INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The SCAD men's cycling team traveled to Indianapolis, Ind. For the USAC Collegiate Track National Championships last weekend and made program history in the process.
After competing in Auburn, Ala., the weekend prior in mountain bike, claiming two short track victories, three podium finishes, and a second-place finish in the team when Colin Patterson (Palo Alto, Calif. / Design for Sustainability) was approached by a rival coach who had come over to congratulate the team on a successful weekend. As the duo talked, the coach questioned why the team would not be attending the following SECCC mountain bike race weekend at Truett McConnell. Patterson replied: "We have bigger fish to fry." The coach looked confused and puzzled as he tried to comprehend how Patterson could race a 300-mile gravel race, a collegiate mountain bike race weekend, and then the 2022 Collegiate Track Nationals in three weeks. But that is what the Bees did.
The following day the team of Eugenio Mirafuentes (Monterrey, Mexico / Sound Design), Emiliano Mirafuentes (San Nichols, Mexico / Social Strategy and Management), Colin Patterson, and Billy Taylor (New York, N.Y. / Production Design) loaded up a cargo van of Track Bicycles and equipment to be driven across the country to Indianapolis, Indiana, by the team's new Assistant Coach, Kyle Kimball. With the momentum of the first mountain bike race weekend in the books, the team was excited to keep the ball rolling at Track Nationals.
September 8th, 2022
Day one of the competition.
The Bees had spent the day preparing for the Team Pursuit, a 4-kilometer race against the clock where three of the four athletes had to finish after competing at a maximum effort. The team consisting of Mirafuentes, Mirafuentes, Patterson, and Taylor was the second team to go for the day, putting in a time of 4:41:17. This time would stand as the fastest time of the day until the final three teams went, putting the Bees in fourth place behind CMU, Marian, and Milligan College. This is the first time the SCAD Savannah Bees had been on a team podium at a National event.
September 9th, 2022
The morning started with the Individual Pursuit. Eugenio Mirafuentes went on to a 14th place ride with a finishing time of 4:55:5, and Emiliano Mirafuentes went on to a 16th place ride with a time of 4:58:8.
Following the Individual pursuit, Mirafuentes, Mirafuentes, and Taylor all went on to qualify for the Scratch final in their respective heats.
In the afternoon races, Billy Taylor placed 11th in the Scratch final, and Emiliano Placed 12th.
September 10th, 2022
After not making the podium in the Scratch Finals the day prior, the Bees were determined to succeed. Once again, all three Bees - Mirafuentes, Mirafuentes, and Taylor - qualified for the Points final in the afternoon. With a change in team strategy, the Bees were ready to return to the podium blocks.
The 90-mile scratch race went off with a blistering pace; the team sat in for the first 10 laps and two points sprints, pacing themselves. Eugenio Mirafuentes went in a three-man breakaway shortly after the second points lap that would end up staying off the front of the field for 18 laps, with three intermediate point sprints, and would lap the field. This Landed Mirafuentes in the second-place position for the standings he maintained and improved upon, contesting in three more point sprints throughout the race with help from his brother/teammate Emiliano Mirafuentes. Mirafuentes placed third in the race for the program's highest-ranked Track Nationals Medal in program history.
This concluded the track season. The Bees will return to competing on September 24-24 at Lees McRae College for the mountain bike Dual Conference with the ACCC in Banner Elk, N.C.
