The Mesa State Cycling Team hosted the Mad Cow Classic over the weekend, bringing in colleges from across the state, including Colorado State University and the University of Colorado. The Mavs didn’t let the big universities or Mother Nature scare them, however.
On Saturday, the A-Team dominated in the Team Time Trial. Kevin and Connor Mullervy, Richard Geng, and Patric Röstel were the fastest D-II team and second overall, 14 seconds behind CSU. For the women’s team, Esmeralda Martinez, Erica Nagy, Brook Bosnan, and Sarah Madsen placed third in the time trial
During the Criterium, on a short .67-mile track, Madsen finished seventh and Martinez were ninth. The women’s women’s B-Team, Nagy came in sixth in the last stage of the long race.
The men’s C-Team racers Chris Rupinski and Jacob Hader both were in the 10×10 in the field spring. Richard Seward and Jesse Talley crashed and did not finish. After a 30-minute wait due to a crash from previous race, the men’s A race finally pushed off to start the Criterium. Mullervy and Geng both broke away and lapped the main group of riders. Although they broke away, Geng got stuck during the final sprint, but managed third.
Sunday’s road race tested MSC with cold temperatures hitting the valley overnight. But they held on. The women’s A-Team finished ninth and tenth thanks to Madsen and Martinez. Bosnan took fifth for the B-Team. Conor Mullervy and Geng both held onto the top 10. Geng held onto tenth during the fight and Mullervy broke away from the group and won the race.
“The 72-mile race was with climbing wind and cold temps. It was absolutely brutal,” Geng said.
Next week the team travels to race at the Air Force Academy, then down to Durango to compete in Conference Finals. They have a short weekend break then they travel over to Madison, Wisc. for Nationals.

blofton@mesastate.edu