Two national titles awarded before rain hits collegiate track nats
Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sept. 11, 2008)—A pair national champions were crowned on Thursday at the 2008 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships. The women’s two-kilometer and the men’s three-kilometer time trial events opened the competition before the rains hit the 7-Eleven Velodrome.
Carla Swart (Banner Elk, N.C./Lees-McRae College) earned the first national title of the 2008-2009 Collegiate Cycling season, posting a 2:39.918 in the women’s two-kilometer time trial. With the victory, Swart, the reigning DI road race champion, gave her Lees-McRae squad an early boost in the team omnium contest. Tirrel Groventein (Fort Collins, Colo./Colorado State University) earned the silver medal with a time of 2:43.430 while freshman Sinead Miller (Pittsburgh, Pa./Marian College), who finished eighth in the road race at the Junior Road World Championships in July, took the bronze.
The men’s three-kilometer time trial event wrapped up the morning session with Colorado State University’s Dan Lionberg (Fort Collins, Colo.) earning the national title. After a blazing first kilometer Lionberg was able to hold the strong pace to win gold with a time of 3:30.381. David Williams (Grand Rapids, Mich./Marian College) nearly ousted Lionberg from the top spot in the final heat of the day, but had to settle for silver, just over a second behind Lionberg. The University of Colorado’s Julian Kyer (Lyons, Colo.) held on to the third spot in a stacked field of nearly 70 of collegiate cycling’s best.
The men’s kilo time trial and the women’s 500-meter race against the clock were slated for 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, but Mother Nature decided otherwise, as rain forced race officials to postpone the events until 9:00 a.m. Friday morning. The pair of events will be run prior to the start of the morning’s regularly scheduled sprint and pursuit preliminaries. In addition to the time trial events, national titles up for grabs on Friday at the 2008 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships include the women’s team pursuit, the men’s sprint, the mixed team pursuit as well as the women’s points race.
*Click here for complete results and click here to view pictures from the event.
2008 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships
7-Eleven Velodrome
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Sept. 11-13, 2008
Women’s Two Kilometer Time Trial
1. Carla Swart (Banner Elk, N.C./Lees-McRae College) 2:39.918
2. Tirrel Groventein (Fort Collins, Colo./Colorado State University) 2:43.430
3. Sinead Miller (Pittsburgh, Pa./Marian College) 2:43.561
4. Julia Manley (Fort Collins, Colo./Colorado State University) 2:43.947
5. Rita Klofta (Greencastle, Ind./DePauw University) 2:45.006
Men’s Three Kilometer Time Trial
1. Dan Lionberg (Fort Collins, Colo./Colorado State University) 3:30.381
2. David Williams (Grand Rapids, Mich./Marian College) 3:31.390
3. Julian Kyer (Lyons, Colo./University of Colorado-Boulder) 3:33.390
4. Oscar Clark (Atlanta,Ga./Georgia State University) 3:33.720
5. Spencer Beamer (Knoxville, Tenn./Furman University) 3:34.097
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization and sanctioning body, USA Cycling consists of 64,000+ members, including 57,000 competitive cyclists, 1,500 coaches, 4,000 student-athletes, 2,200 officials, 350 professional cyclists, and 200 certified mechanics. USA Cycling also sanctions 2,500 competitive and non-competitive organized cycling events throughout the United States annually, as well as 1,800 clubs and teams. Associations of USA Cycling include the United States Cycling Federation (road, track & cyclo-cross), the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), the BMX Association, the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the United States Professional Racing Organization. USA Cycling is also responsible for the identification, development, support and promotion of American cyclists through various athletic initiatives and programs including the USA Cycling National Development Team, the USA Cycling Women’s National Team, the USA Cycling Junior Development Team, Talent Identification and Regional Development Camps, domestic and international race calendars, direct athlete funding and support programs, and educational camps and seminars. USA Cycling also fields and supports U.S. National Teams for various international events, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, Pan American Games, Continental Championship and World Cups across all levels and disciplines of competitive cycling. USA cycling further supports grass roots and locally-based initiatives through its 32 Local Associations and comprehensive network of licensed and certified coaches and officials. Additionally, USA Cycling conducts National Championship events for amateur and professional cyclists, awarding more than 600 national titles annually to men and women in junior, U23, masters, elite, professional and paralympic categories throughout the various disciplines of competitive cycling. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org. For media-related or general inquiries, please contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867 or alee@usacycling.org.
This Article Published September 11, 2008 For more information contact:
