COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 21, 2001) -- The top collegiate cyclists in the United States completed the final day of the U.S. Cycling Federation (USCF) National Collegiate Road Cycling Championships with the team time trial Monday, May 21.
Division I team University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) dethroned Midwestern State University, taking the men's and women's team time trial national titles. Hometown favorites, the men's U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) team, won the men's Division II team time trial, while the two-woman team from Yale captured the Division II title.
The three-day event, May 19-21, concluded with the team time trial on an out-and-back 10.5-mile course. The race kicked off with the women's Division II teams taking off from the start line at 30-second intervals. Dartmouth was the first team to leave the line, posting an impressive finish time of 30 minutes and 33.57 seconds, but it wasn't enough to beat the tough team from Yale, comprised of Marissa Kellogg and Amanda Lawrence who won by 14.44 seconds.
Kellogg and Lawrence hadn't expected to win. The duo caught a flight back home before the final awards ceremony.
"Amanda (Lawrence) and I are both beginning riders and my lungs were killing me out there today," Kellogg said. "Luckily, the course was flat but the wind was just brutal. We didn't really have a set strategy, but we knew Dartmouth is a good team and they were the team to beat. I think we rode hard and worked together well as a team."
The Division I women had their shot at the cold, windy course with the Midwestern State team attempting to retain their title. The women of UC-Davis would have no such thing, however, and blistered the field, posting a 26 minute and 52.5 second time. The team was comprised of Megan McQuaid and Emily Kachoreck, who finished fifth and sixth respectively in Sunday?s road race, as well as Christine Alford and Dawn Ahlgren. University of New Mexico finished second, 30 seconds behind the leaders, followed by last year's champions Midwestern State University.
After taking second place at Saturday's criterium and the road race on Sunday, USAFA's Sam Troge finally got his national title, along with teammates Matthew McCorkle, William Danyluk and Brad Ames. The Falcons dominated their field by one minute and 3.7 seconds over second place Dartmouth.
The UC-Davis men's team had the second to last start time, followed Midwestern State. The Davis Aggies decided to make it a clean sweep however, pushing their limits to take the victory at 23 minutes and 18.5 seconds, just four seconds over University of Colorado-Boulder and four-and-a-half seconds over Midwestern State.
The top U.S. elite riders get their turn at national titles next at the 2001 USCF Elite National Road Cycling Championships, May 24 and 26 in Redding, Calif. For updates, please visit www.usacycling.org.
Omnium standings were not available at press time. Please check www.veloresults.com for complete event results.
2001 USCF NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ROAD CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS, MAY 21, TEAM TIME TRIAL, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.
Division I Men: 1. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS @ 23 minutes and 18.5 seconds; 2. University of Colorado-Boulder @ four seconds back; 3. Midwestern State University @ 0:4.5; 4. Fort Lewis College @ 0:26.5; 5. University of New Mexico @ 0:37.1
Division II Men: 1. U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY @ 24 minutes and 36.1 seconds; 2. Dartmouth College @ 1:3.7 back; 3. North Dakota State University @ 1:29.6; 4. Montana State University @ 2:14.5 seconds; 5. University of Montana @ 2:15.9 seconds
Division I Women: 1. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS @ 26 minutes and 52.5 seconds; 2. University of New Mexico @ 0:29.9 back; 3. Midwestern State University @ 0:49.4; 4. University of Colorado-Boulder @ 1:28.7; 5. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo @ 2:03.1
Division II Women: 1. YALE UNIVERSITY @ 30 minutes and 19.13 seconds; 2. Dartmouth College @ 0:14.44 back; 3. DePauw University @ 2:35.28; 4. U.S. Army @ 2:43.59; 5. U.S. Air Force Academy @ 3:50.05 seconds