Brevard College Cycling Heads to Colorado for Mountain Bike National Championships
BREVARD, N.C. - The 10-time national champion Brevard College Cycling team will compete at the 2021 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships, October 14-17 at the Purgatory Resort in Durango, Colorado. The Tornados will be seeking their 11th overall team national championship and seventh mountain bike national title at this week's event.
The event marks the first collegiate mountain bike national championships since Fall of 2019 due to the cancellation of the 2020 event as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Racing begins on Thursday starting with the Dual Slalom qualifiers. Friday will be a full day of action with early Cross Country racing followed by Dual Slalom finals. Downhill seedings and Short Track will take place on Saturday, and the weekend will conclude with Sunday's Downhill finals and the ultimate collegiate omnium decider, the Team Relay.
Brevard enters the national championships following an exceptional SECCC (Southeast Collegiate Cycling Conference) season whereby the Tornados accumulated a whopping 25 race wins, 59 podium finishes and 149 top-ten results through four mountain bike race weekends.
Under the guidance of Head Coach Brad Perley and Assistant Coach Cypress Gorry, a total of 13 BC student-athletes will make the trip to compete at the national championships. Jack Brown, Owen Clark, Tyler Clark, Philip Ford, Watt Hackney, Ryan Johnson, Cameron Mader, Tyler Miranda and Tyler Orschel will represent BC on the men's side. Hannah Dickson, Erica Leonard, Nina Machnowski and Rachel Pageau will compete for the Tornados on the women's side.
Senior Tyler Clark returns as the reigning USA Cycling Collegiate Individual Omnium champion having won the overall title at the 2019 mountain bike nationals in Big Bear Lake, California and most recently having been crowned the 2021 SECCC Individual Omnium conference champion. Tyler Clark, Owen Clark, Orschel and Pageau also raced at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sol, Italy this past August.
The 2021 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships begin Thursday at Purgatory Resort with practices in the morning followed by Dual Slalom Qualifying beginning at 1 p.m. ET/3 p.m. MT.
Friday's action begins with Female Varsity Cross Country racing at 10 a.m. ET/8 a.m. MT followed by Male Varsity Cross Country at 12:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. MT. Following Downhill Practice, the Dual Slalom Finals for all divisions starts at 6:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. MT.
Saturday features Downhill Seeding for all divisions beginning at 11:45 a.m. ET/9:45 a.m. MT. The Short Track races will round out the afternoon with the Male Varsity race scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET/1:45 p.m. MT followed by the Female Varsity race at 5:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. MT.
The final day of competition on Sunday will begin with the Downhill Finals for all divisions beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. MT. The exciting Varsity Team Relay will be the final race of the four-day event followed by the final podium ceremonies.
Follow @BCTornados and @USACylcing with the hashtag #CollNats for updates throughout the event. Go to usacyling.com for more information on events and membership programs.
The ten-time national champion Brevard College Cycling program features varsity programs in the disciplines of Mountain Bike, Cyclocross, Road, and Gravel Racing. For the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Cycling, follow @brevardcycling on Instagram and 'Brevard College Cycling' on Facebook.
To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter and Instagram @bctornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube, follow 'Brevard College Tornados' on SoundCloud, and 'Brevard College Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow 'brevardcollege' on Flickr for photos from Brevard College events.
Brevard College Tornados at USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships:
Jack Brown (Men's Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Owen Clark (Men's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Tyler Clark (Men's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Hannah Dickson (Women's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Philip Ford (Men's Cross Country, Short Track)
Watt Hackney (Men's Dual Slalom, Downhill)
Ryan Johnson (Men's Cross Country)
Erica Leonard (Women's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Nina Machnowski (Women's Cross Country, Short Track)
Cameron Mader (Men's Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Tyler Miranda (Men's Cross Country, Short Track)
Tyler Orschel (Men's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Rachel Pageau (Women's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Head Coach: Brad Perley
Assistant Coach: Cypress Gorry
Race Schedule:
Thursday, October 14
5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. MT: Dual Slalom Qualifying (All Divisions)
Friday, October 15
10 a.m. ET/8 a.m. MT: Female Varsity Cross Country
12:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. MT: Male Varsity Cross Country
6:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. MT: Dual Slalom Finals (All Divisions)
Saturday, October 16
11:45 a.m. ET/9:45 a.m. MT: Downhill Seedings (All Divisions)
3:45 p.m. ET/1:45 p.m. MT: Male Varsity Short Track
5:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. MT: Female Varsity Short Track
Sunday, October 17
12:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. MT: Downhill Finals (All Divisions)
4:45 p.m. ET/2:45 p.m. MT: Varsity Team Relay
Brevard College All-Time Collegiate Team National Championships (10)
Mountain Bike – 6 USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships
2016 – 1st (DI) Snowshoe Mountain, W. Va.
2014 – 1st (DII) Beech Mountain, N.C.
2013 – 1st (DII) Beech Mountain, N.C.
2012 – 1st (DII) Angel Fire, N.M.
2010 – 1st (DII) Truckee, Calif.
2009 – 1st (DII) Truckee, Calif.
Cyclocross – 4 USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships
2017 – 1st (DI) Hartford, Conn.
2015 – 1st (DII) Austin, Texas
2014 – 1st (DII) Boulder, Colo.
2013 – 1st (DII) Verona, Wis.
-BC-