After four days of incredible competition, the 2024 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships came to a close on Sunday afternoon. At the end of the event, Colorado Mesa University took the Varsity omnium title, while California Polytechnic State University won the Club omnium title.
Racing kicked off with Dual Slalom qualifying and finals on Thursday. On the Women's Club side, the top-seeded rider, Gwen Ramsey (Salida, Colo.; California Polytechnic State University) made it all the way to the final round to take gold. Vaila Heinemann (Mill Valley, Calif.; California Polytechnic State University) secured silver, and Avah Cherry (Knoxville Tenn.; The University of Tennessee) took bronze. In the Women's Varsity race, Breanna Winter (Antelope, Calif.; Marian University) was the top-seeded rider and took home the Stars and Stripes jersey. Caitlyn Farmer (Atlanta, Ga.; Lindsey Wilson College) and Sierra Samhammer (Medford, Ore.; Marian University) finished second and third, respectively.
During the Men's Club Dual Slalom Finals, George Poggemeyer (Littleton, Colo.; Colorado State University) defended his National Title, adding another gold medal to his collection. Adrian Hayden (Saranac Lake, N.Y.; UVM Cycling) earned silver, and Ben Mackenzie (Durango, Colo.; Colorado School of Mines) took bronze. Colorado Mesa University riders claimed the top three steps on the Varsity Men’s podium with Jack Spranger (Sammamish, Wash.) earning the Stars and Stripes jersey, Matt Sterling (Murrieta, Calif.) with silver, and Grant Lampson (Bethel Heights, Ark.) with bronze.
Nearly 200 endurance athletes took to the 7.9-kilometer Cross-Country course on Friday. Emily Stapleton (State College, Pa.; Penn State Cycling Club) kicked off the day with a win in the Club Women’s race. Elin Hartmann (Minneapolis, Minn.; Colorado State University) and Vaila Heinemann finished second and third, respectively. On the Varsity Women's side, Kiara Lylyk (Guelph; Brevard College) was the first rider to cross the finish line, winning the National Title with a time of 1:16:04. Michaela Thompson (Durango, Colo.; Fort Lewis College) earned silver, and Lizzy Gunsalus (Dudley, Mass.; Marian University) took bronze.
Justin Peck (Los Gatos, Calif.; Cal Cycling) had an incredible race and won the Club Men’s National Title with a time of 1:23:28. Quentin Loxtercamp (Edina, Minn.; Colorado State University) and Oakley Griffin (Fayetteville, Ark.; Sewanee-The University of the South) finished second and third, respectively. On the Varsity Men’s side, Owen Clark (Mono; Brevard College) pushed it in the fourth lap, ultimately distancing himself from the group by 30-seconds to win the Stars and Stripes. Cole Punchard (Brevard, N.C.; Brevard College) earned silver, and Ivan Sippy (Durango, Colo.; Colorado Mesa University) took bronze.
On Saturday, riders tackled the 1.4-kilometer Short Track course. Kicking off the morning was the Club Men’s race. It came down to a group sprint where Quentin Loxtercamp and Oakley Griffin went head-to-head with Brady White (Laguna Beach, Calif.; California Polytechnic State University) right on their heels. Loxtercamp crossed the line first to win the National Title. Griffin claimed silver and White earned bronze. On the Club Women's side, Daniela Bronk (Shelburne, Vt.; Middlebury College) would win the Stars and Stripes jersey after finishing in a time of 21:05. Elin Hartmann and Emily Stapleton finished second and third, respectively.
In the Varsity division, Owen Clark claimed victory in the men's race. Cole Punchard secured silver and Jack Spranger took bronze. Michaela Thompson (Durango, Colo.; Fort Lewis College) outsprinted Jette Aelken (Haltern Am See; Savannah College of Art & Design - Atlanta) to win gold in the women’s race. Kiara Lylyk secured bronze.
The Downhill event took place over two days, with the seeding events running on Saturday and the finals on Sunday. The Club Men’s field was 36 riders deep, and George Poggemeyer came out on top, stopping the clock at 3:00.43, and taking home his second title of the week. Eight-tenths of a second behind Poggemeyer was Ben Mackenzie, who claimed silver. Adrian Hayden would take bronze. Matthew Leliveld (Mulmur; Brevard College) won the Varsity Men's race with his time of 2:52.22. In second was Matt Sterling followed by Cole Punchard in third.
For the Club Women, California Polytechnic State University went 1-2, with Gwen Ramsey and Vaila Heinemann earning gold and silver, respectively. Ramsey finished in 3:39.87, and Heinemann stopped the clock with a time of 3:46.15. This would be Ramsey’s second Stars and Stripes jersey of the week. Avah Cherry would take bronze. Breanna Winter finished with a time of 3:30.36, winning the Varsity Women’s National Title, her second title of the week. Maddy Glotfelty (Durango, Colo.; Fort Lewis College) claimed silver, and Sydney Nielson (Highland, Utah; Colorado Mesa University) took bronze.
The pressure was on when it came to the final event of the weekend, the Team Relay. This was an important event for teams to grab their final points towards the overall omnium. In the Varsity race, Brevard College snagged the overall win, with Colorado Mesa University taking second, and Fort Lewis College earning third.
In the Club race, Colorado State University took the win. California Polytechnic State University earned second, and Middlebury College secured third.
1. Gwen Ramsey (Salida, Colo.; California Polytechnic State University)
2. Vaila Heinemann (Mill Valley, Calif.; California Polytechnic State University)
3. Avah Cherry (Knoxville Tenn.; The University of Tennessee)
1. Kiara Lylyk (Guelph; Brevard College)
2. Nicole Bradbury (Brevard, N.C.; Brevard College)
3. Maria Doering (Banner Elk, N.C.; Savannah College of Art & Design - Atlanta)
1. Quentin Loxtercamp (Edina, Minn.; Colorado State University)
2. Brady White (Laguna Beach, Calif.; California Polytechnic State University)
3. George Poggemeyer (Littleton, Colo.; Colorado State University)
1. Cole Punchard (Brevard, N.C.; Brevard College)
2. Jack Spranger (Sammamish, Wash.; Colorado Mesa University)
3. Owen Clark (Mono; Brevard College)
1. California Polytechnic State University – 574 Points
2. Colorado State University – 506 Points
3. UVM Cycling – 483 Points
1. Colorado Mesa University – 674 Points
2. Brevard College – 664 Points
3. Fort Lewis College – 592 Points
A full list of results can be found here.
A special thank you to the team in Bentonville for hosting the 2024 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships.
Photo By: Craig Huffman
