# United States Cycling National Championships (historical)

The predecessor of USACycling, the Amateur Bicycle League of America (ABLA) was founded in 1921 and held National Championships starting that year. From 1921 to 1964, these championships were two-, three-, or four-event omniums of track-style events, rather than a road race. USACycling souvenir programs list no results for events in 1931-1934, 1938, and 1942-1944. The 1939 program summarizes the 1937 National Champions. The 1938 results are from a national championship with similar events and format that the Amateur Athletic Union promoted.

## Amateur Men

| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1921 | Washington DC | Arthur Nieminsky N Y | Anthony Beckman NJ | Carl Stockholm Il |
| 1922 | Atlantic City NJ | Carl Hambacher NJ | Steve O'Connor Ca | Edward Conrad Mo |
| 1923 | Chicago Il | Charles Barclay Ca | Charlie Winter NY | Edward Walsh Il |
| 1924 | Buffalo NY | Charlie Winter NY | “Iggie” Gronkowski NY | Thos. Stephano NJ |
| 1925 | St. Louis Mo | Edward Merkner Il | Charlie Winter NY | Henry Bruhn Pa |
| 1926 | Philadelphia Pa | Edward Merkner Il | Edward Rhodes Md | Robert J. Connor DC |
| 1927 | Louisville Ky | Jimmy Walthour N Y | August Benson IL | Frank Connell NJ |
| 1928 | Kenosha Wi | R.J. Connor DC | Peter Smessaert Il | Sergio Matteini NY |
| 1929 | Newark NJ | Sergio Matteini NY | Bobby Thomas Wi | Al Vertenten, Il |
| 1930 | Kenosha Wi | Bobby Thomas Wi | Frank Keating NY | Predent De Lille NJ |
| 1935 | Atlantic City NJ | Cecil Hursey Ca | Chester Nelsen Sr Mo | Jackie Simes II NJ |
| 1936 | St. Louis Mo | Jackie Simes II NJ | Albin Jurca Wi | Charles Morton CA |
| 1937 | Buffalo NY | Charles Bergna NJ | Charles Morton CA | Stanley Gadrin, Il |
| 1938 | Chicago, IL | Albin Jurca Wi | Stanley Gadrin Il | J. Matthews Ca |
| 1939 | Columbus Ohio | Martin Deras Ca | Furman Kugler NJ | George Brown NY |
| 1940 | Detroit Mi | Furman Kugler NJ | George Woof Ca | Mike Walden Mi |
| 1941 | Pasadena Ca | Marvin Thomson Il | Bob Stauffacher Ca | Don Ferguson Ca |
| 1945 | Chicago Il | Ted Smith NY | Ed. Littig NJ | Warren Bare Pa |
| 1946 | Columbus Oh | Don Hester Ca | Jack Heid NJ | Ted Smith NY |
| 1947 | Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Pa | Ted Smith NY | Jack Heid NJ | James Lauf Md |
| 1948 | Kenosha Wi | Ted Smith NY | Joe Cirone, Jr Wi | Frank Brilando Il |
| 1949 | San Diego Ca | James Lauf Md | Thomas Montemage NY | Gus Gatto Ca |
| 1950 | New Brunswick NJ | Robert Pfarr Wi | Robert Travani Mi | Gus Gatto Ca |
| 1951 | Columbus Ohio | Gus Gatto Ca | Ernie Seubert NY | Joe Cirone, Ca |
| 1952 | New Brunswick NJ | Steven Hromjak Oh | Gus Gatto CA | Dick Stoddard Ca |
| 1953 | St. Louis Mo | Ronald Rhoads Ca | Gus Gatto | Harry Backer |
| 1954 | Minneapolis Mn | Jack Disney Ca | Harry Backer Ca | Richard Cortright NY |
| 1955 | New York NY | Jack Disney Ca | Art Longsjo | Allen Bell |
| 1956 | Orlando Fla | Jack Disney Ca | James Rossi Il | William Pflug NJ |
| 1957 | Kenosha Wi | Jack Disney Ca | Bob Tetzlaff | Jack Hartman Ca |
| 1958 | Newark NJ | Jack Disney Ca | Phil Criswell | Pat DeCollibus |
| 1959 | Kenosha Wi | James Rossi Il | Jack Hartman Ca | Dave Sharp Ca |
| 1960 | Milwaukee Wi | James Rossi Il | Robert Pfarr | Richard Cortright |
| 1961 | Milwaukee Wi | James Rossi Il | Jackie Simes | Jack Disney |
| 1962 | St. Louis Mo | James Rossi Il | Allen Bell | Jack Disney |
| 1963 | Chicago Il | James Rossi Il | Jackie Simes NJ | Allen Bell NJ |
| 1964 | New York NY | Jackie Simes NJ | Alan Grieco NJ | Hans Wolf NY |

