Kansas University cycling club president Andy Phelps let out a hearty laugh as a few raindrops fell on his head Sunday afternoon.

“It’s starting to rain at the right time,” Phelps quipped. “What a perfect day.”

Sure enough, the 2004 Jayhawk Cycling Classic had just concluded. The rain that hit Lawrence held off just long enough for all races to take place under a baby-blue sky — perfect riding conditions.

Most perfect, however, may have been the Jayhawks’ success at riding the one-mile loop down Jayhawk Boulevard and along Memorial Drive. The KU men rallied past the University of Minnesota and earned the men’s team berth to the national championships. The women’s squad qualified two riders for nationals, which will take place May 21-23 in Madison, Wis.

A perfect day, indeed.

“It was great for spectators, and we saw about 200 spectators in addition to our racers today,” Phelps said. “The races were all very close, all right down to the line, and that’s what you wish for when you host an event like this on campus.”

The only race of the day that didn’t feature a photo finish was the Collegiate Men’s B, in which Minnesota’s Sam Fehrenbach cruised to an easy victory. Minnesota’s Tim Anderson edged KU’s Chris Mefford in a tight race for second, however.

The Collegiate Women’s race had just eight riders, but seven of them remained in a tight pack for the duration of the 40-minute race. Six of the riders continually traded positions at the head of the pack.

Maria Stewart, the 2004 regional rider of the year from Minnesota, pulled away in the final lap and collected her sixth straight victory by about 10 meters. Kansas State’s Kelly Cool and KU’s Jess Drees and Kimberly Kissing rounded out the top four. Kansas’ Jen Duffy finished sixth.

Competitors in the Women's Collegiate division of the Jayhawk Cycling Classic pass by Kansas University's Strong Hall. The cycling race was held Sunday on the KU campus

Although the Minnesota women earned the team berth to nationals, Drees and Kissing garnered individual bids to race at the championships. That’s a feat that Drees, a senior from Overland Park, takes to heart.

“It’s really exciting,” Drees said. “Nationals is always a lot of fun. It always has a great course to race and a great crowd, so I’m really excited about it. My team raced really great today, too, so I’m really impressed with them all.”

The meet concluded with the Collegiate Men’s A race, a grueling 60-minute grind that began with 30 riders but finished with just 10. Speed was at a premium from the start, with the racers blazing through two laps in the first three minutes. K-State’s Dallas Burnum was at the front of the pack for most of the first 30 minutes, while fellow Wildcats Mike Koons and Scott Hammack hung close behind. KU’s Adam Mills and Nebraska’s Ian Robertson also shared time at the front.

A tire change in the final seven minutes forced Burnum to fall behind, and Iowa State’s Wes Hartman burst to the front of the pack and captured first place. Hammack, Koons, Mills and Robertson rounded out the top five in a photo finish.

Participants in the Men's Collegiate division bunch up during an early lap.

Mills said he was pleased with his fourth-place finish because no Minnesota riders beat him. The Golden Gophers had been ahead of KU in the team standings until Sunday’s race. By finishing ahead of them, Mills helped send the Jayhawks to nationals, which had been his season-long goal.

“There were so many tactics being played out in this race,” he said. “The K-State guys were going for individual qualifications, and KU’s going for the team, as is Minnesota, so my only competition really was Minnesota.

Kansas University's Jen Duffy, center, and Jess Drees, right, try to pass Minnesota's Maria Stewart during the Women's Collegiate race of the Jayhawk Cycling Classic. Stewart won, while Drees was third and Duffy sixth in the race Sunday on the KU campus.

“Those were the only guys I had to watch, but you’ve really got to know what’s going on or you can let four of the wrong guys get ahead of you up the road. This was double-points weekend, so those four guys could have made a huge difference.”