Josh Johnson of Marian University completing a come from behind victory Friday. © Cyclocross Magazine
The final race on this frigid Friday of racing at the US Cyclocross National Championships was the Collegiate Relay, in which coed teams of four square off against one another. Racers in both Division 1 and Division 2 compete in a whirlwind race, each racer giving it their all for one lap before passing the race off to the next competitor.
Marian and Lindenwood were off to an early lead in the D1 race, hitting the course with the speed one might expect of a collegiate racer set to race only one lap. Lindenwood pulled into the lead as the D2 racers hit the course. The battle to watch in the D2 race was between Brevard and King University.
As the D1 and D2 races amalgamated and the relay took on its inherent chaotic form, Lindenwood’s lead looked strong. Marian, however, had not acquiesced; the final racer from Marian caught and overtook Lindenwood, claiming the victory in the D1 race. A crucial factor in these races is racer order selection. Marian’s team said they used the same order that has brought them past victories, with successful results.
Meanwhile, Brevard dominated the D2 race to claim a clean win, with King claiming second.
