The Milligan College cyclocross team competed in a meet at East Tennessee State University on Nov 10.
For the top ten male finishers of the race, there were two Buffs from team A. The men’s B team lone racer finished third. On the ladies team A race, out of the top four finishers, two of them were Buffs, and team B had two finishes in the top ten.
For the men, in team A, junior Keith Mullaly finished first and freshman Erik Castillo finished in 10th place. For team B, freshman Whitt McDonald finished third overall. Representing the Lady Buffs were freshman Genevieve Plum and sophomore Meade Plum. The ladies finished first and fourth, respectively. For team B, freshman Faith Hopkins finished third and Maggie Baldwin finished sixth.
The race at ETSU is unique for the cycling team because of its proximity to Milligan compared to other races. Other meets for the team can be two to four hours away from campus, which can make it difficult for Milligan supporters to come to watch the Buffs.
“It was very exciting to compete so close to home,” junior Keith Mullaly said. “I was really hoping to have some Milligan people there. Also, the much shorter travel time will give me more time to work on my fluid dynamics project due Monday!”
Though the cyclists enjoyed more support than usual from the student body, the drastic change in distance meant that some of the Buffs’ usual competitors were unable to attend.
“The amount of competitors and level of competition this weekend at the ETSU race wasn’t very high,” Mullaly explained. “Our biggest competitors are SCAD Atlanta and Brevard College. Both of whom will not be at this race.”
This weekend’s competition also carried important implications on an individual’s points in the Conference Individual Omnium. The omnium is a collection of an individual cyclist’s points throughout the entirety of the season. “I have won the Cyclocross Omnium for the last three years, and I would like to keep my streak going!” Mullaly said.
The next time the Milligan cycling team will be in action is on Nov 16. They will be competing in a college race hosted by Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga.
With Cyclocross National Championships a month away, Mullaly is feeling confident in his training. “I am extremely happy with where my fitness is right now in the season,” he said. “I really have to dig in and make any last-minute gains in fitness while I can,” Mullaly said.
The full results from the race can be found here. Mullaly had an outstanding performance, including lapping most of his competition, dominating the race. The Buff cyclists will compete at the national championships on Dec. 11.
Headline photo: The men’s cyclocross team competes in a “home” meet. Photo by AJ Trabold.