About Us
The Lees-McRae
cycling team is a collegiate cycling program located in the heart of
Banner Elk, North Carolina. For two consecutive years the mountain
bike team was able to capture it's second division 2 National
Championship, most recently at Seven Springs, Pennsylvania.
Doug Owen, the new head
coach of the cycling team, has been with Lees-McRae for two years as the
Director of the College Store. Doug takes over for the spring road
season of 2005. Doug lives in Banner Elk, NC with his wife
Ellynn
of 18 years,
and two children, Matthew 16 and Jenn 13. Doug has been actively
coaching Junior riders for the last five years and established a Junior
team here in Avery County last year that has competed all over the
South-East. Doug has been racing on the NORBA circuit for 8 years
and will compete this year as an expert level rider in Mountain Biking
and on the USCF circuit as a Cat 4 rider. Doug is a USCF certified coach
for 2005.
For the 2004 season the team was able to bolster their road
contingent team by adding over a dozen
new riders, making Lees-McRae College one of the most prominent and
fastest growing collegiate cycling programs in the nation. With a
variety of talent and with the support of sponsors and the college
alike, the team looks forward to continued growth and many strong
seasons in promoting the sport of cycling at the collegiate level.
