As others have said, no way around MCT. I agree with you though, 1 hr 51 min is plenty of time with GE and no bags to get there (probably even have some time to check in to the lounge. Is ending your QF portion in LAX an option? You could then book a separate award on LAX to DCA? I know once I was able to do this with two separate PNRs. Not sure who it'd impact the amount of miles you would use though.