Old Lake Highlands neighbor Lauren Stephens claimed gold in the 2021 U.S. professional cycling road race national championships June 20 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

It was Stephens’ first national championship title.

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“It hasn’t quite soaked in yet…Last night we made a plan to make the race hard,” she said on Instagram. “We said we were here to win. I knew we could, but when I came up the last hill just before the line, I couldn’t stop smiling. We did it!”

Follow Stephens as she competes in the 10-stage Giro d’Italia Donne in Italy.