## Amateur Women

First held in 1937.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1937 | Doris Kopsky NJ | Teresa Ettl, Pa | Ruth Lipsett |
| 1938 | Dolores Amundsen Il | | |
| 1939 | Gladys Owen NY | Doris Kopsky | Betty Jane Boehmer |
| 1940 | Mildred Kugler NJ | Simone Opsommer | Esther Leipold |
| 1941 | Jean Michels Il | Elsie Stracke, Mo | Mildred Kugler, NJ |
| 1945 | Mildred Dietz Mo | Georgia McCluskey Mi | Kay Montgomery |
| 1946 | Mildred Dietz Mo | Janice Delhougne Mo | Peggy Barber Il |
| 1947 | Doris Travani Mi | Doris Kessel, NJ | Delores Lussier, RI |
| 1948 | Doris Travani Mi | Doris Kessel | Grace Jorgenson |
| 1949 | Doris Travani Mi | Grace Jorgenson Wi | Kay Montgomery NY |
| 1950 | Doris Travani Mi | Gay Juner | Jeanne Omelenchuk née Robinson Mi |
| 1951 | Anna Piplak Il | Barbara Nelson Wi | Margie Thomas Ca |
| 1952 | Jeanne Omelenchuk née Robinson Mi | Nancy Nieman Mi | Gay Juner Ca |
| 1953 | Nancy Neiman Mi | Jeanne Omelenchuk née Robinson | Ruth Griffiths |
| 1954 | Nancy Neiman Mi | Alice Springer (Mi) | Jeanne Omelenchuk née Robinson |
| 1955 | Jeanne Omelenchuk née Robinson Mi | Nancy Nieman (Mi) | Alice Springer (Ca) |
| 1956 | Nancy Neiman Mi | Jeanne Omelenchuk née Robinson Mi | Mickey Finch NY |
| 1957 | Nancy Neiman Mi | Eva Langfritz NJ | Joanne Speckin Mi |
| 1958 | Maxine Conover Wash | Joanne Speckin | Nancy Neiman |
| 1959 | Joanne Speckin Mi | Jeanne Omelenchuk née Robinson Mi | Maxine Conover Wa |
| 1960 | Edith A. Johnson NY | Joanne Speckin | Jeanne Omelenchuk |
| 1961 | Edith A Johnson NY | Elizabeth Burghart | Nancy Burghart |
| 1962 | Nancy Burghart NY | Elizabeth Burghart | Jeanne Omelenchuk |
| 1963 | Edith Johnson NY | Nancy Burghart NY | Jeanne Omelenchuk Mi |
| 1964 | Nancy Burghart NY | Edith Johnson NY | Cheryl Fleischman Wi |

