Leigh Ann Ganzar (Wolfpack-Hyperthreads) might have been more surprised than anyone at the US Pro Criterium Championship Friday night when she infiltrated a late-race move and then beat three-time track world champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist Kelly Catlin across the line to take the stars-and-stripes jersey. Ganzar admitted in a post-race interview that she `couldn´t believe` it when she rounded the final corner and there was no one between herself, Catlin and the finish line. But it was very real, and Ganzar made the most of her opportunity to take the biggest win of her career `by far.` Ganzar is not unfamiliar with winning big races, however, as she came to cycling after a college running career at Baylor University that included three All-Big 12 Indoor honours, and being on the 2008 distance medley relay team that took first at the Big 12 Indoor Championships, according to BaylorBears.com.ADVERTISEMENT Ganzar ran track and cross country for Baylor from 2007 through 2011, when she graduated with a degree in biology. Before starting her racing career, she was awarded a Fullbright Scholarship to teach English to University student in Brazil in 2013 and 2014. Ganzar´s racing career got off to a bit of a rocky start, according to her results posted on the USA Cycling website, which lists her as being disqualified from the Chappell Hill Bank Classic in 2013. She came back with a vengeance when she started racing again in 2015, however, winning her first three consecutive road races in Texas. She eventually found the Athlete Architecture team and continued to progress through the sport, quickly moving up through the ranks until she was racing with the very best. The team grew along with Ganzar, adding presenting sponsor Hyperthreads in 2016 and sending riders to bigger and better races. Ganzar continued winning local and regional races, adding more race days to her calendar every year.
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