One collegiate cycling season already has reached its conclusion.
The Fort Lewis College cycling team has sent its best short track riders to Indianapolis this weekend for the USA Cycling Collegiate Track Nationals at the Major Taylor Velodrome.
The men’s short track team is led by juniors Dean Haas, the 2013 scratch race champion, and Zach Noonan, the defending track individual omnium champion. Last year’s short track team claimed second place overall at nationals, and junior Troy Meeker and sophomore Max Thilen returned from that team to this year’s competition.
The men’s team also has promising young freshmen in Weston Flickinger, Emmanuel Gagne and Lucas Wardein, head coach Ian Burnett said in an email to The Durango Herald.
“We are bringing the deepest, most experienced team to track (nationals) that FLC has ever produced,” Burnett said.
The FLC women’s team is captained by senior Ivie Crawford, who is joined by sophomore Maddie Chaves as the two most experienced track riders.
FLC cycling director Dave Hagen said sophomores Sydney Edmonson and Jenna MacPherson will join Chaves and Crawford on the team pursuit squad and in the endurance events.
FLC freshman Dominique Shore also will bolster the short track team after spending all summer training in Colorado Springs at the 7-Eleven Velodrome.
To prepare for nationals, the FLC team competed in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Track Championships on Sept. 13 in Colorado Springs.
MacPherson finished second in the women’s Miss and Out event and was second in the points race. The FLC women also claimed bronze and gold in the women’s team pursuit.
Noonan finished first in the men’s scratch race, and Gagne was third in the same event. The FLC men also earned a silver in the team pursuit and silver in the team sprint.
The first round of races began Thursday, and quarterfinals were held in the sprint category. Racing will continue through Sunday morning when the scratch race finals will be held.
FLC cycling, which was founded in 1994, has won 20 national championships in its 20 seasons.
heraldsports@ durangoherald.com
FLC Cycling
Fort Lewis College
USA Cycling Collegiate Track Nationals
Sept. 25-28
Major Taylor Velodrome, Indianapolis
Skyhawks’ Men’s Roster
Weston Flickinger, freshman
Emmanuel Gagne, freshman
Dean Haas, junior
Troy Meeker, junior
Zach Noonan, junior
Max Thilen, sophomore
Lucas Wardein, freshman
Skyhawks’ Women’s Roster
Maddie Chaves, sophomore
Ivie Crawford, senior
Sydney Edmonson, sophomore
Jenna MacPherson, sophomore
Dominique Shore, freshman
Durango Herald
