BREINIGSVILLE, Pa. – Milligan cycling standout Dillon Geary claimed the all-around national championship as the Milligan University cycling team placed second on a controversial call by officials at the 2024 USA Cycling Collegiate Track Nationals at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center over the weekend.
The squad had a total of six individual national titles at the event, and combined to come up just shy of a team championship at the varsity level.
Geary won the men's individual pursuit title, as well as the men's points race, while finishing second in the men's scratch race. He was also part of the men's team pursuit squad that earned a title for the Buffaloes, along with Brody McDonald, Adin Papell and Riley Wrightsman. Geary is the second ever Milligan student-athlete to claim the national title in the individual omnium in the track cycling discipline (after McDonald did it last year).
Papell had a strong event, as well, earning the top spot in the men's scratch race, ahead of Geary. He also took second in the men's time trial and finished second overall on the podium on the men's side, right next to his teammate Geary.
Wrightsman posted a fourth-place overall finish with a second-place showing in the men's individual pursuit, a 10th-place finish in the men's scratch race and a sixth-place showing in the men's points race.
McDonald's sixth-place finish overall came via a third-place finish in the men's points race, sixth place in the men's scratch race and an 11th-place result in the men's individual pursuit.
William Seitz came across the line in sixth place in the men's individual pursuit for his most impressive performance of the event amongst the top college cyclists in the nation.
Javiera Munoz was the Buffs' top women's racer all event long. She finished third overall on the women's side, having provided a title finish in the women's points race, second place in the women's individual pursuit, fourth place in the women's scratch race and sixth place in the women's time trials.
Along with Munoz, Megan Lester, Makayla MacPherson and Miriam Zeise finished third in the women's team pursuit standings.
MacPherson (5th) and Zeise (10th) posted top-10 performances in the women's scratch race, while Lester (9th) and Samantha Clark (10th) did the same in the women's individual pursuit.
Clark (6th)and Lester (10th) also finished in the top 10 in the women's points race for Milligan.
Full Milligan results at the 2023 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships
Day 1- Team Pursuit and Sprints
Women's Team Pursuit
(Megan Lester, Makayla MacPherson, Javiera Munoz, Miriam Zeise) - 3rd
Men's Team Pursuit
(Dillon Geary, Brody McDonald, Adin Papell, Riley Wrightsman)- 1st
Men's Match Sprint
Adin Papell- 12th match sprints
Women's Match Sprint
Samantha Clark -10th Match Sprints
Javiera Munoz- 7th Match Sprints
Day 2- Men's Individual Pursuit / Women's Time Trial/ men's scratch/ women's scratch
Men's IP
1- Dillon Geary
2- Riley Wrightsman
6- William Seitz
9- Adin Papell
11- Brody McDonald
Women's TT
6- Javiera Munoz
10- Makayla MacPherson
Men's Scratch
1- Adin Papell
2- Dillon Geary
6-Brody McDonald
10- Riley Wrightsman
Women's Scratch
4- Javiera Munoz
5- Makayla MacPherson
10- Miriam Zeise
15- Megan Lester
Day 3- men's Time trial/ women's Pursuit/ men's points / women's points/ co Ed sprint
Men's Time trial
2- Adin Papell
8- Dillon Geary
Women's Pursuit
2- Javiera Munoz
9- Megan Lester
10- Samantha Clark
12- Miriam Zeise
Men's Points Race-
1- Dillon Geary
3- Brody McDonald
6- Riley Wrightsman
14- Adin Papell
Women's Points Race-
1- Javiera Munoz
6- Samantha Clark
10- Megan Lester
13- Makayla MacPherson
Co- ED sprint : Team set the fastest time at nationals winning the event, and looked to have won the overall title. The title was relegated via a controversial call.
Individual Omnium Men-
1- Dillon Geary
2- Adin Papell
4- Riley Wrightsman
6- Brody McDonald
Individual Omnium Women-
3- Javiera Munoz
