FORT LEWIS COLLEGE CYCLING
Post-Race RecapSkyhawks Continue Strong Start with Podiums Across Short Track, Cross-Country and Enduro
Black Hawk, Colo. — September 14, 2026 — Fort Lewis College Cycling continued its strong start to the 2026–27 collegiate mountain bike season at the Mines Oredigger Classic, with Skyhawks earning podium finishes across short track, cross-country and enduro competition.
The second race weekend of the season brought together competitive collegiate fields from across Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. Fort Lewis riders once again showcased the depth, versatility and determination that have become hallmarks of the program.
Strong Results Across the Cat 1 Field
The Fort Lewis men’s Cat 1 squad delivered one of the weekend’s strongest collective performances, placing riders near the front of the field across all three disciplines.
In the Collegiate Men’s Cat 1 Cross-Country race, sophomore Oliver Smith powered to a second-place finish. The Skyhawks also placed six additional riders inside the top 15, with Rocco Lorence finishing seventh, Ezra Brown eighth, Ethan Hemphill 11th, Kip Sevenoff 13th and Parker Nellis 15th.
On the women’s side, Katja Opfer also earned a second-place finish, while Avery Roberts finished sixth.
The Cat 1 men continued their strong showing in Enduro, where Finn McDermott led the Skyhawks with a second-place finish. Oliver Smith finished fourth and Wyatt Colville fifth, giving Fort Lewis three riders inside the top five. Alec Balabanis placed seventh, Caleb Haack eighth, Tyler Swearengin 10th, Boden Whittick 11th and Logan Moxey 12th.
The Skyhawks were equally competitive in Short Track, with five Fort Lewis riders finishing inside the top 10. Kip Sevenoff led the way with a fifth-place finish, followed by Matt Currier in seventh, Oliver Smith in eighth, Rocco Lorence in ninth and Ezra Brown in 10th.
The Cat 1 women also made their mark in short track and cross-country competition. Katja Opfer earned a third-place finish in short track, with Avery Roberts placing sixth and Reese Davis 11th.
Cat 2 Skyhawks Make Their Mark
Fort Lewis’ Cat 2 women put together an impressive collective performance in cross-country, filling the top of the results sheet with six riders finishing inside the top seven.
Adeline Hamilton led the group with a first-place finish, followed by Nora Bostrom in second, Mia Ryder in third, Tilly Dodd in fifth, Scarlette Cole-Rae in sixth and Mia Rider in seventh.
Hamilton added another strong result later in the weekend, racing to a second-place finish in the Collegiate Women’s Cat 2/3 Cross-Country race.
In Collegiate Men’s Cat 2 Enduro, the Skyhawks also placed two riders inside the top six, with Adam Schrad finishing fifth and Carter Southcotte sixth.
Racing, Riding and Building Team Culture
While race results were a major highlight of the weekend, the Oredigger Classic was also an opportunity for the team’s younger athletes to gain valuable experience and continue building team culture.
“This weekend was full of racing all over the region, and we are thrilled with how this young team raced,” said Ian Burnett, Fort Lewis College Cycling Director.
“Our team was able to either stay home and race the local Durango Derby or travel to our conference race hosted by the Colorado School of Mines. This split the team into two smaller groups, with around 30 athletes racing at the Durango Derby and approximately 55 athletes traveling to the conference race. Most of our traveling athletes were underclassmen, which made it especially fun to watch them step up and deliver strong results.”
The team also continued its tradition of bringing athletes together off the race course, hosting the second annual team soccer match Saturday night.
“It was our second year of the infamous team soccer match, and it brought out all the smiles, laughs and team camaraderie,” said Coach Brittany.
Coach Chad highlighted another challenge the team embraced throughout the weekend: the unique race venue and demanding daily logistics.
“The Skyhawks did great with the nontraditional race venue, commuting by bike to and from the race each day over challenging terrain,” said Coach Chad. “Their grittiness and ability to go with the flow really impressed me.”
He also gave a special shoutout to the team’s gravity athletes.
“Big ups to the gravity team, who had to deal with a few thousand feet of elevation gain each day just to get to the Enduro start lines. It was wild to see them gaining more feet of climbing per day than the cross-country racers.”
Looking Ahead
With two race weekends now complete, Fort Lewis College Cycling continues to build momentum into the 2026–27 season. The team’s strong performances across multiple disciplines — combined with the growth and confidence of its younger riders — provide plenty of excitement as the season progresses.
The Skyhawks now turn their attention to the Mountaineer Madness Classic in Crested Butte, Colorado, hosted by Western Colorado University, where they will look to build on another weekend of strong racing, development and team spirit.
Go Skyhawks!
Thought a Weekend by the number section would be cool
Weekend at a Glance
85+ Skyhawks racing across the region
55 athletes traveled to Black Hawk for the Mines Oredigger Classic
30 athletes represented Fort Lewis at the Durango Derby
3 disciplines — Short Track, Cross-Country & Enduro
Multiple podium finishes across Cat 1 and Cat 2 competition
7 Fort Lewis men finished inside the top 15 in Cat 1 Cross-Country
3 Skyhawks finished inside the top 5 in Cat 1 Enduro
5 Skyhawks finished inside the top 10 in Cat 1 Short Track
6 Fort Lewis women finished inside the top 7 in Cat 2 Cross-Country
2 Skyhawks finished inside the top 6 in Cat 2 Enduro
