BREVARD, N.C. – Brevard College student-athletes Mazie Hayden and Tyler Orschel will represent their home nations at this weekend’s UCI Mountain Bike World Championships held in Leogang, Austria. Hayden will represent the United States as a member of the USA Cycling national team. Orschel will represent his home nation of Canada as a member of Team Canada.
“We are extremely proud to have two of our current student-athletes competing with the world’s best at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships,” said Brevard College Head Cycling Coach Brad Perley. “Both Mazie and Tyler will be great representatives for their nations and for Brevard College. It has obviously been a very tough year for all, so it is extra sweet that we get to cheer them on as they compete on the international stage. Their success shows what can be accomplished here as a full time student-athlete.”
Hayden, a junior from Burlington, Vermont who transferred to Brevard College from the University of Vermont, will race in the Women’s Elite Downhill competition at this weekend’s World Championships. Overall, it marks the third trip to the world championships for Hayden as a member of Team USA with one prior trip as a junior and one prior trip as a Downhill Elite competitor. She becomes the second straight Brevard College student-athlete to qualify for the Women’s Elite Downhill World Championships joining BC teammate Rachel Pageau who represented Canada at last year’s championships.
Qualifying for Hayden and the Women’s Elite Downhill class is set for Friday at 11:45 local time/5:45 a.m. ET. The Women’s Elite Downhill Finals are scheduled for 12:50 local time/6:50 a.m. ET on Sunday.
“I am super excited to represent Team USA at the Worlds,” said Hayden. “It has been really cool being a member of the Brevard College Cycling team. Everyone is super close and there is a great sense of community.”
Orschel, a senior from Uxbridge, Ontario, will race in the Men’s Under 23 Cross Country World Championships for the second straight season. Orschel, representing Canada, has been in Europe racing in Mountain Bike World Cup competition for the past several weeks.
At the 2020 World Championships, Orschel will race in the Men’s Under 23 Cross Country event at 15:00 local time/11 a.m. ET on Friday.
“I am very grateful for this opportunity to even have the chance to compete during these unprecedented times and I can’t thank my professors enough for working with me during my time away from school,” said Orschel. “Living, training and racing with the Brevard College team over the last few years has helped me reach the level that I am at today. I hope to send a big result for Canada and as well as for Brevard College.”
Hayden and Orschel’s participation marks the third straight year that the Brevard College Cycling student-athletes have taken part in the Mountain Bike World Championships. Last season, Orschel and Pageau represented the host nation at the 2019 world championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. In 2018, Brevard College’s Carson Beckett (USA), Tyler Clark (Canada) and Nathan St. Clair (USA) competed at the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
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