 Senior health promotions major Allison L. Forkner perseveres through muddy conditions during the Appalachian State Club Cycling team's first event of the year. Photo by Rachel Vandende
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by BRYAN LAIL
Intern Sports Reporter
It has not taken long for a torrent of pre-fall showers over the past two weeks to wear on the nerves of Boone residents.
What has been a mere steady nuisance for us, however, proved to be a major concern for Appalachian State’s club cycling program this past weekend as the team attempted to host their first event of the year in Watauga County.
It was one of three planned competitions in the area for Appalachian cycling this year, and it was nearly cut in half.
Two schools
combined to host the dual-conference event that was originally intended
to take place at Lees-McRae Saturday before moving to Hawksnest
Mountain Resort Sunday.
The
Mountaineers ground out a successful day of cross country and slalom
racing at Lees-McRae Saturday before rain struck again Sunday, forcing
the relocation of events planned for Hawksnest.
“Saturday
went off without a hitch,” club president and junior criminal justice
major Emerson F. Howe said. “[But] due to the nature of downhill
racing, how potentially dangerous it can be and the [potential]
damaging effect [to equipment], we had to cancel [that event].”
Sunday’s short track race was moved to Lees-McRae’s track and completed despite muddy conditions there as well.
“We were
a little disappointed that we couldn’t use the course that we spent a
lot of time planning out,” team secretary and sophomore health
promotion major Rachel A. Vandenende said.
After
winning the Division-II National Championship in mountain biking last
year, Appalachian was pleased to complete three of the four originally
schedule events.
The Apps
also got a taste of downhill racing in a combination slalom event that,
while not a true downhill experience, does include steep declines but
mixes in turns and jumps.
Appalachian cyclers participated in all three sections of Saturday’s cross-country event.
Sophomore
Alex P. Ryan and graduate student Ross K. Bowden took 12th and 13th
respectively in section A, while freshman James T. Wittwer grabbed
first in section B.
Slalom races were also broken into three men’s sections and one women’s.
Mike
Thomas and Andrew Mueller took second and third respectively in section
A. Dylan L. Riddle, a freshman, took first overall in section B.
Thomas won an individual national championship in downhill racing in 2008.
Senior Caroline L. Westray finished fifth as Appalachian’s lone female rider of the day.
“App did very well this [past] weekend, as did Lees-McRae,” Howe said.
Appalachian
will host their next home event Nov. 21 during the cyclocross portion
of their schedule, a section the Mountaineers also managed to claim a
national title in a year ago.
Only
three events into the season, Appalachian’s 2009 roster has already hit
70, yet they continue to accept any and all new applicants as the
season gets underway.
Interested parties should send an e-mail to
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to learn how to become involved.
“We have
a wide variety of skill levels on the team,” Howe said. “We have many
beginners who are just starting to ride competitively and then we have
people who are defending national champions. [We’re] very open to
people of any skill level.”
The team also hosts meetings every Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. in the Linville Falls Room of Plemmons Student Union.
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