Banner Elk, N.C. – The King University Cycling team competed at the Collegiate MTB Challenge at Lees-McRae for the final day yesterday, with a strong finish by many of the athletes and some podium finishers.
 
The day started with the XC Short Track with the Men's twos and threes, where Cayden Holmes raced hard for four laps with a time of 18:54.0, finishing eighth. Noah Hornbeck and Karsten Fowler also raced in the 2/3 with times of 20:57.3 and 21:08.0, respectively. Hornbeck placed 29^th, and Fowler placed 31^st.
 
The XC short-track men's ones and twos were up next, with Jayson Wallace completing the six-lap race in 27^th place with a time of 25:31.6.
 
Ian Kangas and Cooper Ward were also in the ones and twos race, where they were the final two athletes to complete the six laps with times of 26:16.4 and 26:23.7, respectively. Kangas finished in 42^nd place, with Ward finishing right behind him in 43^rd place.
 
The Women's XC Short Track twos and threes saw two King athletes place in the top three spots. Alexa Whaley finished in second place with a time of 16:37.1 over the three laps. Kaitlyn Mezo finished in third place right behind Whaley with a time of 16:58.0.
 
In the afternoon, the Tornado raced in the Downhill with the men's. King had Colin Burgess fly down with a time of 1:59.799, finishing in 14^th place for the Men's ones and twos. Hornbeck finished in 29^th place with a time of 2:11.004.
 
Whaley finished in third place in the Women's twos and threes with a time of 3:17.265.
 
Full Results
 
Up Next: King will finish their regular season at Warren Wilson next weekend on September 26^th and 27^th before they send a squad to the Collegiate MTB Nationals.