After strong performances in the short track and downhill contests, only a pair of points separate Division I leaders Lees-McRae and Fort Lewis College in the team omnium competition. The Division II field displayed an evenly disbursed depth of talent with six schools in contention for the Omnium National title before Sunday’s dual slalom competition.

        
Lees-McRae hosted the Collegiate Nationals
 for the second year in a row

 

With many of the same players in the cross-country opening event finding success in the short track, Fort Lewis and Lees-McRae College once again dominated in the men’s Division I race. After settling for second in the 2007 short track contest Fort Lewis’ Benjamin Sontag earned his second national title of 2008 with a slim victory over Lees-McRae’s Brad Perley and Fort Lewis teammate Rotem Ishay. After crashing into a tree, Perley had made an incredible late race surge on his home course.

"I heard the crowd yelling when he hit, but I was glad he wasn't hurt,” said Sontag. “Like all competitors I want a win, but not because a rider went down, but simply because we fought to the end."

In the women’s Division I race Carla Swart bettered her third from a year ago to earn another Stars-and-Stripes jersey for her Lees-McRae squad. Colorado State’s Amanda Miller came in second while, Eszter Horanyi (University of Colorado-Boulder) repeated her bronze medal performance from yesterday’s cross-country race.

In Division II Brevard’s Tristan Cowie grabbed his second national title of the event taking the win on Saturday’s much shorter one mile loop course. Union’s Zach Winn once again made it an exciting contest, but settled for second over teammate Greg Gibson. After finishing third in yesterday’s cross-country race, MIT’s Katherine Harris moved up to grab the title in Saturday’s Division II women’s short track, defeating Rebecca Tomaszewski of nearby Appalachian State University and last year’s champion Kay Sherwood of Colorado College.

 

"It was another epic race today,” said Harris. “My legs were weary after yesterday's cross-country race and at some points, you'd hit the mud and your wheels would just spin out. It helped to know that everyone was facing that. It was a great race."

Downhill Results:

The afternoon’s downhill race moved the competition three miles away from the Lees-McRae campus to Sugar Mountain Resort. Joey Schusler (University of Colorado-Boulder) made quick work of the former Norba National Mountain Bike Series course, descending 1200 feet down the face of Grandfather Mountain in 3:35:43, seven seconds faster than his teammate Brian Buell. Another pair of teammates from the University of Vermont, Adam Morse and Chris Scannel finished third and fourth.

 

Fort Lewis College turned in a dominating performance going one-two-three in the Division I women’s downhill. Last year’s champion Sage Wilderman was upstaged only by teammate Emma Millar who turned in a time of 5:10.41. Their Skyhawks teammate Alisha Gibson joined them in third with rival Lees-McRae’s Hannah Trimble earning fourth.

Michael Thomas of Appalachian State University had an impressive 3:49.47 to win the Division II men’s downhill 10 seconds ahead of his teammate Steve Trottier. Robyn Embrey (Sierra Nevada College) stepped up her fourth place performance from a year ago winning the Division II women’s downhill in formidable fashion and clocking the fastest female time of the day.

 

The 2008 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Team Omnium National Champions will be awarded after the points are tallied following the final dual slalom stage. The dual slalom will take place back on the campus of Lees-McRae College.

 

COLLEGIATE OMNIUM STAGE 2 SHORT TRACK
DIVISION I
1. Benjamin Sonntag (Fort Lewis College)
2. Brad Perley (Lees-McRae College)
3. Rotem Ishay (Fort Lewis College)
4. Martin Kell (Penn State University)
5. Scott Stewart (Lees-McRae College)
WOMEN
1. Carla Swart (Lees-McRae College)
2. Amanda Miller (Colorado State University)
3. Eszter Horanyi (University of Colorado-Boulder)
4. Niki Dallaire (Lees-McRae College)
5. Jamie Dinkins (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga)
DIVISION II
1. Tristan Cowie (Brevard College)
2. Zach Winn (Union College)
3. Greg Gibson (Union College)
4. Logan Wetzel (Western Washington University)
5. Matthew Williams (Warren Wilson College)
WOMEN
1. Katherine Harris (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
2. Rebecca Tomaszewski (Appalachian State University)
3. Kay Sherwood (Colorado College)
4. Melissa Marts (Colorado School of Mines)
5. Julia Tellman (Brevard College)

COLLEGIATE OMNIUM STAGE 3 DOWNHILL
DIVISION I
1. Joey Schusler (University of Colorado-Boulder) 3:35:43
2. Brian Buell (University of Colorado-Boulder) 3:42.89
3. Adam Morse (University of Vermont) 3:47.11
4. Chris Scannel (University of Vermont) 3:50.18
5. Erik Nelson (University of Northern Arizona) 3:51.27
WOMEN
1. Emma Millar (Fort Lewis College) 5:10.41
2. Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College) 5:16.10
3. Alisha Gibson (Fort Lewis College) 5:59.67
4. Hannah Trimble (Lees-McRae College) 6:14.37
5. Soraya Khalje (University of Colorado-Boulder) 6:30.98
DIVISION II
1. Michael Thomas (Appalachian State University) 3:49.47
2. Steve Trottier (Appalachian State University) 4:00,65
3. Michael Carpentier (Wentworth Institute) 4:06.02
4. Peter Schulz (Mesa State University) 4:11.07
5. Kevin Green (Colby College) 4:12.61
WOMEN
1. Robyn Embrey (Sierra Nevada College) 5:09.37
2. Johanna Tuttle (Brevard College) 6:05.57
3. Christen Boyer (Colorado School of Mines) 6:08.86
4. Jamie Bourgo (Michigan Tech Copper County) 6:47.93
5. Rebecca Tomszewski (Appalachian State University) 8:21.90

COLLEGIATE OMNIUM STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 3
DIVISION I
1. Lees-McRae College…512 points
2. Fort Lewis College…510
3. University of Colorado-Boulder…459
4. University of Vermont…263
5. Lindsey Wilson College…251
DIVISION II
1. Appalachian State University…448 points
2. Warren Wilson College…417
3. Colorado School of Mines…408
4. Brevard College…385
5. Union College…370