LEBANON, Tenn. – Cumberland University’s cycling team put together three straight weekends of good results during the month of September in preparation for the Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference championships this past weekend at Georgia Tech.
The following is a breakdown of the three racing weekends with results and quotes from competitors and head coach Tim Hall.
SEPTEMBER 11-12, LEES-MCRAE COLLEGE – BANNER ELK, N.C.
Participating Schools: Lees-McRae College, Brevard College, Union College, Warren Wilson College, Mars Hill College, East Tennessee State, Univ. of Florida, Georgia Tech, Appalachian State.
Logan Luker placed 13th while Alejandro Padilla finished 20th and Jeremy Chambers was 26th after suffering a rear sliced tire in cross country at Lees-McRae College during the weekend of September 11-12. Hard and steady rain fell in the area, creating muddy and slippery conditions on downhill sections.
“I went as fast I could on the downhill sections until I’d crash, then I’d get up and do it again,” said Luker.
“Logan got stronger and moved up several spots as the race progressed,” Hall said. “He’s close to competing for a regular Top 10 finish, and in our conference that’s quite an accomplishment.”
Padilla and Luker recorded 26th and 27th-place showings, respectively, in the afternoon downhill, as sunshine prevailed on top of Beech Mountain, an elevation of over 5,000 feet.
Luker also finished 13th in short track with Padilla right behind in 15th. Chambers placed 22nd in the event. Padilla and Luker finished 24th and 29th, respectively, in dual slalom.
Cross country – Saturday morning
Logan Luker – 13th
Alejandro Padilla – 20th
Jeremy Chambers – 26th
Downhill – Saturday afternoon
Alejandro Padilla – 26th
Logan Luker – 27th
Short Track
Logan Luker – 13th
Alejandro Padilla – 15th
Jeremy Chambers – 22nd
Dual slalom
Alejandro Padilla – 24th
Logan Luker – 29th
SEPTEMBER 18-19, UNIV. OF FLORIDA – GAINESVILLE, FLA.
Participating Schools: Univ. of Florida, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Georgia Southern.
Padilla finished second in both short track and cross country, while Chambers was fourth in short track and sixth in cross country during the weekend.
“This was a small turnout since many teams chose to stay home, but it gave Alejandro and Jeremy a great opportunity to score some points for nationals,” Hall said.
Short Track
Alejandro Padilla – 2nd
Jeremy Chambers – 4th
Cross Country
Alejandro Padilla – 2nd
Jeremy Chambers – 6th
SEPTEMBER 25-26, CLEMSON UNIV. – CLEMSON, S.C.
Schools: Lees-McRae, Brevard College, Union College, Warren Wilson College, Mars Hill College, East Tennessee State, Univ. of Florida, Georgia Tech
Luker finished 15th in both short track and cross country and also placed 24th in downhill and 25th in dual slalom. Chambers was 26th in short track before a mechanical failure sidelined him in cross country. The rest of the cycling team raced the same weekend at the USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships at the Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis, Ind.
“There was nothing I could do for my bike since the rear derailer broke with a little over one lap to go. I will have to special order the part to fix it,” said Chambers.
Short Track
Logan Luker – 15th
Jeremy Chambers – 26th
Downhill
Logan Luker – 24th
Dual Slalom
Logan Luker – 25th
Cross Country
Logan Luker – 15th
Jeremy Chambers – DNF, mechanical
