Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
January 11, 2007 issue
The Lees-McRae Bobcats cycling team captured their first Division I National Title when they traveled to Rhode Island December 15 to 17 for the 2006 Cyclocross National Championships.
In the first race of the weekend, the collegiate women rode a fabulous race. Clara Beard had an exceptional performance leading the race the entire distance with Kacey Mandefield quickly working her way to the front and holding second to the finish line. Carla Swart, Ally Stacher and Monique Hein all held strong positions during the race.
By the finish, it was complete domination by the Lees-McRae women. Beard finished first, Mandefield second and Hein third for a sweep of the top of the podium. Swart finished sixth, Stacher seventh and Jo Markham twelfth.
Six finishes in the top twelve secured a first place finish for the team on day one. But with Fort Lewis College, last year’s national champions, on the heels of the Bobcats, the men would have to shine in their race Sunday.
The Fort Lewis men rode well, and with other top Div I contenders like Colorado State, University of Colorado, Lindsey Wilson College, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and NC State, Sunday’s race would prove to be a difficult one.
Scott Jackson led the Bobcats for most of the race; however, he flatted the last lap and fell back finishing at 16. Luke Winger came forward for the top finish at 13. Danny Marquardt, in his last collegiate race of his career, finished 24 and Aaron Bradford finished just behind in 25. Chris Consorto was 26 and Wes Shirey was 28.
After a solid performance by the men’s team, Lees-McRae and Fort Lewis were tied for first. Lees-McRae’s women placed first and men second. Fort Lewis’s men were on top and women second. The tie was then broken by riders’ placement.
Bobcat Clara Beard had a first place finish. Fort Lewis had no individual capture first place, thus the Bobcats won the overall team omnium and brought home their first Division I National title, and the first ever Division I national title for the college. Earlier in the semester, the Bobcats placed third and fourth in mountain bike and short track nationals, respectively.
“I am very proud of my team and the way they raced. They have shown that we deserve to be racing in Division I and that we will be a strong force in Division I cycling over the coming years,” said Doug Owen, Lees-McRae cycling head coach. “We are on a pace to fulfill our highest hopes of reaching the top ranking in the country our first year in Division I cycling. We are also excited at the thought that we could be ranked number one in the country when we line up to host collegiate mountain bike nationals here on our campus in October of 2007.”