The cycling team finished ninth in difficult conditions at the 2021 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships October 14-17 at the Purgatory Resort in Durango, Colorado. The Lions earned a total of 363 points over the course of nine events, ending just 15 points behind Milligan College in eighth.
Individually, the championship began with the Men's Cross Country on Thursday.
Josh Fitzgerald was the high finisher for Lindenwood in 36th place with a time of 1:53:30.
Thomas Fuller took 39th and
Eddie Stillman finished in 49th place. In the Women's Cross Country,
Aunika Kemp posted a time of 1:31:25 for 35th place, followed by
Aubrey Drummond in 39th and
Ella Dishong in 42nd.
After an idle day on Friday, the Men's Short Track Cross Country races kicked off Saturday with Fitzgerald again leading the Lions effort with a time of 12:59 in 48th place.
Cayden Whitehill finished 58th and Stillman took 64th. Kemp led Lindenwood in the women's race with a time of 15:55 for 26th place. She was followed by Dishong in 35th, with Drummond right behind in 36th.
Maddy Frank finished in 48th place.
The final day of Nationals began with the Men's Downhill.
Grant Lampson took 26th to lead the Lions, followed by
Joey Leto in 43rd,
Jack Bledsoe in 53rd, and
Joe Schnapp in 55th.
Skylar Schaetz led the Lindenwood squad in the women's race, taking 24th in the event. She was followed by
Amanda Verhaeg in 36th.
The Team Relay race was next with Lindenwood taking 10th place with a time of 42:22.
Schaetz led the Lions in the final event of the weekend, taking 15th in the Women's Dual Slalom. Verhaeg finished 37th in the race. Lampson finished with the top highlight for Lindenwood as he finished third in the Men's Dual Slalom to earn a spot on the podium. Leto finished in 38th, while Schnapp took 49th.
The Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships featured a variety of weather conditions ranging from sunny, to snowy, muddy, and icy; plus elevation was a big factor for the Lions with Purgatory Resort sitting at 8,793 feet. Some of the courses required climbs to over two miles above sea level.
The cycling team switches disciplines to cyclocross for the Cincy Cyclocross meet October 23-24 in Mason, Ohio.
