ZIRCONIA, N.C. — The Montreat College cycling team had a weekend to remember during the Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (SECCC) Championships at Ride Rock Creek in Zirconia, N.C. Racing on Saturday and Sunday, the Cavaliers landed six top-five finishes across individual events and secured a ninth-place team finish out of 20 squads.
 
On the team leaderboard, the Cavs accrued a total of 634 points, 13 better than Kennesaw State University and 17 fewer than the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Lees-McRae College claimed the overall team title with 1,238 points.
 
The SECCC Championships opened on Saturday with the cross country and dual slalom disciplines. On the women's side, freshman Georgia Miller secured fifth place out of 11 riders in the cross country second category. Meanwhile, Clara Overholser completed her top-flight dual slalom event in fourth out of 21 student-athletes.
 
Over on the men's side, Wesley Hane and William Ellithorp represented Montreat in the cross country competition. The former concluded 26^th out of a large 63-man first field, while the latter turned in a DNF in his second category race. Ellithorp bounced back in the dual slalom, though, notching a 33^rd-place showing among a 45-rider second flight. Lucas Zeringue snuck inside the top 20 of the first field, wrapping up his effort in 19^th out of 36 individuals.
 
Miller and Overholser picked up right where they left off on Sunday, with each Cavalier improving their finish by one placement in the women's short track cross country and downhill disciplines, respectively. Racing in the second field, Miller ended fourth out of 18 short track cross country participants. Overholser recorded a bronze medal finish in the top flight of the women's downhill, concluding third out of 18 with a time of 2:34.767.
 
Zeringue's gravity showing also impressed during Sunday's slate. The Jacksonville, Fla., native reached the finish line with the 14^th-best time out of 52 men's downhill competitors, turning in a 2:14.220 performance in the first category. Hane also took on a massive first field in the men's short track cross country, placing 42^nd out of 65. Meanwhile, Ellithorp sealed a top-five placement in the third flight, finishing fourth among five riders.
 
Along with the Cavs' ninth-place team effort, Overholser concluded the weekend runner-up in the SECCC's season-long women's gravity standings. Zeringue slotted in at No. 11 on the conference's men's gravity leaderboard. Hane tied for 31^st in the men's endurance standings.
 
"An amazing conference championship weekend racing at our favorite venue," said Head Coach Doug Cline. "The team had an amazing showing and an equally amazing time hanging out and riding bikes. It's been a great season at some great venues, and we couldn't have done it without a little help from our friends. On to nationals."
 
For a look at results from the SECCC Championships, click here.
 
The Montreat College cycling team now directs its attention to the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships, which are scheduled for Oct. 7-11 at Powderhorn Mountain Resort in Mesa, Colo.