AUSTIN, Texas (Jan. 10, 2015) — For the second time since last September, the Milligan College cycling team finished as the national runner-up, taking second overall as a team at the 2015 cyclocross national championship which took place Friday and Saturday.
The Buffaloes battled muddy conditions and a large crash at the start of the men’s race but still managed to match their runner-up result from Sept. 28 when they finished second at the track national championship in Indianapolis.
Freshman Marie Sonnery-Cottet pulled the highest result with a fourth-place finish overall. Hannah Swan (15th), Stephanie Cucaz (23rd) and Morgan Miller (24th) also all finished in the top 25 for the women.
On the men’s side, midyear transfer Drew Bailey took the top spot among Milligan riders with an eighth-place finish. Nolan Tankersley finished on Bailey’s heals in 10th, and Grayson Brookshire and Andrew Stallings rode to 20th and 25th place, respectively.
This season has now seen the Buffaloes take two national runners-up (track in September and cyclocross in January) and a 14th overall team finish in mountain biking (October). The last three months also saw Milligan win the Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference cyclocross championship at Clemson University on Dec. 6.
Road racing, the final discipline of the year, starts Feb. 21 for Milligan when the Buffs travel to the University of Florida. The road racing season will be highlighted by a home race on April 11-12.
