Fort Lewis, Brevard lead Collegiate MTB Nats going into day 3
17-year-old Howard Grotts won a second national title on Saturday with his victory in the short track competition.
After the second day of racing, Fort Lewis College leads the Division I team omnium with 496 points while Lees-McRae is secondwith 424 and the University of Colorado isn’t far behind in third with 421 points. In Division II, Brevard College sits in first with 491 points while Union College is in second with 471 and Warren Wilson College is ranked third with 377.
The day started off bright and early with the short track competitions.Rotem Ishay (Fort Lewis College) and Howard Grotts (Colorado School of Mines) both took their second national titles in as many days on Saturday with wins in the Divisions I and II men’s short track cross country contests.
Ishay beat out silver and bronze medalistsBraden Kappis (University of Colorado) and Brad Perley (Lees-McRae College). Mense de Jong (California Polytechnic)and Jack Hinkens (Fort Lewis College) crossed the line in fourth and fifth.
In the Division II race, the 17-year-old Grotts won the national title ahead of Macky Franklin (Middlebury College) and Tristan Cowie (Brevard College) while Wesley Lamberson (Union College) and Scott Hoffner (Brevard College) grabbed the final two spots on the podium.
The Division I women’s short track race was much like the cross country contest on Friday as it pretty much came down to a two-woman battle between Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College) and Erica Zaveta (Lees-McRae College). This time around, however, Wilderman was the victor after making her move in the wooded section with two laps to go. The Fort Lewis rider opened up nearly a 20 second gap on Friday’s champ, kept the pressure on, and took the win by almost 30 seconds. Powering into the finish area for third and fourth places were Wilderman’s Fort Lewis teammates Sarah Sturm and Kaila Hart. Jill Behlen (University of Wyoming) rounded out the short track podium in fifth.
In the Division II contest, Caroline Decosimo (Brevard College) beat out silver and bronze medalists Rachel Milsop (Union College) and Emily Brown (US Air Force Academy) for the Stars-and-Stripes jersey while Kiara Rossouw (Mars Hill College) and Esmerelda Martinez Ramos (Mesa State College) were fourth and fifth across the line.
Later in the afternoon, the first gravity competitions of the weekend took place on the Northstar’s four-cross course.
Benjamin Hulse(Lees-McRae College) won the main in the Division I men’s event, besting Weston Pope (Lindsey Wilson College), Jarrod Adcock (Lindsey Wilson College), and Logan Collins (Lindsey Wilson College) while Erik Nelson (Northern Arizona University). grabbed the final spot on the podium in fifth place.
In the Division II men’s main, Blake Carney (California Lutheran University) rode his way into a Stars-and-Stripes jersey after beating out Chris Hale (Mesa State College), Geoffrey Fryer (East Tennessee State University), and Kevin Pabinquit (Humboldt State University). Thomas Wilkinson (East Tennessee State University) won the race for fifth.
After sending three women to the four-rider main, Lindsey Wilson College swept the top three spots on the Division I women’s four-cross podium with Brittany Bates (Lindsey Wilson College) riding to the national title, Jessica Cartwright (Lindsey Wilson College) earning the silver, and Stephanie Barragan (Lindsey Wilson College) taking bronze. Rounding out the podium in fourth and fifth respectively were Jill Behlen (University of Wyoming) and Caroline Westray (Appalachian State University).
The Division II women’s contest saw Essence Barton (California Lutheran University) fight her way onto the podium’s top step, taking the win over silver and bronze medalists Christen Boyer (Colorado School of Mines) and Anne Minor (Clarkson University). Elisa Otter (Warren Wilson College) was fourth in the main while Bridgette LeBer (Montana State University) beat out the rest of the competition in the race for fifth.
The 2010 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals will conclude on Sunday with the downhill competitions and the much-anticipated overall omnium podium presentations.
Stay up-to-date on all the action from Northstar on Twitter by following the tag #collnats or stay tuned to www.usacycling.org for nightly reports on all the racing.
For more information about the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships, please click here to visit the event’s official webpage.
CLICK HERE for a PHOTO GALLERY from the event.
2010 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships
Northstar at Tahoe, Truckee, Calif.
October 15-17, 2010
Division I Men’s Short Track Cross Country
1. Rotem Ishay (Fort Lewis College)
2. Braden Kappis (University of Colorado)
3. Brad Perley (Lees-McRae College)
4. Mense de Jong (California Polytechnic)
5. Jack Hinkens (Fort Lewis College)
Division II Men’s Short Track Cross Country
1. Howard Grotts (Colorado School of Mines)
2. Macky Franklin (Middlebury College)
3. Tristan Cowie (Brevard College)
4. Wesley Lamberson (Union College)
5. Scott Hoffner (Brevard College)
Division I Women’s Short Track Cross Country
1. Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College)
2. Erica Zaveta (Lees-McRae College)
3. Sarah Sturm (Fort Lewis College)
4. Kaila Hart (Fort Lewis College)
5. Jill Behlen (University of Wyoming)
Division II Women’s Short Track Cross Country
1. Caroline Decosimo (Brevard College)
2. Rachel Milsop (Union College)
3. Emily Brown (US Air Force Academy)
4. Kiara Rossouw (Mars Hill College)
5. Esmerelda Martinez Ramos (Mesa State College)
Division I Men’s Four-Cross
1. Benjamin Hulse (Lees-McRae College)
2. Weston Pope (Lindsey Wilson College)
3. Jarrod Adcock (Lindsey Wilson College)
4. Logan Collins (Lindsey Wilson College)
5. Erik Nelson (Northern Arizona University)
Division II Men’s Four-Cross
1. Blake Carney (California Lutheran University)
2. Chris Hale (Mesa State College)
3. Geoffrey Fryer (East Tennessee State University)
4. Kevin Pabinquit (Humboldt State University)
5. Thomas Wilkinson (East Tennessee State University)
Women’s Division I Four-Cross
1. Brittany Bates (Lindsey Wilson College)
2. Jessica Cartwright (Lindsey Wilson College)
3. Stephanie Barragan (Lindsey Wilson College)
4. Jill Behlen (University of Wyoming)
5. Caroline Westray (Appalachian State University)
Division II Women’s Four-Cross
1. Essence Barton (California Lutheran University)
2. Christen Boyer (Colorado School of Mines)
3. Anne Minor (Clarkson University)
4. Elisa Otter (Warren Wilson College)
5. Bridgette LeBer (Montana State University)
This Article Published October 16, 2010 For more information contact:
