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| Pedaling to the podium
by Will Sands Mud, technical terrain, stiff competition and a venue on the far side of the nation presented no problems for Fort Lewis College mountain bikers. Last weekend, the local college’s mountain bike team successfully defended its National Champion title in Banner Elk, N.C. Durango riders squared off against archrival Lees-McRae College on that school’s home turf, as well as powerhouse University of Colorado-Boulder, competing in cross country, short track, dual slalom and downhill events. When the weekend came to an end, Fort Lewis just edged out Lees-McRae to take the Team Omnium title, a three-peat for the Durango squad. “It was tough this year,” said Fort Lewis Coach Dave Hagen. “Lees-McRae had the home turf advantage, and they’ve got a lot of really good riders that can compete head-to-head with our riders. In the end, our kids rode great races in conditions they’re not used to riding in.” If trails littered with roots, slick rocks and moss weren’t enough, Mother Nature also upped the stakes for the weekend. Steady rains hit on the first day of competition and continued to soak courses for the entire championships. Accustomed to East Coast slop, Lees-McRae had an impressive showing, with riders finishing in the top five in many of the individual events. However, Fort Lewis held strong placing enough riders on the podium to eventually prevail in the team points competition. The cross country competition kicked off the nationals with nearly 200 riders vying for the title on a course that ran through the Lees-McRae campus. Despite stiff competition, Fort Lewis’ Ben Sonntag, the defending champion, edged Lees-McRae’s Scott Stewart on the final lap. Fellow Fort Lewis rider Rotem Ishay managed a fourth place, an impressive feat since he dropped his chain at the start and played chase throughout the 25-mile race. Sonntag commented that the victory was hard fought at the finish line. “It was harder than last year,” he said. “Lees-McRae controlled the race from the start with a rider right in front and behind me. I would make up some on the inclines, but I’d lose that on the downhill. My broken right index finger really affected my control on the descents. It was a good fight; Stewart ran a great race.”
Fort Lewis riders, Teal Stetson-Lee and downhill specialist Sage Wilderman, added to their team’s point total with fourth and fifth in the women’s cross country. Racing resumed the next morning with the short-track race. Once again, Fort Lewis and Lees-McRae traded podium spots with only a pair of points separating the two in the overall omnium competition. Sonntag continued to ride strong en route to his second 2008 national title, scoring a slim victory over Lees-McRae’s Brad Perley after he ran into a tree. Fort Lewis’ Ishay took third in the short-track. “I heard the crowd yelling when he hit, but I was glad he wasn’t hurt,” said Sonntag of Perley’s crash. “Like all competitors, I want a win, but not because a rider went down, but simply because we fought to the end.” When it came down to it, gravity proved to be Fort Lewis’ strongest asset. Dominant performances in women’s downhill and dual slalom competitions wound up giving local riders the overall advantage. “If anything, we took a team that is as strong or stronger in the dual slalom as it is in downhill,” Hagen said. “If it hadn’t been for those two events, we would have had a pretty hard time winning this year.” The Fort Lewis women turned in a dominating performance going one-two-three in the downhill. Last year’s champion, Sage Wilderman, was upstaged only by teammate Emma Millar. Fellow Skyhawk Alisha Gibson joined them in third. Speed was also on the side of local men and women during the final event of the championships – dual slalom. The nearly half-mile course provided an exciting finish to an intense weekend of racing, and Fort Lewis had its share of victory. Arthur Daley took third in the men’s event, and the Fort Lewis women dominated the head-to-head competition. Emma Millar landed in second place, followed by Sage Wilderman in third and Alisha Gibson in fifth. And at the conclusion of the dual slalom, Fort Lewis was awarded the team title. And as the team readied for the long haul home, some of the most lavish praise came from Lees-McRae head coach Brian Sheedy who conceded to “perhaps the strongest team Fort Lewis has ever had.” •
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The Independent Weekly Line on Durango and Beyond
