The University of Denver club cycling team placed ninth in Division II in the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships. The competition was held May 9–11 in Fort Collins, Colo.
At nationals, the 11-person team competed in a team time trial, road race and a criterium. The eight-man, three-woman team was matched with other Division II teams (from schools with fewer than 15,000 students) and Division I teams from the University of Colorado and Colorado State University.
In the time trial on May 9, the men’s team took third place out of 19 teams. Steve Forbes, Taylor Shelden, Colin Don and Grant Goerzen represented DU in the 20K. May 10 featured a grueling road race with 30 mph winds and steep climbs. Ben Quinn was the top male finisher for DU, placing 28th. In the criterium on May 11, Colin Don placed 20th and Steve Forbes placed 23rd.
“Our team experienced a lot of growth this year shown by increased membership and participation in races,” says Goerzen, the club president. “Being able to qualify eight men and three women for nationals was great. We look forward to continued development next year.”
This was the first year the club had a full women’s squad competing at nationals. Katie Ronsse finished ninth overall in the individual omnium, seventh in the criterium and ninth in the road race. The women’s time trial team placed seventh in Division II.
The club boasts 46 members, and more than half race competitively. Those who compete race almost every weekend during the 10-week season, which runs from early March to mid-May. DU’s team came in second in Division II conference championships, landing them a spot at the national competition. The team hosted a race at City Park in March as part of the collegiate season.