Another Gator Repeat!

With the same flair as an Al Horford dunk, Rebecca Larson outkicked the bunch to win the 2007 D1 Collegiate National Championship Road Race. With the same dominance as our UF men's Basketball team, Larson repeated her Womens D1 Omnium National Championship effort from a year ago.

Larson (UF), fresh off a six-week trip to Europe as part of USA Cycling’s Women’s National Team program where she competed in several World Cup and elite-level international races, captured a win in the criterium in 2006. Her efforts in Saturday’s 56-mile road race helped put the University of Florida in fifth place overall in the Division I standings behind Midwestern State with 253 points.

“I’m a little tired, I’ve been on the road a lot in Europe with the national team,” Larson explained after her win. "I’m tired, but collegiate racing is such a good thing and I love supporting it and I have a really great collegiate team.”

In the hunt for the overall championship, Larson beat Erica Allar (Penn State University) by just two points, 253-251, after winning the road race and placing fifth in the criterium. Last year's criterium winner, Larson hoped to defend her title, but rode conservatively in order to protect her lead in the overall standings.

"Of course I wanted to win the criterium, but the omnium was pretty important to me so I kind of rode it like a points race," explained Larson of her tactics on Sunday. "I didn't feel great for the final sprint, but getting fifth was enough. Overall, it was a great weekend."

Maybe I'm partial due to my love of both cycling and the Gators...but shouldn't she be on a box of Wheaties or something?
Congratulations Rebecca!