Cioppa and Sippy Triumph at Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships

In a thrilling display of athleticism, Bailey Cioppa and Ivan Sippy claimed top honors at the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships held in Grand Junction on October 26, 2023. The competitors faced not only each other but also challenging weather conditions, which led to a condensed schedule of events at Powderhorn Mountain Resort.

Due to incoming storms, organizers adjusted the competition format, requiring athletes to compete in the short track, cross-country, and team relay races all in the same day. Sippy, representing Colorado Mesa University, excelled under the pressure, capturing the titles in both the male varsity short track and male varsity cross-country races.

Cioppa, racing for Fort Lewis College, made a strategic decision to skip the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, a move that paid off as she secured the female varsity cross-country national championship. “My cross-country was honestly pretty surprising,” Cioppa reflected. “I didn’t really expect to win by that much, but I knew that my fitness was good enough to win, so I was excited.”

Cioppa completed the cross-country race in a remarkable time of one hour, 12 minutes, and four seconds, finishing 3 minutes and 11 seconds ahead of her friend and teammate, Makena Kellerman. Elisabeth Knight took third place, finishing 4 minutes and 28 seconds behind Cioppa. Throughout the race, Cioppa steadily increased her lead, showcasing her strength on the climbs.

Sippy dominated both events, finishing the short track race in 18 minutes and 40 seconds, just nine seconds ahead of teammate Colin O’Neil. In the cross-country race, Sippy crossed the finish line at 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds, 2 minutes and 6 seconds in front of Owen Clark from Brevard College. Freshman Kai Lokey, also from Colorado Mesa, finished fourth in the cross-country event, 2 minutes and 48 seconds behind Sippy.

The weather did not deter all local competitors. Austin Beard of Fort Lewis College triumphed in the male varsity downhill race, clocking in at 6 minutes and 51.509 seconds, a significant 16.62 seconds ahead of Brevard College’s Matthew Leliveld. Due to trail conditions, the downhill course was shortened, but Beard’s performance remained outstanding.

According to Ian Burnett, cycling director at Fort Lewis College, the race organizers effectively adapted to the weather challenges. “They definitely got the weather right, knew that weather was coming and told you,” he noted. Burnett praised Beard’s victory and acknowledged the overall resilience shown by the team under difficult circumstances.

In the male varsity downhill, Caleb Haack secured fifth place, finishing in 7 minutes and 18.349 seconds. Other notable performances included Elliot Thornblade, who finished seventh in the short track and was the top Skyhawk male in the cross-country race, placing tenth.

On the women’s side, Hayden Bevington finished fourth in the female varsity downhill, while Maiya Blanchard took fifth in the cross-country race, finishing 6 minutes and 14 seconds behind Cioppa. Blanchard also performed well in the short track, coming in twelfth.

“They did amazing,” said Brittany Cowan, head coach of the Fort Lewis women’s cycling team. “Three endurance events in one day is a pretty remarkable feat in itself and one to remember.”

The championships highlighted the tenacity and skill of collegiate mountain bikers, with Cioppa and Sippy leading the way for their teams amid challenging conditions. The event served not only as a platform for individual achievements but also as a testament to the dedication of all participating athletes and their coaches.