## Juniors

| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1922 | Charles Smithson DC | Jos Simons Co | George Howe Tx |
| 1923 | Samuel Dowell Ohio | Alphones Vertenten Il | Leonard De Lue Ca |
| 1924 | William Honeman, NJ | Roy Ulrich Mo | Charles Penny Fl |
| 1925 | Walter Bresnan NY | Geary May Ca | William Unkert NJ |
| 1926 | Chester Atwood DC | Henry O'Brien Ca | Irving McNulty Co |
| 1927 | Ted Becker, Jr Il | Bobby Thomas Wi | Charles Brace NJ |
| 1928 | Bobby Thomas Wi | William Creamer Ca | Osmond Stevens, Mo |
| 1929 | Tino Reboli NJ | Marco Rosales NY | A. Englehardt Il |
| 1930 | George Thomas Wi | Otto Leudeke NJ | Sig. Jablonksi Il |
| 1935 | David Martin NJ | George Ferry Oh | Aldo Castagnoni NY |
| 1936 | David Martin NJ | Gene Potente Wi | Lucien Musso, NY |
| 1937 | Furman Kugler NJ | Adolph Juner | Roger Smith |
| 1938 | John Van Diest Oh | | |
| 1939 | Frank Paul Ut | William Ossler Mi | Takahi Ishihara Hi |
| 1940 | Harry Naismyth NJ | William Ossler | I. T. Gronkowsky |
| 1941 | Andres Bernardsky Ca | Chuck Edwards, Il | Walter Sorenson Wi |
| 1945 | Spencer Busch NY | Ernest Seubert | Steve Ledogar |
| 1946 | Don Sheldon NJ | Percy Murnane NY | Clayton Meade NY |
| 1947 | Joe Cirone, Jr Ca | Art Stahlberg, Il | Karl Wettberg, Mi |
| 1948 | Donald Clausen Wi | Wesley Truesdale | George Caruana |
| 1949 | Donald Clausen Wi | Harry Backer Ca | Richard O'Brien Ca |
| 1950 | Harry Backer Ca | Allen Bell | Richard Gatto |
| 1951 | Vaughn Angell Ut | Jack Peterson, CA | Paul Tenney Ca |
| 1952 | John Chiselko NJ | Vaughn Angell Ut | Harry Tobin NJ |
| 1953 | Jack Hartman Ca | Jerry Carson | Skippy Hess |
| 1954 | Robert Zumwalt Jr. | Pat DeCollibus | William Pflug |
| 1955 | Pat DeCollibus NY | Phil Criswell (Ca) | Dwayne Davenport (Ca) Don Carlin (NJ) (tie) |
| 1956 | Dave Staub Ca | Don Tenney Ca | Ed Ruesing Mo |
| 1957 | Perry Metzler NY | Ed Ruesing Mo | Tom Myrall |
| 1958 | James Donovan NY | Dave Sharp | Eddie Rudolph |
| 1959 | Jackie Simes 3rd NJ | Bud Campbell Ca | Mike Fraysse NJ |
| 1960 | Bobbie Fenn NY | Ray Matthews III | Mike Fraysse |
| 1961 | Alan Grieco NJ | Ray Mathews III | Dave Haarstick |
| 1962 | Alan Grieco NJ | William Mazurek | Olaf Moetus |
| 1963 | Jose Nin N Y | Tom McMillan Ca | Jean Waschgau Ca |
| 1964 | Tony McMillan Ca | Pete Senia, Jr NY | Gary Carmichael Ca |

