Head Cycling Coach Dean Peterson has named the roster of nineteen student-cyclists including Gabriella Arnold, that will represent Marian University at USA Cycling's 2018 Collegiate Road National Championships.
The Competition begins next week in Grand Junction, Colorado and will take place over three days with a Road Race, Team Time Trial, and Criterium.
Marian University seek to earn their ninth consecutive Team National Title in the Road discipline, and will face stiff competition from a number of programs, including Colorado Mesa University (racing in their hometown), Savannah College of Art & Design (Atlanta), Milligan College, Fort Lewis College, Lees-McRae, Piedmont College, and more.
"I think this year will bring some of the deepest fields, the most balanced and well-prepared varsity teams that Collegiate Road Nationals has seen in the last ten years," predicted Head Coach Dean Peterson.
Coming off of a Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference championship, the Knights are taking a well-rounded team to the Western slope of Colorado for this year's road championships.
Five of the riders from last year's team time trial squads return to defend those event titles this year, including Brice Brookshire and Zachary Carlson on the men's team, and Madison Kelly on the Women's team, who will be riding their final Collegiate National event with Marian University.
Freshmen Alijah Beatty and Hayden Strong will both be competing on behalf of the Knights after sealing up the Midwest Conference's 'green jersey' this spring, or best all-around rider in the category A races.
The event, the final competition of the 2017-2018 collegiate cycling season, is comprised of six team scores that decide the team champion: men's and women's road race (day 1), men's and women's team time trial (day 2), and men's and women's criterium (day 3). Last year, Marian scored top possible points in four of the events to total 542 points, with hometown Colorado Mesa University totaling 478 points.
|
