Milligan sending eight cyclists to 2021 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (September 7, 2021) – The Milligan University cycling team is sending eight cyclists to Indianapolis to compete in the 2021 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships this week.

National Championship Schedule

Track Nationals return to the Major Taylor Velodrome for the first time since 2017. No USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships were held in the 2020-21 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Olympic bronze medalist Megan Jastrab returns for her second Track Nationals appearance after capturing the Women's 3k Individual Pursuit national championship and teaming with Manuela Escobar and Gracie Pendleton to win the Women's Team Pursuit title in 2019. Jastrab also finished as national runner-up in the Women's Match Spring, Women's Point Race, Women's Time Trial and Women's Scratch Race.

Joining Jastrab on the women's side for Track Nationals and the Women's Team Pursuit are Pendleton, junior Marjie Bemis and sophomore Gabriella Cedillos-Dixon. For Cedillos-Dixon, it will be her first-ever USA Cycling Collegiate National Championship appearance.

Milligan's men headed to track nationals are senior Isaac Bryant, junior Erik Castillo, sophomore Brody McDonald and sophomore William Seitz. The quartet will pursue the Milligan's first-ever podium finish in the Men's Team Pursuit.

Day One: On Thursday, the men's and women's sprint qualifiers comprise most of the day. In the evening session, both men's and women's team pursuit championship events will take place. The Buffs' captured the Women's Team Pursuit championship in 2019 with a time of 5:07.5. The men were eighth in 2019 and are pursuing a podium finish in 2021.

Day Two: Friday begins with national championship running of the Men's Individual Pursuit and Women's Time Trial. Bryant finished 12th in the 2019 Men's Individual Pursuit and Jastrab was second in the Women's Time Trial.

The evening session on Friday begins with the Men's Scratch Race and Women's Scratch Race to crown national champions. The night wraps up with Men's Sprint and Women's Sprint finals. In 2019, Jastrab was the national runner-up in both the Women's Scratch Race and Women's Sprint.

Day Three: The Men's Time Trial and Women's Individual Pursuit open competition on Saturday morning. Jastrab set the Rock Hill track record with her championship-winning individual pursuit time of 3:46.96 in 2019.

Saturday evening will be the Men's Points Race and Women's Points Race. Jastrab finished second in the Women's Points Race in 2019. The final championship event on Saturday night is the Co-Ed Team Sprint that will likely feature Jastrab, Seitz, Bryant and McDonald.

To date, Milligan cycling has captured five USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships. The Buffs have two track national championships, the Women's Team Pursuit and Women's Individual Pursuit in 2019.