Why is it that when certain sports aren’t considered a power sport, no one pays attention? Football, Soccer and Volleyball are incredibly important to watch in the fall, but who is to say Colorado Mesa University cycling team isn’t just as important?
CMU Cycling competitions may not be as easy to view, but they are on campus with us and we should be supporting the team that has won multiple national championships in the last couple of years. Yes, it is a club sport but that doesn’t discredit the roster that is filled with athletes who love the sport and compete at the highest level offered in the NCAA.
CMU hosted their annual CMU Mountain Rumble event this weekend at Powderhorn Ski Result, and more than 15 different Mavericks medaled in their respected events. The Rumble hosted teams from schools like CU-Boulder, CSU, The University of Denver, Western Colorado University, Air Force, and other schools from the Rocky Mountain region.
Junior Torbjorn Roed won the gold in the Short Track Cross Country and Cross-Country events, along with sophomore Scott Funston who placed in STXC and other Cross-Country events. Junior Trevor McCutcheon and senior Andras Simon took gold and silver in the Men’s Downhill event and all the separated the two was .76 of a second.
Freshman Lauren Lackman who won the gold in the Cross-Country event and the silver in STXC. Freshman Jazlyn Smith placed first in the Women’s Downhill along with Sarah Smith who also placed. Over the course of the entire weekend, the Mavericks had only two riders that participated and didn’t place in their events.
CMU took home almost every gold medal and the only thing that prevented them from doing so entirely was not having a rider in every event. With the amount of talent on this roster, the possibilities are endless, and the roster is balanced with experience and youth. With the balance, this program is set up for the next few years and it will continue to grow with time.
The Mavericks have incredible talent on their roster, but they don’t garner the support that some of the main sports do. The men’s and women’s rosters bolster premier talent from all over the world, and they consistently produce medals in each event. Cycling may not be for everyone, but they have different teams that excite completely different kinds of people.
It is time to start balancing how the support of programs is spread around on campus.
The next race for CMU is September 12-15 in Rock Hill, South Carolina at the USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships.
