Highlights from the past year at JAM Fund

The past year was a good one for the JAM Fund. It was full of strong performances and victories at home and amazing experiences abroad. Ellen Noble moved up to the pro ranks with Aspire Racing after an incredible cyclocross season with JAM/NCC/Vittoria, winning her second consecutive U23 Cyclocross National Championship and finishing 6th at the U23 World Championships in Heudsen-Zolder, Belgium, the best-placed finish of all Americans. That pushed her up into the UCI’s top 20 world ranking in January. Earlier in the season, she won the U23 Pan Am Championship and was crowned the U23 Champion of the Verge New England Cyclocross Series. One of her most stunning performances was last September at the Grand Prix of Gloucester where she finished a very close second to Caroline Mani and ahead of U.S. National Cyclocross Champion Katie Compton. We now know that was indicator of things to come, and Noble delivered.

Scott Smith represented the U.S. at the World Championships in Heudsen-Zolder, Belgium in January. Photo by Vic Geerlings. — Scott Smith represented the U.S. at the World Championships in Heudsen-Zolder, Belgium in January. Photo by Vic Geerlings.

On the elite men’s side, Scott Smith had impressive results, finishing third at the UCI Supercross Cup in Stony Point, New York, and top ten at Cycle-Smart International, making him the U23 Verge New England Cyclocross Series champion. Smith was selected to race for Team USA at the World Championships in Belgium after finishing 4th in the U23 Cyclocross National Championships in Asheville, North Carolina. Among the 29 Americans chosen for the U.S. team were six current or former JAM Fund riders. In addition to Smith and Noble, there was U.S. National Cyclocross Champion Jeremy Powers (Aspire Racing), Stephen Hyde (Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com), Anthony Clark (Squid Bikes) and Jeremy Durrin (Neon Velo).

“Now my dreams are coming true, and I’m going across the pond to do what I love and race cross against the best in the world,” Smith said.

Jack Kisseberth crosses the line in 11th place at Cyclocross National Championships in Asheville, North Carolina on Jan. 10. Photo by Vicky Sama.

Jack Kisseberth represented JAM/NCC/Vittoria in the elite men’s fields last year and landed his first UCI podium, getting 3rd at the NBX Grand Prix. The most notable performance of Kisseberth’s season was at Cyclocross National Championships where he finished just outside the top ten. Following a strong cross season, both Kisseberth and Smith traveled to Europe for a month of spring training to prepare for this year.

In other highlights…

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JAM Fund added Rhys May of Georgia and Natalie Tapias of New York to its elite team.

A month after joining JAM Fund, Rhys May won the 19-29 Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships-- a 60-mile race in the 100-degree scorching Georgia heat.

JAM Fund added Trent Blackburn to its development team. In July, he earned the coveted Leadville 100 belt buckle after finishing the mountain bike race in under nine hours.

JAM Fund added Ian Gielar to its development team, and in August, he represented the United States at the UCI World Cup XC Mountain Bike in Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec. It was Gielar's first elite world cup race.

Ben Jankowski, one of JAM Fund's newest grant recipients, won his first cross race of the 2016 season, beating 62 riders in the cat 4/5 at CompEdge Cross in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Devo team riders Chris Niesen and Case Butler raced in the 10-day Tour of America's Dairyland in June.

JAM Fund created a new partnership with KASK Cycling, the popular helmet designer of Italy. Natalie Tapias and Rhys May immediately put their new custom lids to the test. The result: A+.

JAM Fund created a new partnership with C-Bear Ceramic Bearings from Belgium, specializing in ceramic bearings with no-creak bottom brackets, headsets and pulleys for cyclocross.

JAM Fund created a partnership with Rasputitsa Gravel Road Race and collectively raised funds for JAM Fund and created awareness of the Northern Vermont spring classic.

JAM Fund kicked off the new season with its seventh annual Grand Fundo and awarded grants to 13 amazing young cyclists who have shown they are clearly deserving of the award.

JAM Fund co-founder Alec Donahue headed up all the JAM volunteers for the NCC Youth Cycling Series, Junior Cyclocross Training Program, Montague Training Crits and school visits, in addition to coaching the JAM Fund team and so much more.

Of course, there were many more great things that happened in the JAM Fund this past year, but there are too many to count. Here’s to another great year!