OH-I-GO: Jen Malik Controls Collegiate Club Race in Reno – Report

by Dave Mable

As the sun began to break through the morning clouds, adding warmth to a windy afternoon, Jennifer Malik (The Ohio State University) stormed out of the field to take an early lead in the Women’s Collegiate Club race.

“I knew, for the ditch, I wanted to be the first one into it, so I could jump it,” Malik said. “I wasn’t sure how many people would actually be attempting it, so if I could at least do it for two laps and blast the sand, then tempo ride from there, everyone else would have to catch, and I’d re-evaluate from there. It worked!”

Work it did, as Malik had a sizable lead heading into the hilly back side of the course on the first lap. She kept up the tempo and forced the rest of the field to chase.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Allison Mrugal and Bard College’s Sophie Russenberger were closest on her tail, with University of Wisconsin’s Caitlin Neuman chasing close behind.

Malik kept up the OH-I-”GO”, further distancing herself from the chasers, jumping the ditch the first three laps. On the third attempt at clearing the ditch, fate would strike, as a hard landing flatted her rear wheel, causing her to ride the north end of the course with a squirly rear wheel, until she could reach the pits.

Mrugal and Russenberger, working together into the wind, were able to cut down Malik’s lead on that lap, but it was not enough. Malik, on a fresh wheel, retained her lead, finishing the three-lap race in 27:42 to take the victory.

The race for silver was not over, however, as Mrugal and Russenberger dueled through the very last corner and onto the finishing straight. Mrugal was able to power ahead in one of the few podium sprints of the day to take second, with Russenberger taking the bronze, both given the same time of 28:37. Neuman completed her race in 28:51 to take home fourth.

Racing in the Elite women’s race on Sunday, the collegiate race gave Malik a good feel for how the course flows.
“It gives me an idea about the parts of the course I need to work on,” she said after the race. “How I feel in other sections, because even though you can do a hot lap in pre-ride, you can’t actually simulate the sheer pain of racing.”

Malik will be at the starting line, with the rest of the elite women’s field on Sunday at 1:15 p.m.

Women Collegiate Club Results: 2018 Reno Cyclocross Nationals

Place	Bib	LAST	First	Team	City ST	Time	Gap
1	12	MALIK	Jennifer	Ohio State University	Columbus OH	46:33
2	7	MRUGAL	Allison	Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst	West Chester PA	47:48	1:15
3	4	RUSSENBERGER	Sophie	Bard College	Bend OR	47:51	1:18
4	2	LUPIEN	Leslie	Dartmouth College	Enfield NH	47:55	1:22
5	1	NEUMAN	Caitlin	U WI - Madison	Madison WI	48:09	1:36
6	11	O'NEILL	Cara	University of AZ	Tucson AZ	49:09	2:36
7	13	BEALE	Melanie	Colorado State University	Boulder CO	49:17	2:44
8	8	WELCH	Chloe	University of AZ	Tucson AZ	41:28	@1Lap
9	5	MURRAY	Lauren	Colorado State University	Colorado Springs CO	41:55	@1Lap
10	9	OWENS	Meghan	University of VT	Richmond VT	43:22	@1Lap
11	15	HUUKI	Elizabeth	US Military Academy	Pipersville PA	44:17	@1Lap
12	6	LYMAN	Brooke	Arizona State U	Phoenix AZ	45:49	@1Lap
13	16	PSIAKI	Elizabeth	US Military Academy	West Point NY	47:37	@1Lap
14	3	BAN	Pamela	Harvard University	Cambridge MA	48:59	@1Lap
15	10	MAIKAWA	Caitlin	Stanford University	Menlo Park CA	50:27	@1Lap
16	14	HO	Monte	US Military Academy	West Point NY	52:30	@1Lap