The guys cross the line in the criterium: 1-2-3-4. photo by Julie Kukolla

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Marian College cycling team earned the MidWest Collegiate Cycling Conference championship and also earned the Midwest Regional title over the weekend.

 

For the fourth weekend this season, the Knights swept the three events as they pulled out the team title in the road race, time trial, and criterium. The Knight won the regional title by more than 1,000 points and picked up the MWCCC season title by more than 2,500 points.

 

Freshman Zach McBride (Comstock, Michigan/Comstock) earned the overall men's regional championship and the MWCCC championship. Senior David Williams (Grand Rapids, Michigan/Catholic Central) finished as the runner-up in both the regional and MWCCC omnium.

 

On the women's side, senior Mallory Burrows (Greenwood, Indiana/Center Grove) finished as the runner-up in the overall MWCCC standings and finished third in the overall regional championship in just her second year of competition.

 

Junior Rebecca Finley (Des Moines, Iowa/Home-schooled) finished in fourth in the conference while freshman Sinead Miller (South Park, Pennsylvania/South Park), who missed the final two weekends competing across Europe, finished fifth.

 

In the men's A races over the weekend, the Knights pulled out one win, a team time trial title, and earned a runner-up finish.

 

McBride picked up the runner-up finish in Saturday's road race while Williams finishes in third place. Freshman Joe Kukolla (Indianapolis/Hertiage Christian) finished in seventh place with freshman Matt Jones (Indianapolis/Franklin Central) finished in 12th place.

 

The Knights finished as the team time trial champion as they earned the title with a time of 13:59, which was a minute ahead of Lindsey Wilson.

 

The most impressive feat pulled out by the Knights in the men's A competition came on Sunday in the criterium. The Knights swept the top four spots with a tremendous amount of teamwork. Freshman Adam Leibovitz (Indianapolis/Lawrence Central) picked up the win after pulling away early and McBride, Williams, and Kukolla finished in second, third, and fourth, respectively.

 

"This was a great piece of racing," said head coach Dean Peterson. "Adam pulled away and the other three riders did a great job protecting Adam's lead while splitting the field and manipulating the group to create the selection they wanted. The four crossed the line together and it was just one of the more impressive things I have seen. I am so proud of the team."

 

In the women's A races, the Knights pulled out a 2-3-4 finish in the road race, won the time trial, and finished 4-5-6-7 in the criterium on Sunday.

 

Finley earned the second-place finish in the road race, was followed by Burrows in third, and sophomore Megan Somerville (Norwalk, California/Santa Fe) in fourth place. Senior Sierra Siebenlist (Indianola, Iowa/Indianola) finished eighth and sophomore Abigail Nicks (Indianapolis/Heritage Christian) finished ninth for the Knights.

 

In the team time trial, the Knights earned the title with a time of 16:55. The time was more than one minute ahead of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

The Knights closed out the weekend with a great finish in the women's A criterium. Burrows finished in fourth, Finley finished fifth, Siebenlist finished sixth, and Somerville finished in seventh for the Knights. Sophomore Anna Sklorenko (Indianapolis/Bishop Chatard) finished in 10th place for the Knights.

 

In the men's B road race, freshman Peter Deucher (Wakeman, Ohio/Firelands) finished in fifth place, and he earned a seventh-place finish in the criterium on Sunday.

 

The Regional championship and MWCCC championship are the first under head coach Dean Peterson.

 

The Knights head to the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships on May 8, 9, and 10 in Fort Collins, Colorado, as the top conference qualifier in the A races. The road race is set for Friday, May 8, while the team time trial is on Saturday, May 9, and the criterium is on Sunday, May 10.