The final day of competition took riders to downtown Madison for the criterium events. Riders navigated the four-corner course with long headwind and tailwind straights, as the wind picked up throughout the day. The Club Women opened the day, with Gilbert and Roberts repeating their move from the previous day and breaking away from the field. This time, the win came down to a sprint, with Gilbert taking the victory over Roberts to double up on the weekend. Sylvia Espinoza (University of Colorado Boulder) won the field sprint for third.
Next up were the Varsity Women. Colorado Mesa University, Marian University, and Savannah College of Art and Design controlled most of the race, keeping things together and setting up their sprinters for the finish. In a drag race down the final straight, Lawrence came out on top to win the National Title. Colorado Mesa University teammates Sabo and last year’s winner, Cassie Hickey (Parker, Colo.), sprinted to second and third.
The Club Men were up next, with 96 starters on the line. The pace stayed high for most of the race, averaging 29 mph, while multiple attacks were brought back. In the second half of the race, Gentile made a move out of a breakaway group and opened a significant gap. The peloton responded, bringing him back with only a few laps to go and setting up a group finish. Andrew Carr (Salinas, Calif.; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo) won the final sprint, with teammate Mattheus Johnson (Redwood City, Calif.; California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo) taking second. William Myers (Chapel Hill, N.C.; Colorado College) held on for third.
The final race of the day was the Varsity Men. Attacks came quickly and often, but none were able to stick as the field stayed aggressive throughout the race. After 80 minutes of racing, it came down to a group sprint, where Preston Eye (Flowery Branch, Ga.; Piedmont University) surged to the win and the National Title. Caden Budd (Wrightstown, Wis.; Belmont Abbey College) finished second, while last year’s winner, Luke Elphingstone (Grand Junction, Colo.; Colorado Mesa University), rounded out the podium in third.