Last week hundreds of mountain bikers converged on Sun Valley, Idaho, for the 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross-Country National Championships. Some of the top mountain bike racers in the country—many from Utah— climbed up-and-down miles of rugged terrain, all in an effort to win a national title and walk away with a Stars and Stripes jersey.

On Thursday, a trio of Utahns started the four-day championship off by sweeping the top three spots in the men's category 2 cross country (ages 40-44). Jason Sparks, of Brigham City, won the finals with a time of 56:19. Runner-up Mark Messer, of Cedar City, came in 12 seconds later and Morgan's Ryan Nielson finished in third-place to complete the sweep.

However, they weren't the only locals to make a splash at the national championships. Park City's Katie Clouse won the junior cross-country with a time of 24:58, edging Park City resident Sydney PalmerLedger and Sandy's Lauren Bingham.

Also vying for a title was Park City resident Melinda Berge. The 67-year-old mountain biker faced off with cross-country champion, Martha Iverson. The 7-mile course took the riders up the face of Mt. Baldy and then looped back down the mountain to the finish line.

Berge said she was happy with her 1 hour and 25 minute time, even though it wasn't good enough to catch Iverson. "It was great, I was very satisfied," the Park City mountain biker said. "I didn't expect to go much faster. Martha is so tough because she's a national champion."

With her sixth mountain bike race under her belt, Berge is already looking forward to her next challenge at the Leadville 100 in Colorado this August. Even though she's not as experienced as some racers, she's is a firm believer in the benefits of mountain biking.

"You have to have a good diet and exercise [regularly] if you're going to mountain bike," she says.

But nothing is without risk, especially on a mountain bike. Over the years Berge has suffered a broken wrist, a concussion and required eight stitches to the head. But in the end, she believes it's a risk worth taking. —

Melina Berge

Melinda Berge, 57, of Park City is an avid mountain biker and qualified for last week's national championships in Sun Valley, Idaho.

A trio of Utahns started the four-day championship off by sweeping the top three spots in the men's category 2 cross-country event.

Park City's Katie Clouse won the junior cross-country event in Sun Valley, edging Park City resident Sydney PalmerLedger and Sandy's Lauren Bingham.