GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado (KAUZ) - Midwestern State University (MSU Texas) is highlighting its cycling team for top-25 finishes at the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The championships were held from Wednesday, October through Sunday, October 11, and MSU Cycling Director Mario Arroyave said the team's performance was at high altitude against "the best mountain bikers in the country."Emma Kasza-James won a national title earlier this year at the Collegiate Gravel National Championship, placed 19th in the cross-country race, while Gabby Wrightsman finished 24th in the short-track race.

According to MSU Cycling, the men's team also improved on its 2025 national championship performance, with first-year team members Carson Tenney and Sid Carraway showing great promise."We knew we were up against a pretty hefty obstacle, dealing with the altitude itself. Couple this with facing some of the best mountain bikers in the country, and it was just a matter of giving our best and seeing what happened. The athletes had a really great approach and turned themselves inside out to give their absolute best. It was great to see them empty the tank out there."MSU Cycling Director Mario ArroyaveThe team's next competition will be the Texas A&M mountain bike race at Bluff Creek Ranch in Warda, Texas.