Beatty claims national title

Alijah Beatty traveled to Lake Tahoe, Calif., for the 2015 USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships two weekends ago, and left crowned a champion.

Beatty competed in three events at the championships, taking part in a road race through the mountains, and a time trial event, but took the title in the criterium, winning the 2015 National title for 15-16-year-old women.

Beatty?s championship in the 30-minute criterium came in a sprint finish.

In the 42-mile road race, Beatty took fifth place overall, followed by a fifth-place finish in the 12.2 mile time trial, finishing with a time of 30:25.

Currently, Beatty is competing in the ?Tour of Rimouski,? an invitational stage race in Canada, where she is racing with the Ottawa Bicycle Club Junior Racing Team.

The event features 200 athletes from the United States, Europe and Canada, and is expected to help prepare the cyclists for international competitions.

Alijah races for Northstar Development in Minneapolis, and the Iowa City Women Cycling team, as well as the University of Iowa Heart and Vascular Center Team.