By Buck Walters

When it closed a few years ago, the Craigmeur Ski Area in Rockaway, New Jersey, was the oldest continually running ski area in the state. Now owned by the County of Morris, the Craigmeur Recreation Area was the venue for New Jersey’s newest cyclocross race: Cross@Craigmeur on Sunday, October 22, 2006. The two kilometer course, in the expansive and forested picnic area at the top of the ski slopes had a little of everything, from fast gravel through towering white pines, to grass, cinder, woodchips and beach volleyball courts, with a couple of steep off-camber descents, a 20 step run up through the woods and a high speed bump.

“It was always changing,” said 45+ racer Tom Perkins of Highlands, New York. “I like that. And it was fast. A little technical, but fast.”

John Loehner of New York’s CRCA/Axis team took top honors in the seven rider Men’s A field battling with teammate Kevin Molloy, Victory Cycle’s Kurt Dericks and Aaron Oakes, of Iron Horse New England through most of the race. Loehner and Molloy took turns accelerating away from the other three, until Loehner took command with a lap and a half to go. Molloy was second and Oakes third.

In the Men’s B event, Nick Bennette took the lead from the start and never let it go. Skylands’ Roger Foco, Jr., who got bottlenecked at the start, chased the Velo Europa rider from Princeton throughout the race but couldn’t close the gap. 15 year old Liberty Cycle phenom Andy Gallagher, a local from nearby West Milford, was third in his second career cross race.

Two more local teenagers flexed their muscles in the Men’s C race. 18-year-old Andrew LoGiudice and 16 year old Erik Kristiansen, both competing for Sussex County’s Skylands club, were joined by Kissena’s Rufus Pichler of Brooklyn in the lead group, with Pichler sitting on, letting the youngsters do the work. Eventually Kristiansen and Logiudice managed to escape, and Kristiansen powered away from his teammate for the win.

In the women’s race, Arley Kemmerer of Palmerton, PA, , home for a visit after graduating from college in New Hampshire, proved too tough for second place finisher Maria Oliveira Westwood Velo. Colavita’s Lenore Imhof was third. In the U19 categories, Trevor Kahl of Liberty Cycle and Dag Anderson of Team Somerset were first and second in the Men 10-14, while Andy Gallagher and Erik Kristiansen were one-two in the M15-18.

The Masters 45+ was race saw Skylands teammates Kevin Kielty and Larry Henderson set a quick tempo from the start. Kielty quickly rode away from Henderson and soled almost the entire race for the win. Team Somerset’s Marc Urbanowicz was third. The Masters 55+ was a two-man battle between Bob Cary of Skylands and Karl Dittebrandt of Kissena, with Cary prevailing.

Craigmeur will host another race on Saturday, October 22, 2006. Cross@Craigmeur II will be the next event in the New Jersey Cross Cup series. Out-state riders are eligible to win the points championship, and out-of-state clubs are eligible for the NJCC Grand Championship.

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