The Milligan University Cycling team competed at the 2022 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana this past weekend. The team took home a third-place team finish.
Top competitors against the Buffs included Colorado Mesa University and Marian University. However, the Buffs were able to gain some podiums despite the competition. Both the women’s and men’s teams finished third in the 4km team pursuit event, despite the challenges they faced as a team.
The team pursuit is a four-man race, but since the Buffs didn’t have enough riders, they had to compete a man down. Many of the cyclists had not trained on the track before, which was an additional difficulty.
Junior Brody McDonald commended his team’s ability to adapt to challenges. “The team rode smoothly, and it worked out great in the end,” he said.
His teammate, sophomore Adin Papell shared a similar sentiment. “Next year we will have a lot more experience and we can take a few more national titles,” he said.
Overall, Milligan gained 10 podiums by the end of the championship event. Those podiums belonged to sophomores Morgan Johnston, Madelline Mendoza, Trevor August, junior Gabriella Cedillos-Dixont, and Adin Papell. Honorable mentions include sophomore Makayla MacPherson and Brody McDonald, who excelled at the men’s and women’s scratch races and co-ed team sprint respectively.
Next, the Milligan Cycling team will transition to mountain biking for their next competitions at Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky, and Lees-McRae College in North Carolina.
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Headline photo from Milligan Buffs