by ROB JENKINS
Intern Sports Reporter

The Appalachian State University club cycling team is looking to build off their recent success by having a big season in 2008-09.

In 2007, the Mountaineers were the Atlantic Coast Cycling Conference Cyclo-cross, Mountain, and Road champions.

In 2008, they again won the ACCC Road Championship.

An Appalachian State University cyclist bikes in a competition in April 2006. File Photo

For team president, senior finance and banking major Daniel J. Wendover, the goals for the season are clear.

“We want to podium at Mountain nationals and we want to win cyclo-cross and road nationals,” Wendover said.
The team is off to a strong start, taking the overall victory in their home mountain bike race on Sept. 6 through Sept. 7.

Off the track, the team has focused on expanding the size of their women’s team.

When asked what she was most excited for this season, team secretary Ariel K. Leath, a junior art major said, “I’m happy we have a bigger girl’s team this year.”

Aside from team success, the Mountaineers should have big seasons from several individual riders.

Freshman Alex P. Ryan enters his first season at Appalachian, but he has been a professional mountain biker for over three years.

Alex Hannah, a graduate student, is poised to have his strongest season ever, according to Wendover.

“The two Alex’s are looking strong so far,” Wendover said.

Hannah and Ryan finished 1-2 respectively in the Men’s A race of the ASU meet.

On the women’s side, Wendover expects good performances from graduate student Rebecca E. Tomaszewski.

Tomaszewski has won a 24-hour National Ultra-Endurance Race and ran away with the Women’s A race in

Appalachian’s home meet earlier this month.

Both Wendover and Leath are looking forward to the cyclo-cross events.

Cyclo-cross is a unique form of bike racing that is a hybrid of mountain biking, road biking, and cross country running.

At certain points of the race where the terrain is too difficult to ride, the biker will dismount and carry the bike.

“I really like cyclo-cross. That [season] should be really fun” Leath said. 

The Mountaineers have a loaded mountain season over the next two months with meets at West Virginia University,

North Carolina State University, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Pfeiffer University.

ASU will host the ACCC Championships in Boone Oct. 11 through Oct. 12 and mountain nationals will be held in Banner Elk two weeks later.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comments