CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. – Fort Lewis College Cycling put together another dominant weekend of racing at Western Colorado University's Mountain Madness, highlighted by four downhill victories on Saturday and another strong showing across downhill, short track and cross-country competition on Sunday.
The Skyhawks' downhill squad led the way throughout the weekend, with Travis Boucher sweeping the Men's Cat 1/Pro races and Abigail Pruyn doing the same in Women's Cat 2. Oona Nelson and Madeline Towner added victories on Saturday as Fort Lewis showcased its depth throughout the field.
Downhill
Saturday's Avery Downhill saw Fort Lewis claim wins in four categories. Boucher led the charge in Men's Cat 1/Pro, crossing the line in 3:14.08 to earn the victory. Nelson followed with the win in Women's Cat 1/Pro, while Pruyn topped Women's Cat 2 and Towner claimed first in Women's Cat 3.
The Skyhawks packed the standings behind Boucher in the Men's Cat 1/Pro race. Rex Davis finished third and Alec Balabanis placed sixth, while Sebastian Farrell, Wyatt Colville, Finn McDermott, Logan Moxey, Caleb Haack and Boden Whittick all landed inside the top 15.
Fort Lewis was equally impressive in the Women's Cat 1/Pro field. Maddy Glotfelty placed third, followed by Rivers Klopson in fifth, Hayden Bevington in sixth and Adia Annibella in seventh to give the Skyhawks five of the top seven finishers.
Boucher returned to the top step of the podium Sunday at Captain Jack's Downhill, completing a perfect weekend with his second Men's Cat 1/Pro victory. Pruyn also made it two-for-two with another win in Women's Cat 2.
Annibella led Fort Lewis in the Women's Cat 1/Pro race with a runner-up finish, followed closely by Nelson in third and Klopson in fourth. Bevington added a ninth-place result.
Farrell and Davis continued the Skyhawks' impressive depth on the men's side, finishing third and fourth, respectively. McDermott, Colville, Balabanis, Moxey, Haack, Whittick and additional Fort Lewis riders gave the Skyhawks a strong presence throughout the top 20.
Fort Lewis also picked up valuable results throughout the Cat 2 and Cat 3 fields over the two days, led by Dylan Timmerman with sixth- and fifth-place finishes. Carter Southcotte, Scotty Hassett, Mason Campbell, Elias Norander, Dillon Burns, Erik Simonson, Ryder Conley and Guy Koenig contributed additional results across the weekend.
Short Track
Fort Lewis carried its momentum into short track competition with several podium finishes.
The Skyhawks went 1-2 in Men's Cat 2 behind Abram Fields and Mangum, while Colter Griffis earned the Men's Cat 3 victory and Finnegan Bolan finished third.
Nathaniel Meister led the Men's Pro/Cat 1 group with a runner-up finish, while Fort Lewis also displayed its depth in the Women's Pro/Cat 1 field.
The Skyhawks nearly swept the front of the Women's Cat 2/3 race as well, placing four riders among the top six.
Cross Country
Fort Lewis continued to collect podium finishes in the Cross Country Olympic races, highlighted by another 1-2 finish in Men's Cat 3.
After Griffis took the short track win, Bolan turned the tables in XCO competition by claiming first with Griffis finishing runner-up. Fields added a third-place finish in Men's Cat 2.
Simone Piccolo-Brown led the Women's Cat 2/3 group with a second-place finish. Scarlett Cole-Rae followed in fourth, and Tilly Dodd placed fifth to give Fort Lewis three of the top five.
Emmett McManus paced the Skyhawks in Men's Pro/Cat 1 with a fourth-place finish, followed by Meister in seventh. Fort Lewis also received strong performances from Olander, Sevenoff, Meyer and Brown.
On the women's side, Aleena Furniss finished fifth in Pro/Cat 1, followed by Malia Brock in sixth and Katja Opfer in ninth, putting three Skyhawks inside the top 10.
Fort Lewis will look to carry its momentum forward as the collegiate mountain bike season continues.