Buffs head to national event with defending champ

MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Oct. 8, 2019) – Six men and seven women from the Milligan College cycling team look to continue a successful season when the Buffaloes travel to Big Bear Lake, California, for the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships this upcoming weekend. The Buffaloes are coming off a fourth-place finish at the track national championships last month where they won two individual national titles, and this weekend's lineup includes the defending individual omnium national champion from last year, Madeline Bemis.

Milligan is coming off the best mountain bike conference season in program history, finishing fifth overall as a team in the Southeast Collegiate Cycling Conference. Bemis, Genevieve Plum, Hayley Barrick, Meade Plum and Alyssa Barrick all finished in the top 10 in the endurance overall on the women's side. Jonah Sanchez, Ruben Bacon, Hunter Connell, Bobby Comfort and Blake Howard all finished in the top 20 on the men's side.

"This season, we have had consistent quality results from both sides," Head Coach Zack Nave said. "We have a very young team but a lot of depth and ability. I am really excited to see how our team performs at nationals. The field overall is honestly the strongest and largest group that I have seen at a collegiate mountain bike national championship."

For the complete list of Milligan riders and for the event schedule, please see below.

Men

Ruben Bacon
Bobby Comfort
Hunter Connell
Blake Howard
Jonah Sanchez
Garrett Smith

Women

Alyssa Barrick
Hayley Barrick
Madeline Bemis
Megan Jastrab
Gracie Pendleton
Genevieve Plum
Meade Plum

Schedule

Friday

7:30 a.m. ET Cross Country Male Varsity
7:40 a.m. Cross Country Male Club
10:30 a.m. Cross Country Female Varsity
10:40 a.m. Cross Country Female Club
3:45 p.m. Dual Slalom Qualifying - All Divisions

Saturday

9:45 a.m. Downhill Seeding Male Varsity
To Follow Downhill Seeding Male Club
To Follow Downhill Seeding Female Varsity
To Follow Downhill Seeding Female Club
1:00 p.m. Short Track Male Varsity 20 min + 3 laps
1:45 p.m. Short Track Male Club 20 min + 3 laps
2:30 p.m. Short Track Female Varsity 20 min + 3 laps
3:15 p.m. Short Track Female Club 20 min + 3 laps
3:30 p.m. Dual Slalom Finals - All Divisions

Sunday

10:30 a.m. Downhill Finals Male Club
To Follow Downhill Finals Male Varsity
To Follow Downhill Finals Female Club
To Follow Downhill Finals Female Varsity
2:00 p.m. Team Relay Varsity
2:45 p.m. Team Relay Club
Awards – Individual, Individual Omnium, Team Omnium