Milligan Women Cyclists Bring Home the Gold

Milligan cyclists left the Collegiate Track National Championship race with gold medals in the women’s team pursuit and gold in women’s individual pursuit. Beginning on Thursday, Sept. 12 and lasting throughout the weekend, Milligan Cycling Teams raced in Rock Hill, South Carolina at the Collegiate Track National Championships. The races in Rock Hill marked the first national event of the season for the cyclists. 

Freshman Megan Jastrab now has 29 national championships and three national records under her belt. On Thursday she took the gold in the individual pursuit race, finishing with a time of 3:46.96, breaking the previous national record of 3:48.10 held by Olympian Jennifer Valente.

Jastrab was followed by junior Manuela Escobar who placed 10th and freshman Gracie Pendleton who finished in 19th place.

Jastrab, Escobar and Pendleton also raced together in the women’s team pursuit race. Once the race started, the girls formed a straight line with Jastrab in front, followed by Escobar, and Pendleton behind her. The girls form a straight line in order to draft off one another. 

The Milligan trio finished with a time of 5:07.5 ending Marian University’s multi-year reign – beating them by one second. In the women’s pursuit race normally four cyclists from one school compete– while Milligan only competed with three. 

Gracie Pendleton, a freshman cyclist raced for the first time at a collegiate national race last weekend. “I’ve never done a track race before, ” Pendleton said. “I just told myself to do the best I could, to go in with no expectations.” 

The men’s cyclists also raced at nationals. Sophomore Isaac Bryant finished 12th , with junior Keith Mullaly taking 20th and senior Brian Sciba finishing in 37th place. The men’s trio also finished seventh in their pursuit race.

Jastrab leaves on Thursday to race in Junior Road Worlds in the United Kingdom. The cycling team will be racing next in California at Mountain Bike National Championships in October.

Headline photo: Women’s pursuit winners Manuela Escobar (left), Megan Jastrab (center), and Gracie Pendleton (right).