Linda Relyea
The Paw Print
ALAMOSA (November 7) – This past October, members of the Adams State University Cycling Team traveled to Beech Mountain, NC to compete in the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships. After a hard season of cold, snowy, and muddy mountain bike racing all over Colorado, Forrest Russell and Natalie Iwamoto proved themselves as National contenders in collegiate mountain bike racing.
Russell, a freshman, already had significant mountain bike racing experience when he joined the team in the fall. He used his race experience and his high level of fitness to earn him a 17th place finish in the short track race and 38th in cross country at this year’s National Championships.
Iwamoto transferred to Adams State this fall and joined the cycling team as a walk on. She had never entered a bike race before joining the cycling team. She had a rocky start to the season as she learned the technical riding skills needed to be competitive in a race. She never got discouraged and caught on fast. She moved up through the ranks and earned her spot at Nationals in the last qualifying race in the season. At the National Championship she earned 26th in the Cross Country race and 25th in short track.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to send our riders to National Championships in just our second year of competing in intercollegiate races,” said Marshall Hartley, head cycling coach. “We would like to give a big thank you to Kristi Mountain Sports, Body Tune Up, Williams Family Chiropractic, and all of our supporters for making this season possible.”
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