Mars Hill bicyclist qualifies for collegiate mountain bike nationals

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Press release here:

Mars Hill College cyclist Paul Webb has qualified for the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships, which takes place in Truckee, California, near Lake Tahoe, October 16-18.  Webb will compete for Mars Hill College in two endurance events: Cross Country and Short Track Cross Country this coming Friday and Saturday in Lake Tahoe.

Qualification for nationals wrapped up a consistently strong regular season for Webb, according to coach Hugh Moran.  He had one win at Georgia Tech and two top ten finishes at the Southeastern Conference Championships, a conference that Moran calls “arguably the most competitive and difficult conference in the country.”

Webb hails from Omaha, Nebraska, where, last year, he won four mountain bike races and two road races and culminated the year with a win at the Nebraska State Criterium Championships (Cat. 3).  

The Mars Hill Cycling Team is still relatively new, having just completed its first full season of conference competition.  The addition of Webb to the team meant that it was able to extend competition into the fall mountain biking season.

Moran is hopeful that Webb will perform well at Nationals.  “While the courses and the altitude at Lake Tahoe promise to be challenging, Paul’s season-long experience racing with some of the most talented collegiate riders in the country has prepared him for the challenge,” he said.