Cardinal Cup Recap

The team had a great weekend of racing over Labor Day weekend at the Cardinal Cup. In addition to doing all the work involved with hosting a race, they also managed to bring home an impressive set of results, including 1^st place overall in the team competition.

Cross Country

The Cross Country event took place at Ft. Duffield on Saturday morning. The already technical course was made more so by slippery roots and some muddy sections from rain the day before. These challenging conditions made for an intense morning of racing. In the Men’s C race, Daniel Sweet brought home 2^nd place. James Francisco, Elijah Eisert, and Josh Smithson swept the podium in the Men’s B race. John Francisco and Eric Smith capped off the morning with 3^rd and 4^th, respectively, in the Men’s A race.

21370875_1498088130267856_9110437305967049978_n — The camera was struggling to keep pace with James Francisco during the Cross Country race

Downhill

The Downhill race took place Saturday afternoon, after the conclusion of the Cross Country Race. Riders navigated a slightly muddy track featuring jumps, rocks, a wall ride, and the infamous creek gap. In the Men’s C race, John Francisco narrowly edged out Charlie Hamilton for the top step of the podium. Daniel Sweet completed UofL’s podium sweep with 3^rd place. UofL also swept the Men’s A race. James Francisco took the top honors, holding off gravity specialist Mark Renn in 2^nd and Eric Smith in 3^rd.

DSC_3821 (1) — Mark Renn getting sideways over the creek gap

Charlie Hamilton sending it at Ft. Duffield

UofL’s own Kalem Fetters built this custom trailer to shuttle the downhill event.

Short Track

The Short Track event took place on a technical course at Eva Bandman Park on Sunday morning. Riders were faced with wide straightaways, two optional jumps, and an off camber climb to the finish. Daniel Sweet started the day with a 2^nd place in the Men’s C race. In the same wave, Alison Mundell earned 1st place in the Women’s B event. In the Men’s B race, James Francisco raced his way to 3^rd against a 1-2 punch from Marian University. The Men’s A race played out similarly, with John Francisco and Ben King taking 3^rd and 4^th, respectively, against a duo from Marian. The team capped off the day with a win in the nail-biting team relay, with the team of Josh Smithson, Alison Mundell, and John Francisco narrowly edging out Team Louisville.