ROCK HILL, S.C. – The 2019 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships concluded on Saturday at the Giordana Velodrome in Rock Hill, S.C. The day would kick off with the continuation of Saturday evening’s postponed events, and conclude with the awarding of the coveted Team Omnium awards, which carry national rankings implications.
An exciting Women’s Points Race would start the morning. Olivia Ray (New Zealand; Savanah College of Art & Design – Savanah), Megan Jastrab (Apple Valley, Calif.; Milligan College), Judah Sencenbaugh (Toccoa, Ga.; Savanah College of Art & Design – Atlanta), and Sommers Creed (Athens, Ga.; Savanah College of Art & Design – Atlanta) would all take a lap during the race, but in the end Ray would come out the victor with 59 points. Jastrab would earn 50 points, earning her the silver medal. Sencenbaugh took bronze with 30 points.
The final decider ride for the Men’s Sprint Bronze Medal was run between Nick Oestreich (Powder Springs, Ga.; Belmont Abbey College) and Thomas Rotherham (Great Britain; Marian University). Rotherham would take the ride and the bronze medal.
Adding onto her gold medal from the points race, Ray would also claim the top step of the podium in the Women’s 500-meter Time Trial with a time of 37.615 seconds. With a. time of 38.294 seconds Jastrab would garner herself another silver medal. Colorado Mesa University rider Kaeli Lixandru (Phoenix) would take home the bronze in a time of 38.705 seconds.
Cade Bickmore (Longmont, Colo.; Marian University), winner of Friday’s Men’s 4,000-meter Individual Pursuit, would also claim the Men’s 1,000-meter Time Trial Stars-and-Stripes jersey. His time was 1:06.272. Men’s Sprint champion and Bickmore’s teammate, Peter Bock (Muskego, Wisc.), stopped the clock at 1:06.887, earning him the silver in the event. Marian University would make it a clean sweep of the top-three spots, with Rotherham adding another bronze to his collection, with his time of 1:07.537.
The afternoon session started off with the Women’s Scratch Race. Ray and Jastrab would go three-for-three on going gold and silver. Along with Sencenbaugh, the trio would take a lap on the field, guaranteeing their positioning.
During the Men’s Scratch Race, six riders would lap the field in an effort to claim the title. Hayden Strong (New Zealand; Marian University) would repeat his points race win from Friday night, and win the Stars-and-Stripes jersey. Lachlan Holliday (Demorest, Ga.; Piedmont College) would place second, and Justin Butsavage (Macungie, Pa.; Marian University) took bronze.
The Individual Omnium is awarded that did the best over the course of the weekend, having raced both sprint and endurance events. For the women, Ray would come away with top honors, earning herself her final Stars-and-Stripes of the event, duplicating her omnium effort from last year. Over the five individual events held, Ray amassed 240 points. Jastrab would again earn silver, her points totaling 224. Sencenbaugh would place third with 187 points.
Marian University’s men would claim the top three steps of the Men’s Individual Omnium. Strong with his wins in the points race and scratch race, and second in the pursuit garnered him 232 points, receiving the gold, improving upon his silver medal from 2018. Bickmore’s golds in the pursuit and time trial would give him 212 points, which was good enough for silver. Rounding out the top-three was Rotherham with 181 points.
The racing would close out with the ever-popular Co-Ed Team Sprint, where teams of up to 6 riders per school would take to the track to compete against the clock. Marian University would repeat their gold medal performance from last, stopping the clock at 1:39.310. Colorado Mesa University claimed silver with their time of 1:41.604. With a time of 1:43.807, Lindenwood University took the third step of the podium.
A Team Omnium is also awarded for Varsity and Club programs. On the Varsity side, Marian University claimed their 14th consecutive Track Team Omnium award. They garnered 998 points. Second place went to Colorado Mesa University, with their 890 points. Lindenwood University would finish out the podium with 816 points.
For Clubs, the University of California – San Diego took top honors with 330 points. Indiana University – Bloomington was the silver standard with 265 points. Virginia Polytechnic University finished third in the Club Team Omnium with 190 points.
