May 15, 2005 (Lawrence, Kansas) – Overall titles were handed out Saturday, May 14 at the 2005 Collegiate Road Cycling National Championships as road race action wrapped up the individual classification. Individual national titles were based upon a combination of Friday’s criterium and Saturday’s road race by rewarding consistency in two distinctly different road cycling events.

Bobby Lea (Penn State University) captured today’s 84.6-mile men’s division I road race to compliment his second-place finish in Friday’s criterium. The two podium performances vaulted him into a convincing overall title ahead of Jake Rytlewski (Marian College) and Brian Jensen (Kansas), who also placed second and third respectively in the road race.

Lea won Saturday’s road race out of a mass sprint after a long solo breakaway from Chris Herby (Virginia) was caught by the peloton in the closing kilometers.

Women’s division I criterium winner Amber Rais (Stanford) earned the overall title after a fourth place finish in today’s 56.4-mile road race. Also ending in a field sprint, today’s race was won by Brooke Miller (California Santa Cruz), who outsprinted runner-up Jessica Lindemann (Indiana) and Andrea Dvorak (Virginia).

In the men’s division II road race, relatively unheralded Western Washington University captured the top-two spots as Nicholas Clayville and Brian Nelson placed first and second respectively. The two teammates escaped with one lap remaining of the 28-mile circuit around Perry State Park and held off the remainder of the bunch as Clayville soloed to the line 34 seconds ahead Nelson. Bennet Van Der Genugten (Cumberland) rounded out the podium in third place.

Despite the efforts of the Western Washington duo, Brent Bookwalter (Lees McRae) ended up with the men’s division II national title after a fourth-place finish in both Friday’s criterium and Saturday’s road race. Bookwalter’s consistent performance in the two events placed him ahead of criterium winner Todd Yezefski (University of Chicago) and Sam Johnson (Whitman College) in the overall standings.

In the women’s division II road race, freshman rider Mara Abbott (Whitman College) rode to a win after beginning her competitive cycling career just two months ago. Abbot put 2 minutes, 26 seconds into the next best rider on the day, criterium winner Stephanie Hannos (Cumberland). Hannos’ second-place effort on the day gave her the overall title ahead of Abbot and Laura Valaas (Whitman College).

Sunday, the overall team classification will be decided as the third and final event, the team time trial, will be contested.

2005 Collegiate Road Cycling National Championships

May 13-15

Lawrence, Kansas

Road Race Results

Men’s Division I Road Race
1. Bobby Lea (Penn State University)
2. Jake Rytlewski (Marian College)
3. Brian Jensen (University of Kansas)

Men’s Division II Road Race
1. Nicholas Clayville (Western Washington University)
2. Brian Nelson (Western Washington University)
3. Bennett Van Der Genugten (Cumberland)

Women’s Division I Road Race
1. Brooke Miller (California Santa Cruz)
2. Jessica Lindemann (University of Indiana)
3. Andrea Dvorak (University of Virginia)

Women’s Division II Road Race
1. Mara Abbott (Whitman College)
2. Stephanie Hannos (Cumberland)
3. Amy Wallace (Dartmouth)

Final Overall Individual Omnium Results

Men’s Division I
1. Bobby Lea (Penn State University) 257
2. Jake Rytlewski (Marian College) 200
3. Brian Jensen (University of Kansas) 192

Men’s Division II
1. Brent Bookwalter (Lees MacRae) 222
2. Todd Yezefski (University of Chicago) 203
3. Sam Johnson (Whitman College) 179

Women’s Division I
1. Amber Rais (Stanford) 266
2. Jessica Lindemann (University of Indiana) 230
3. Rebecca Larson (University of Florida) 223

Women’s Division II
1. Stephanie Hannos (Cumberland) 268
2. Mara Abbott (Whitman College) 242
3. Laura Valaas (Whitman College) 208

For a complete results, visit www.usacycling.org.