Fort Lewis College had hoped to host this year’s USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships at Purgatory Resort. It didn’t happen. But that won’t change the mentality of the championship-seeking Skyhawks.
Originally, the collegiate nationals were scheduled for Oct. 18-20 at Purgatory Resort. But USA Cycling pulled the plug on that idea late last year. FLC cycling director Dave Hagen had hoped to keep the races at Purgatory, but nationals eventually were awarded to Big Bear Lake, California.
That’s where FLC will look to win a 25th national title in cycling program history across all disciplines and a third consecutive mountain bike championship after it won the previous two years in Missoula, Montana.
“Hopefully, here in the near future we will be up at Purgatory and be able to show our community what we do, and hopefully when that happens, we will make them proud,” said FLC cycling director Dave Hagen. “This year, we’re happy it’s still out West and happy we don’t have to go to West Virginia or North Carolina or somewhere like that.”
At 6,752 feet, Big Bear Lake is at similar altitude to Durango, and the Skyhawks see that as an advantage ahead of traditional nationals rivals such as Brevard College of North Carolina or Marian University out of Indianapolis.
FLC took a loaded roster to nationals. All four members of last year’s champion team-relay squad are back in the form of Savilia Blunk, Ellen Campbell, Nash Dory and Cole Paton. That same lineup could help FLC win the national title Sunday, but Hagen knows tough decisions will loom. Blunk and Campbell both plan to race in cross-country and short-track as well as contest the gravity events of dual slalom and downhill. Adding a fifth event to a busy program in only three days is a grueling task for even the fittest riders. Henry Nadell also could be a factor in the team relay if he is called upon.
“Really, we can wait until the last minute and say, ‘OK, are you good to go for this?’ We’re going to pick the two guys and two girls we think can be the fastest for one lap,” Hagen said. “We will really need them to be honest with us because that team relay can be a deciding factor in which team wins. We definitely want to have people fresh and ready to rock.”
Blunk will look to lead the FLC women’s endurance team along with Campbell of Durango. Blunk competed all year in World Cup events as well as the national and world championships. Paton did the same on the men’s side and was joined at the world championships by Nadell.
Last year, Paton swept the short-track and cross-country titles at collegiate nationals. Along with Nadell, the men’s endurance team also consists of Dory, Durango’s own Keiran Eagen, speedy sophomore Cooper Wiens and Israeli freshman Guy Leshem.
“Mountain biking is usually an individual effort but with the depth of this team they often can use team tactics to secure the desired result,” Hagen said.
Last year, Blunk won the short-track title at collegiate nationals. She is joined by a loaded list of local talent in Campbell, Katja Freeburn, Camryn Sippy and Stella Sisneros as well as freshman Maddie Gerritsen.
“The women XCers are all coming onto great form for the championships and will look to continue their podium dominance this weekend,” Hagen said.
After McCauley Smith reigned supreme in women’s downhill in recent years, she has turned from athlete to coach for the Skyhawks’ gravity team that is now led by Elle Runyan, who was fifth in last year’s downhill. Hagen said four-time national team rider Anna Schehrer will also join Runyan on the women’s team along with Barb Edwards and Emily Knight as well as Campbell and Blunk, who can contest the individual omnium championship by racing all four events.
“McCauley brings such a levelheadedness and confidence to it all,” Hagen said. “She really helps every rider on the team feel confident about their skills and what they’re doing. She had a revelation here racing dual slalom a few years ago that brought her to the next level, and I hope she can pass that knowledge on and have the team ready to rock.”
FLC’s men’s gravity team has nationals returners in Durango DEVO alum Shane Ellis along with Asa McGill-Howe, and each have won conference races this year. Will Farmer of Aztec also has a win under his belt this season, while Keanu Smith and Trent Del Grippo have posted consistent top-10 results, Hagen said. Cole Fiene, a California product, also has big hopes in dual slalom for FLC.
“The biggest advantage that FLC has is it’s depth, with any rider on the team being capable of a win or podium placing,” Hagen said. “Having such good competition in the (Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference) is great preparation for the national competitions against not only top teams for the RMCCC like Colorado Mesa University, but teams from perennial national powerhouses Marian University, Lees McRae College and Brevard College.”
Cross-country racing will begin with the men at 8:30 a.m. Friday, and the women will follow at 11:30 a.m. Dual slalom qualifying will be held at 4:45 p.m.
Saturday will have downhill seeding in the morning followed by short-track at 2 p.m. for the men and 3:30 p.m. for women. The dual slalom finals will be held at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday’s downhill finals will begin at 11:30 a.m., and the team relay will close out action at 3 p.m.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
