From Blue‑and‑Yellow to Pink: Closing My Collegiate Season on a High Note

By: Lexi Stiewalt

Collegiate Road Nationals concluded my collegiate road season and my fourth semester at Marian. It was an intense week full of adrenaline: Marian led the omnium through each event until we lost by just five points after the criterium! It was a tragic loss. We all fought with everything we had and ended up taking home second in the omnium.

I raced in the criterium. It was one of the most intense, aggressive races I have ever done! My job for the race—assigned to me by Coach Hoop and Assistant Coach Marjie—was to earn omnium points for the team in the fourth and final points prime. I did just that, as my teammate Mairen led me out. We both sprinted for third and fourth (points go four deep on prime laps), and CMU secured first and second. Together, Mairen and I collected four points for the team. This was the most exciting lap of the race for me. In the end, I placed 24th out of 48. I had hoped for a better result, but my legs were pretty gassed after the prime sprint.

Now that my collegiate season has come to an end, I’m hanging up the blue-and-yellow jersey to put on the pink! I have my eyes on Fat & Skinny Tire Fest coming up and look forward to ripping it with the Apex girls.