## Venues, Dates, and Courses

The omniums were held on a variety of courses including one to three mile loops in city roads and public parks, dirt car and horse-racing tracks, and on a banked, dirt velodrome. Starting in the late 1950s the championships were held on more traditional paved velodromes.
| Year | Date | Location | Course Description | Sources |
| 1921 | 10/09 | West Potomac Park, Washington DC | Park loop roads | |
| 1922 | 09/16 | City Athletic Field, Atlantic City, NJ | | |
| 1923 | 9/8-9/9 | Humboldt Park, Chicago, Il | Park loop roads | |
| 1924 | 9/6-9/7 | Humboldt Park, Buffalo, NY | Park loop roads | |
| 1925 | 9/5-9/6 | Forest Park, St. Louis | Park loop roads | |
| 1926 | 9/11-9/12 | Sesquicentenial Stadium, Philadelphia | cinder, unbanked track | [33] [34] |
| 1927 | 9/10-9/11 | Shawnee Park, Louisville, Ky | Park loop roads | [35] [36] |
| 1928 | 9/8-9/9 | Washington Park Bowl, Kenosha, Wi | 1/5 mile banked dirt velodrome | |
| 1929 | 9/7-9/8 | Weequahic Park, Newark, NJ | 1/2 mile, oval, dirt, horse-racing track | |
| 1930 | 9/6-9/7 | Washington Park Bowl, Kenosha, Wi | 1/5 mile banked dirt velodrome | |
| 1931 | Not held |
| 1932 | Not held |
| 1933 | Not held |
| 1934 | Not held |
| 1935 | 9/6-9/7 | Albany Ave, near Bader Field, Atlantic City, NJ | short road course | [40] [41] |
| 1936 | 9/12-9/13 | Forest Park, St. Louis | 1.8 mile lap; park loop roads | [42] [43] [44] |
| 1937 | 9/4-9/5 | Humboldt Park, Buffalo, NY | Park loop roads | [45] [46] |
| 1938 | 9/17-9/18 | Garfield Park, Chicago, Il | Park loop roads | |
| 1939 | 9/2-9/3 | Franklin Park, Columbus, Oh | Park loop roads | |
| 1940 | 8/31-9/1 | Chandler Park, Detroit Michigan | Park loop roads | , |
| 1941 | 8/23-8/24 | Arroyo Seco (Rose Bowl), Pasadena, Ca | 3 mile lap; city roads | [51] [52] [53] |
| 1942 | Not held |
| 1943 | Not held |
| 1944 | Not held |
| 1945 | 8/17-8/19 | Humboldt Park, Chicago, Il | 1.75 mile lap; park loop roads | [54] [55] [56] |
| 1946 | 8/17-8/19 | Franklin Park, Columbus, Oh | Park loop roads | |
| 1947 | 8/16-8/17 | Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Pa | 1 mile lap; park loop roads, | [58] [59] [60] |
| 1948 | 9/3-9/5 | Washington Park Bowl, Kenosha, Wi | 1/5 mile banked dirt velodrome | |
| 1949 | 8/19-8/21 | Balboa Park Stadium, San Diego, CA. | 1/4 mile slightly banked midget clay-surface auto racing track. | |
| 1950 | 8/19-8/20 | Johnson Park, Piscataway, NJ | 1.1 mile lap; park loop roads. See Note 1. | [62] [63] [64] |
| 1951 | 8/4-8/5 | Franklin Park, Columbus, Oh | 1 mile lap; park loop roads | [65] [66] |
| 1952 | 8/30-8/31 | Johnson Park, Piscataway, NJ | 1/2 mile flat dirt horse-racing track. See Note 2. | [67] [68] |
| 1953 | 9/5-9/6 | Forest Park, St. Louis | 1.8 mile lap; park loop roads | [69] [70] |
| 1954 | 9/25-9/26 | Parade Stadium, Minneapolis, Mn | 1/4 mile asphalt running track. See Note 3 | [71] [72] [73] |
| 1955 | 8/27-8/28 | Flushing Meadows Cycling Track, Queens, NY | 1/2 mile unbanked cycling course | |
| 1956 | 7/14-7/15 | Ben White Raceway Orlando FL | 1/2 mile dirt horse-racing track | [74] [75] [76] |
| 1957 | 8/17-8/18 | Washington Park Bowl, Kenosha, Wi | 1/5 mile banked dirt velodrome. See Note 5. | |
| 1958 | 8/16-8/17 | Weequahic Park, Newark, NJ | 1/2 mile, oval, dirt, horse-racing track | |
| 1959 | 8/22-8/23 | Washington Park Bowl, Kenosha, Wi | 1/5 mile banked dirt velodrome | |
| 1960 | 7/16-7/17 | Brown Deer Velodrome, Milwaukee, Wi | 1/4 mile banked asphalt velodrome | |
| 1961 | 8/26-8/27 | Brown Deer Velodrome, Milwaukee, Wi | 1/4 mile banked asphalt velodrome See Note 6. | |
| 1962 | 8/25-8/26 | Penrose Park Velodrome, St. Louis, Mo | 1/5 mile asphalt velodrome; 28° banking | |
| 1963 | 8/23-8/24 | Northbrook Velodrome, Northbrook, Il | 382 m velodrome 18° banking | |
| 1964 | 8/29-8/30 | Kissena velodrome, NY | 400 m velodrome 19° banking | |

