UA Wildcats hold the gold as Southwest conference wraps up its season

By Jennifer Olson

The University of Arizona Wildcats kept hold of the gold in the final race on the Southwest Collegiate Cycling Conference road calendar this weekend.

Competing with the Wildcats were the New Mexico State University Aggies and the University of New Mexico Lobos. The three teams convened in southern New Mexico for Saturday’s 12-mile individual time trial and Sunday’s road race.

Las Cruces Time trial

The out-and-back time trial course followed a frontage road on the outskirts of Las Cruces. Cyclists enjoyed a tailwind for the first six miles and clashed with a headwind on the return trip.

In 26.50.92, Men’s A racer David Glick (UA) won the time trial. He finished 12.57 seconds behind the winner of a concurrent USA Cycling Category 1-2-3 race and more than two minutes ahead of his closest collegiate competition. UNM Lobo Michael Robinson (28.59.22) said the wind was a challenge that wore him out. Cedric Bosch (UA) finished in 30.07.74, earning third.

University of Arizona teammates Sean Canterbury (34.19.30) and Shane Durkin (35.44.15) took the top spots in the Men’s B competition.

Mitch Maestas (UNM) took first in the Men’s C race with a time of 29.52.53, while his teammate Joseph Frantz (32.23.74) finished second. Benton Leitner (UA) rode the time trial in 33.04.53 and finished third.

Judy Jenkins (UA) ruled the Women’s A competition with a time of 30.49.66. Her teammates Melanie Meyers (31.36.86) and Erin Lauterbach (35.00.40) rounded out the podium sweep.

New Mexico State University cyclist Sylvia Fernandez (34.20.90) earned first place in the Women’s B category. Katya Hafich (37.47.06) and Laura Zschaechner (37.59.34) — competitors from rival school UNM — finished in second and third place.

Elizabeth Kane (NMSU) won the Women’s C race with a time of 36.22.63. Alyssa Martinez (37.24.41) and Jennifer Olson (40.20.51), both of UNM, placed second and third.

Hillsboro Classic Road Race

On a course laden with rollers and ending in a 9-mile hill climb, racers applied team strategies and harnessed their individual strengths to overcome challenges presented by wind and light rain.

One University of Arizona rider broke away in Men’s A race, leaving his teammates and a couple New Mexico competitors hanging with the pack. Due to brake trouble, Matt Beck (UNM) stopped for support and was dropped. Then his teammate also fell back, opening the competition to NMSU racers and the UA competition.

Overall, David Glick (UA) took first in the Men’s A omnium, while Michael Robinson (UNM) took second and Cedric Bosch (UA) took third.

As the only Men’s B competitors, UA riders Canterbury and Durkin won first and second in the onmium.

Maestas (UNM) led out the Men’s C field then dropped back when others attacked. His teammates Kyle Shour, John Heine and Joseph Frantz took the top three spots at the finish. Omnium winners in this category were: Mitch Maestas (UNM), Joseph Frantz (UNM) and Benton Leitner (UA).

Women’s A omnium winners were UA riders Judy Jenkins, Melanie Meyers and Erin Lauterbach.

Fernandez (NMSU) won the Women’s B omnium; Hafich (UNM) took second; and Zchaechner took third, though a continually dropping chain made her unable to finish the road race.

Martinez and Olson, both UNM riders and the only Women’s C riders to compete in the road race, finished first and second respectively.

Season finale

“It seemed like the perfect end to the season,” said Michael Robinson (UNM), who considers these the hardest days of racing and the worst conditions of the season. Still, riders did great, he said.

Jennifer Olson is a student at University of New Mexico

FILED UNDER: Collegiate / News / Race Report