Written By Robyn M. Perrin. (Focal Flame Photography)

MADISON, WI – Despite high winds and start-time temperatures of only 45 degrees F, the criterium course at the USA Cycling Collegiate National Championship offered fans plenty of heat as racers battled for the national title.

The women’s Division 2 race offered a tantalizing cat-and-mouse race, as the three-rider breakaway of Arielle Filliberti (Worcester, MA/Dartmouth College), Kendi Thomas (Walla Walla, WA/Whitman College), and Rita Klofta (Greencastle, IN/DePauw University) made an early attack that stuck. The trio rode so strongly that they nearly lapped the field, but decided to hold back in favor of duking it out in a clean sprint. “We didn’t want it to become a pack sprint, we didn’t know how quickly we’d go through [the field],” said Filiberti in a post-race interview with USA Cycling announcers. “And so we decided to sit up with five [laps] to go.” As the group approached the finish, Thomas attacked first and Filiberti ultimately won the sprint, netting another National Championship to add to her first-place finish in the road race the day before. Thomas landed second place, Klofta took bronze, and Martha Buckley (Cambridge, MA/MIT) won the field sprint to take fourth.

The men’s Division 2 race was a powerful example of team tactics and discipline. While several attacks were launched during the hour-long criterium, all were quickly dispatched, with Mesa State College team members leading the effort. Conor Mullervy, member of the Mesa State team, said, “Throughout this whole season we’ve been working on our lead-out train for Richard [Geng]. We started a little early today – we still had six, seven laps to go, so I didn’t know whether we’d be able to hold it.” But hold it they did, executing a perfect lead-out for Richard Geng to take the finish. Second place was won by Pat Lemieux (Mankato, MN/Minnesota State University-Makato), with Joe Lewis (Denver, CO/University of Denver) taking third.

A strong favorite heading into the women’s Division 1 race was Carla Swart (Banner Elk, NC/Lees-McRae College), given that Swart had won the road race on Friday – another medal to add to her collection, which includes a podium finish in every race she’s entered in the last two years. But in the final approach, Swart was surpassed by Jennifer Purcell (Wichita Falls, TX/Midwestern State University). While USA Cycling announcers characterized the victory as a major David-beating-Goliath upset, it came as no surprise to fellow men’s Midwestern State University teammate Alexi Martinez. “I thought she was going to win all along,” said Martinez. “Same thing with our man Josh [Carter]. I think he’s going to win too. It would be nice to have both jerseys.”

Martinez’s words proved prophetic, as the Midwestern State University team overcame a late-stage breakaway that was absorbed back into the field, setting up Carter for the final sprint. At a post-race interview with USA Cycling announcers, Carter’s voice shook with emotion as he said, “My teammates did an awesome job. I didn’t have to do a thing. The break at the end…it was tough, it was touch and go for a second. Props to Alexi, Danny, Jason, those guys. They won this today.”

As silver medalist Robert Bush (Louisville, KY/Marian College) and third-place winner Matthew Brandt (Sheboygan, WI/Lindenwood University) celebrated their medals, Carter elaborated on the strengths and goals of the Midwestern State University program. “It’s full of great riders, we have great support from the school. It’s flat-out amazing to come and do what we’ve done. We have big goals for the future. We hope to become one of the top schools in the nation.” Time will tell whether Midwestern State continues its streak of success, but for now they are savoring double National Champion criterium wins.

Full results are available at the USA Cycling website.

By Robyn M. Perrin. Perrin is a freelance writer based in Madison, Wisconsin. She is also Co-Owner and Writer for Focal Flame Photography, specializing in custom sports photography.