By Mariana Hanlin
As a newer team on campus wheels in, cycling has worked hard to become well-known for being incredibly talented at what they do. To open the season up, the cycling team began hosting their seasonal “Go Noke MTB XC” race on Saturday, September 7th, 2024; as they excitingly did host the first collegiate race of the season. They also took the podium for their home event! Way to go, Maroons! Impressively, the women’s cycling team took the top three spots of the whole event. Top spot went to Aunika Kemp, with Arden Rossi and Katie Kluczynski finishing the rest of the top three. Kemp states, “Coach Shelley (Olds) really put on an amazing event! First race of the season always has lots of nerves and pressure, so I was very happy to come away with the win. We have a super-fast team this year and I am excited to see how we can work together to get faster through-out the season.”
On top of these riveting wins, the women had another surprising finisher, placing fifth overall as well as the men’s team putting up a tough fight. Men’s cyclists Kelby Hanson and Samuel Lang finished seventh and eighth against some of the best collegiate riders in the country, a groundbreaking feat that displays the fascinating strength that these riders possess. This team works hard, and it shows! Roanoke College could never be prouder to have such hard-working, talented, and inspiring cyclists that represent ferocity and passion more than any other school. Here we go, Maroons!
