BANNER ELK, N.C. — The Montreat College cycling team returned to competition this past Saturday and Sunday following a weeklong break, taking part in the Collegiate MTB Challenge hosted by Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C. The Cavaliers participated across eight events during the two-day meet, securing a pair of top-10 finishes while four additional riders completed their respective disciplines.
Clara Overholser posted a pair of strong finishes for the Cavaliers, placing fourth out of 22 riders in field one of the women's downhill race. The Brevard, N.C., native recorded a time of 2:23.41, finishing 10 seconds behind the event winner from Brevard College. Overholser also earned an eighth-place finish among 28 competitors in the first section of the women's dual slalom competition.
Georgia Miller placed 11th out of 13 riders in field two of the women's cross country race, recording a time of 1:21:00.4 to complete her Montreat debut.
William Ellithorp recorded a sixth-place finish out of 12 riders in field three of the men's cross country event, posting a time of 34:00. The freshman also competed in field two of the men's dual slalom race, placing 53rd out of 56 riders.
Lucas Zeringue participated in two disciplines over the weekend, earning his best result in field one of the men's downhill race. The sophomore placed 28th out of 53 riders with a time of 2:10.09. Zeringue also finished 33rd among 40 competitors in field one of the men's dual slalom event.
Freshman Wesley Hane also rode in field one of the men's short track race, placing 50th overall.
"A great race weekend at one of our favorite venues," said Head Coach Doug Cline. "We started the weekend with cross country racing in some of the biggest fields of the year and finished strong on a tough course. Day one ended with dual slalom, with Clara finishing in eighth and Lucas finishing just 0.1 seconds away from qualifying. We opened day two with a fun short track day for William and Wesley. They competed with large fields of competitors on a fun track full of S turns and mud jumps. The weekend then concluded with the most anticipated downhill event of the season for Lucas and Clara. We're looking forward to the Ride Rock Creek Championships this upcoming weekend."
For full results from the Collegiate MTB Challenge, click here.
The Montreat College cycling team returns to action on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, for the Ride Rock Creek Championships in Zirconia, N.C.
