The winner of Saturday’s time trial, Spence finished second in Sunday’s circuit race to capture the men’s Category I-II-III overall title at the 21st annual Cornhusker State Games.

Spence held a one-point lead over Lincoln Plating-LeMond’s Craig Schmidt entering the last of the weekend’s three road cycling events. Schmidt won Saturday afternoon’s 58-mile road race and had five teammates on the start line of Sunday’s race at Pioneers Park. Meanwhile, Spence had only teammate Chad Headlee to help protect his lead.

Early on, Lincoln Plating-LeMond put Spence on the defensive. They sent four riders off the front in succession -- Marc Walter, Christian Davenport, John Lefler, Jr., and Jon Randell. Each time, it was left to Spence to reel them back in.

And when Randell went off in pursuit of Revolution Cycling’s Stephen Cross – who had been off the front for nearly half of the 60-minute race – Spence jumped on his wheel. The pair worked well together and eventually caught Cross with four laps remaining.

"Once I got away with Randell, my Team Kaos teammate Chad (Headlee) went to the front and blocked for me," Spence said. "I really appreciated that since he was pretty fried from yesterday."

Spence also took comfort in knowing that Randell could win the race and still not overtake him in the overall standings. Randell finished second overall with 18 points to Spence’s 19, while Schmidt was third with 13 points. Davenport finished fourth (12) and Grand Island’s Mark Merritt edged Walter for fifth by virtue of his higher placing in the circuit race. Both Merritt and Walter finished with 11 points.

Spence, who last week won the Alpine Valley Road Race at the International Cycling Classic in East Troy, Wis., said he was surprised to win Saturday morning’s time trial.

"I felt really good," he said. "I’ve never beaten Christian (Davenport) before in a time trial and he started in front of me, so he was my rabbit. I was pretty happy."

Spence clocked a time of 34 minutes and 25 seconds over the 13-mile course around Branched Oak Lake. Davenport finished second, 13 seconds slower, while Randell was third in 35:04. In the road race, Spence finished well behind Schmidt, but earned two points for his top 10 placing.

Morgan Chaffin was Team Kaos’ other Cornhusker State Games champion. She won the Cat. I-II-III women’s overall, clocking an impressive 41:30 in the time trial – which would have placed her fourth overall in the men’s Cat. IV time trial standings and first in the Division B 18-34 men’s division.

"Racing three days up at the International Cycling Classic and then coming back to do this race two days later was tough," Chaffin said. "Yesterday was as many miles as I’ve raced in one day."

Team Kaos’ Gary Schmidt, who finished second in Sunday’s circuit race, placed second overall behind Grand Island’s Robert Sack in the Division C Men’s 55+ division.

Other overall division winners included: Jacqueline Wethor of Bellevue (Division C Women’s 35+), Grand Island’s Lori Merritt (Division B 18-34 Women), Lincoln’s Troy Krause (Men’s Cat. IV), Duane Blair of Norfolk (Division B Men 35-44), Omaha’s Ted Johnson (Division C Men 17-and-under) and Mike Melton of Lincoln (Division C Men 45-54).