US Collegiate MTB Championships - NE

Angel Fire, New Mexico, USA, October 10-12, 2003

Schedule Round-up

Schedule & results

Race 1 - October 10: Short track cross-country
Race 2 - October 10: Dual
Race 3 - October 11: Cross-country
Race 4 - October 12: Downhill

Fort Lewis and Lees McTae claim collegiate national MTB titles

22 National Titles Handed out in Angel Fire

By Andy lee, USA Cycling

The 2003 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships returned to Angel Fire Resort in New Mexico for the second straight year as 281 riders from 58 schools competed for individual National Championships in cross-country, short-track, downhill, and dual slalom along with team and individual omnium honors. Organized by Cycle Cyndicate, the event was held October 10-12.

Fort Lewis College won the Division I Team Omnium Title with 709 points to runner-up University of Colorado who scored 675 points. Lees McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C. took home the Division II title with 713 points ahead of fellow North Carolina institution, Warren Wilson College who racked up 639 points. Defending Division II National Champions, Union College, placed third with 571 points.

Individual omnium titles went to Ross Schnell (Mesa State) and Hana Fiserova (CSU) in the respective men's and women's Division I category. Schnell scored 554 points, including an individual title in the dual slalom on his way to winning the title, while Fiserova scored 258 points ahead of second-place finisher, Susan Grandjean (Fort Lewis College). Defending Division I Omnium champ Jennifer Gersbach (University of Colorado) claimed and unusual duo of individual national titles, winning the short track and downhill crowns on her way to finishing 5th in the omnium.

Aaron Bradford (Lees McRae) and Adena Wygmans (Warren Wilson) claimed the Division II individual omnium championships. Bradford scored 404 points to runner-up, teammate Brent Bookwalter's, 304 points. Wygmans edged defending champion Amanda McKay (Union College) by a mere seven points to claim the overall win.

In addition to the stars and stripes jersey and the prestige of being crowned the National Champion, the top three finishers in each of the individual omnium standings, and the top three schools in the team omnium were awarded with performance awards totaling $5000.00 from the USA Cycling Development Foundation.

Team Omnium Champions

Division I: Fort Lewis College
Division II: Lees McRae College

Individual Omnium Champions

Men's Division I: Ross Schnell (Mesa State)
Women's Division I: Hana Fiserova (CSU)
Men's Division II: Aaron Bradford (Lees McRae)
Women's Division II: Adena Wygmans (Warren Wilson)

Individual National Champions

Division I Men

Cross Country: Anthony Colby (Fort Lewis College)
Short Track: Anthony Colby (Fort Lewis College)
Downhill: Janjay Shanbhag (Cal Poly-Pamona)
Dual Slalom: Ross Schnell (Mesa State)

Division I Women

Cross Country: Kristin Johnson (Fort Lewis College)
Short Track: Jennifer Gersbach (University of Colorado)
Downhill: Jennifer Gersbach (University of Colorado)
Dual Slalom: Rana Schnell (Mesa State)

Division II Men

Cross Country: Brent Bookwalter (Lees McRae)
Short Track: Brent Bookwalter (Lees McRae)
Downhill: John Iden (Lehigh)
Dual Slalom: Mark Billingsby (East Tennessee)

Division II Women

Cross Country: Amanda McKay (Union College)
Short Track: Holly Borowski (Air Force Academy)
Downhill: Jessica Niles (Humboldt State)
Dual Slalom: Monique Hein (Lees McRae)