### Venue Notes

1. Was originally scheduled for horse-racing track, but was rained out and run on park loop roads. 2. Day 2 was conducted on a 1 mile park loop road due to rain. 3. Day 2 was moved to a road course on Victory Ave after many crashes on day 1. 4. Day 2 moved to CCW course on city streets due to rain. 5. Day 2 moved to course on city streets due to rain. 6. Final events to day 2 were conducted on a 1.8 mile loop in the park due to rain.

## Formats

* 1923 Senior and Junior Men rode 1/3 mile , 1 mile , 5 mile unpaced, and 10 mile.
* 1924 Senior Men rode 1/3 mile (in heats), 1 mile (in heats), 5 mile unpaced, and 10 mile. Junior men rode 1/4 mile (in heats), 1/3 mile (in heats) 1 mile (unpaced), and 2 mile.
* 1938 Senior Men rode three events: 1 mile, 5 mile, 10 mile. A 25 mile points race was run but was not part of the championship omnium.
* 1939 Senior Men rode four events: 1 mile (in heats), 5 mile, 10 mile points race, 25 mile points race.
* 1946 Senior men rode four events: 1 mile (in heats), 5 mile, 10 mile points race, 25 mile points race.
* 1947 Senior Men rode 1 mile, 5 mile, 10 mile races, 25 mile points race.
* 1948 Senior Men rode 0.5 mile, 1 mile, 5 mile, 10 mile races. The 1, 2, and 5 mile races ran in heats. The format of the 10 mile race was not listed.
* 1949 Senior Men rode 0.5 mile, 1 mile, 5 mile, 10 mile races. The 1, 2, and 5 mile races ran in heats. The format of the 10 mile race was not listed.
* 1950 Senior Men rode 1 mile, 2 mile, 5 mile, 10 mile points races. The 1, 2, and 5 mile races ran in heats.
* 1952 Senior Men rode 1 mile, 2 mile, 5 mile, 10 mile points races. The 1, 2, and 5 mile races ran in heats.
* 1953 Senior Men rode 1 mile, 3 mile, 5 mile, 25 mile points race. The 1, 3, and 5 mile races ran in heats.
* 1954 Senior Men rode 0.5 mile, 1 mile, 5 mile, and 10 mile. The 0.5 mile, 1 mile, and 5 mile races ran in heats. The format of the 10 mile race was not listed.
* 1956 Senior Men rode 1 mile, 2 mile, 5 mile, and 10 mile points race. The 1 mile and 2 mile races ran in heats.
* 1957 Senior Men rode 1 mile, 2 mile, 5 mile, and 10 mile points race.
* 1962 Senior Men rode 1000 m time trial, 4000 m pursuit, 0.5 mile, 10 mile points race. The 4000 m pursuit, 0.5 mile ran in heats
* 1964 Senior Men rode 1000 m time trial, 4000 m pursuit, 1000 m sprints, 10 mile scratch race. Juniors: 1/2 mile, 1 mile, 2 miles, 5 miles. Women: 1/2 mile, 1 mile, 2 miles.
Formats taken from National Championship programs unless otherwise noted.