BREVARD, N.C. – The 10-time national champion Brevard College Cycling team is poised to compete at the 2024 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships to be held Thursday through Sunday at Coler Mountain Bike Preserve in Bentonville, Arkansas.  The event was originally set to be held at Ride Rock Creek in Zirconia, North Carolina, but was rescheduled with a new date and location due to the effects of Hurricane Helene. 

Under the guidance of Head Coach Brad Perley and Assistant Coach Tyler Miranda, a total of 19 Brevard College student-athletes will race in the national championships with the entire roster on site.  Ned Broersma, Owen Clark, Gunnar Ensign, Watt Hackney, Matthew Leliveld, Kyle McDonald, Matt Mitchko, Cade Pummill, Cole Punchard, Dylan Richardson and Kevin Vereecke will compete for BC on the men's side.  Nicole Bradbury, Mya Dixon, Ayana Gagne, Breanna Goff, Olivia Hyde, Kelly Lawson, Kiara Lylyk and Madeleine Pollock will represent Brevard in the women's competition. 
 
Brevard arrives in Arkansas having won five individual national titles, more than any other participating school, at last year's national championships.  As a team, the Tornados finished second to Colorado Mesa University with Fort Lewis College finishing third.   
 
Two of the BC student-athletes who earned individual national titles last year return to compete for the Tornados at the 2024 championships.  Bradbury, a junior from Hamilton, Ontario, won last year's Women's Varsity Individual Omnium (best overall rider) and Dual Slalom titles.  Punchard, a senior from Huntsville, Ontario, won two national titles as well last season with victories in Men's Varsity Cross Country and Short Track Cross Country.  In 2022 in Durango, Colorado, Punchard won the Men's Individual Omnium collegiate national championship.
 
In last year's Women's Individual Omnium, Lylyk, who also returns to the event this season, joined Bradbury on the podium with a third-place finish to go along with a fourth-place result in Dual Slalom.
 
BC returners Leliveld (3rd) and Clark (5th) both earned spots on the podium in last year's Men's Varsity Individual Omnium.  In 2024, Clark placed fourth in Men's Cross Country and Leliveld fourth in Men's Downhill competition.  

The Tornados arrive at the national championships following an abbreviated collegiate mountain bike schedule this season due to Hurricane Helene.  The Tornados raced at an event hosted by Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Georgia where Bradbury and Lylyk combined for four individual race wins as well as a victory in the Team Relay.  Brevard also raced in Banner Elk, North Carolina in a competition hosted by Lees-McRae College.  In Banner Elk, Clark won the Men's A Short Track race to highlight a multitude of positive results for the Tornados.

Prior to the mountain bike season, Clark and Punchard represented their home nation of Canada at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Andorra.  The participation of Clark and Punchard extended a streak of seven consecutive years that Tornado cyclists have raced in the mountain bike world championships.
 
In October, Punchard won his first UCI World Cup race with a victory in Men's U23 Cross Country in Lake Placid, New York.  Clark, who has also been racing in World Cup competition, finished seventh in Lake Placid. 

The 2024 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships begin Thursday at Coler Mountain Bike Preserve with Cross Country Practice along with Dual Slalom Qualifying and Finals.

Friday features the Women's Varsity Cross Country race at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT followed by the Men's Varsity Cross Country scheduled for 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT. The action concludes Friday with the Downhill practice throughout the afternoon.

The Saturday schedule begins with Downhill Practice and Seeding followed by a Short Track Practice.  The Men's Varsity Short Track Final is set for 4:10 p.m. ET/3:10 p.m. CT followed by Women's Varsity Short Track at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT 

For the event's final day on Sunday, Downhill Finals begin at 10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT. The national championships conclude with the exciting Varsity Team Relay race scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. CT.

Follow @BCTornados and @USACycling with the hashtag #CollNats for updates throughout the event.  Go to usacyling.com for more information on events and membership programs.

The ten-time national champion Brevard College Cycling program features varsity programs in the disciplines of Mountain Bike, Cyclocross and Gravel Racing.  For the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Cycling, follow @brevardcycling on Instagram and 'Brevard College Cycling' on Facebook.

To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter and Instagram @bctornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube, follow 'Brevard College Tornados' on SoundCloud, and 'Brevard College Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow 'brevardcollege' on Flickr for photos from Brevard College events.
 
Brevard College Tornados at 2024 USA Cycling Collegiate MTB National Championships
Nicole Bradbury (Women's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Ned Broersma (Men's Cross Country, Short Track)
Owen Clark (Men's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Mya Dixon (Women's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Gunnar Ensign (Men's Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Ayana Gagne (Women's Cross Country, Short Track)
Breanna Goff (Women's Cross Country, Short Track)
Watt Hackney (Men's Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Olivia Hyde (Women's Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Kelly Lawson (Women's Dual Slalom)
Matthew Leliveld (Men's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Kiara Lylyk (Women's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Kyle McDonald (Men's Cross Country)
Matt Mitchko (Men's Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Madeleine Pollock (Women's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Cade Pummill (Men's Cross Country, Short Track)
Cole Punchard (Men's Cross Country, Short Track, Downhill, Dual Slalom)
Dylan Richardson (Men's Cross Country)
Kevin Vereecke (Men's Cross Country, Short Track)

Head Coach: Brad Perley
Assistant Coach: Tyler Miranda 
 

Race Schedule:
 
Thursday, November 14
11:30 a.m. ET/10:30 a.m. CT: Dual Slalom Qualifying (All Divisions)
2 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT: Dual Slalom Finals (All Divisions)
 
Friday, November 15
12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT: Female Varsity Cross Country
4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT: Male Varsity Cross Country
 
Saturday, November 16
11:30 a.m. ET/10:30 a.m. CT: Downhill Seeding (All Divisions)
4:10 p.m. ET/3:10 p.m. CT: Male Varsity Short Track
5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT: Female Varsity Short Track
  
Sunday, November 17
10:30 a.m. ET/9:30 a.m. CT: Downhill Finals (All Divisions)
4:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. CT: Varsity Team Relay
 


Brevard College All-Time Collegiate Team National Championships (10)
 
Mountain Bike – 6 USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships
2016 – 1st (DI)                  Snowshoe Mountain, W. Va.
2014 – 1st (DII)                 Beech Mountain, N.C.
2013 – 1st (DII)                 Beech Mountain, N.C.
2012 – 1st (DII)                 Angel Fire, N.M.
2010 – 1st (DII)                 Truckee, Calif.
2009 – 1st (DII)                 Truckee, Calif.
 
Cyclocross – 4 USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships
2017 – 1st (DI)                  Hartford, Conn.
2015 – 1st (DII)                 Austin, Texas
2014 – 1st (DII)                 Boulder, Colo.
2013 – 1st (DII)                 Verona, Wis.