The Fort Lewis College cycling team competed in the criterium and road race disciplines Saturday and Sunday at the Maverick Classic in Grand Junction.
As Natalie Quinn helped keep the group together in the women’s collegiate A/pro criterium, she gave teammate Ava Hackmann a chance to have a good sprint to the finish. Four Colorado Mesa cyclists, however, worked to block Hackmann and help Olivia Cummins cross first in 1 hour, 9 minutes, 39 seconds. Hackmann finished one second later in fifth place, and Quinn finished seventh, one second after Hackmann.
“Mesa has a really strong international racing squad,” said Ian Burnett, FLC’s head road coach. “Ava fought it out with them and gave it a go, there were just too many CMU girls for her to handle.”
Michaela Thompson, Sabrina Hayes, Madelyn Roberson and Danika Brabec finished 14th through 17th for FLC.
In the men’s collegiate A/pro criterium, two riders got away early and dominated the field, Burnett said. Pro racer Colby Lange finished first in 1:08:38, 9 seconds ahead of CMU’s Ian Anderson.
Luca Haines and Sam Riess led FLC, crossing eighth and ninth, both in 1:09:59. Kobi Gyetvan was on their rear wheel, crossing 15th in 1:10:00.
Nic Narraway crossed 24th in 1:10:04. Nathan Colavolpe finished 26th in 1:10:10, and Guy Leshem placed 28th in 1:10:15.
“The criteriums taught both varsity teams a lot about each other: how to be a unified front and racing together,” Burnett said.
In Sunday’s collegiate A/pro road race, Quinn and Roberson worked together to lead FLC. Quinn finished sixth in 2:43:23 while Roberson finished eighth in 2:43:50. “They rode well together with a lot of CMU girls attacking hard,” Burnett said.
Romina Hinojosa of CMU won the women’s road race in 2:37:27.
In the men’s collegiate A/pro road race, Kieran Haug of the University of Colorado won in 3:14:14, four seconds ahead of Lange.
Guy Leshem led FLC, crossing ninth in 3:15:36. Colavolpe finished 12th in 3:15:52, and e Sam Brown placed 13th in the same time. Nic Narraway went with the break, allowing some Skyhawks to cruise for a bit, and finished 15th in 3:16:21.
FLC cyclists Henry Nelson and Beckett Ledger finished first and second in the collegiate B race, respectively, in 2:52:27.
“They raced really patient,” Burnett said. “They hid out in the group all day and waited for the last climb.”
The coach Nelson went out in a sprint 500 meters before the finish and Ledger was able to follow him to secure a 1-2 finish for FLC.
The Skyhawks race this weekend in Fort Collins, with a road race Saturday and a criterium around Colorado State University on Sunday.
