
"Coach Benjamin [Sharp] and I have been delighted by the buzz and enthusiasm generated by the commencement of the much needed Olympic Development Program. We had 84 young riders apply to be on the program and invited 32 to our inaugural selection camp. We would like to thank all the riders, parents and coaches who have been so supportive as we start this new era of track cycling development," said Lee Povey, the USA Cycling ODP Sprint Coach.
Following the first Talent ID Camp in early November, 18 riders from across the country were named to the program:
Sprint Program Athletes:
Diego Montez (Denver, Colo.)
Coaches: Dana Fiess and Kevin Mansker
Sandor Delgado (Hialeah, Fla.)
Coach: Antonio Dieguez
Peter Bock (Muskego, Wisc.)
Coach: Dean Peterson
Kayla Hankins (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Coaches: Missy Erickson and Andy Lakatosh
Jean-Luc Contant-Galitello (Coconut Creek, Fla.)
Coaches: Steve Mlujeak and Lee Povey
Evan Boone (Sierra Vista, Ariz.)
Coaches: Lee Povey, Patric Rostel and Henry Shibata
Ethan Swaidner (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Coach: Mark Tyson
Louis de Leon (Milpitas, Calif.)
Coach: Lee Povey
Sophie Shuhay (New Tripoli, Pa.)
Coaches: Peter Taylor and David Harrison
Endurance Program Athletes:
Ian Oelrich (San Diego, Calif.)
Coach: Simon Kessler
Brody McDonald (Escondido, Calif.)
Coaches: William Evan Thomas and Mathew McDonald
Grant Carter (Macungie, Pa.)
Coaches: Scott Laliberte
Nathan Roberts (Whitehall, Pa.)
Coaches: Colin Sandberg and Andy Lakatosh
Gregory Cordasco (Basking Ridge, N.J.)
Coaches: Greg Cordasco, Sr.
Olivia Cummins (Fort Collins, Colo.)
Coaches: Cari Higgins and Andy Clark
Megan Jastrab (Apple Valley, Calif.)
Coach: Roger Young
Makayla MacPherson (Corona, Calif.)
Coaches: Amber Neben and Robert MacPherson
Melanie Quinones (Kissimmee, Fla.)
The Olympic Development Program is meant to foster development starting at the local levels and create pathways for young riders to progress in their abilities. At the local level, the new funding will be used to create a more robust and structured club system to go alongside grassroots racing opportunities at velodromes throughout the United States. The new club system will be managed by regional track development coordinators and offer grants to certified development clubs. Travis Smith, USA Cycling’s Regional Track Development Manager will oversee the program.
USA Cycling will soon partner with velodromes from coast to coast to create a national points series and athlete ranking system for young athletes that will culminate at the USA Cycling Junior and Elite National Championships held each year. The race series and points system will be designed and facilitated by Andy Lakatosh, USA Cycling’s National Track Development Manager.
The creation of the Olympic Development Track Program, supporting club and race structure, and contracted national coaches and managers was made possible through the generous support of a private donor with a passion for track cycling. Additional resources will be needed to fully establish and expand the program, and USA Cycling is seeking further donations and sponsorships to help the program reach its full potential. Donors who are interested in supporting the Olympic Development Program, or other USA Cycling elite athlete development programs, are encouraged to visit the USA Cycling Foundation page HERE. Those wishing to get involved in the Olympic Development Program, grow the clubs or race programs can learn more at the USA Cycling Team USA – Track page HERE under ‘Development Pathway.’
USA Cycling has outlined clear athlete development pathways for each discipline to help aspiring athletes of all abilities understand the process and expectations. All information is available on the usacycling.org/team.
For more information, please contact Kelly Fox at apalermo@usacycling.org