Wrap-Up to Another Great Year

A Year in Review, by Jon Zerbe

It's been a great year in for West Virginia University's cycling team. Fall semester (2009), had a great turnout at the five conference mountain bike races in the disciplines of cross-country, short track, dual slalom, and downhill. WVU won their tenth straight Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference (ACCC) division one championship over Virginia Tech. WVU had the top four men’s riders by overall total points in the conference with Robert Loehr, Balaji Seward, Ian Beckner, and Jonathan Zerbe, respectively. WVU also had the top women's overall points scorer with current Team President – Emily Moy. With a new officers and new recruits WVU hopes to get their 11th straight ACCC division one title.

WVU sent three of their nine qualifying riders to USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals at Northstar at Tahoe in Truckee, CA with limited funding and mixed results. In Fall 2010, they hope to send riders once again to Tahoe with a returning sport class cross-country national champion Duncan Oliver and a healthy nationally ranked downhiller Jonathan Zerbe.

Spring 2010 road season had a higher than usual turnout for WVU cycling with new recruits including Brad Dodson and Ryan McGovern, who placed 2nd and 4th overall in the ACCC in their respective race categories. Brad Dodson, a graduate student in exercise physiology, had never raced in a road race before this season. Dodson won the B category of WVU's home road race in Clarksburg, WV by riding solo ahead of the group for over 40 miles while his teammates James Schulte and Duncan Oliver kept the group in line (Oliver finishing 2nd). Similar teamwork resulted in James Schulte and Brad Dodson taking 2nd and 3rd respectively at the ACCC conference championships hosted by Virginia Tech. Over the ten race season, WVU had as many as sixteen racers participating with other notable season overall rankings; President Emily Moy 10th in Women's A, Janel Bedard 11th in Women's A, and undergrad Todd Latocha 7th in Men's D. As a team WVU finished fifth out of ten division one teams – an improvement over previous years which can hopefully give them momentum to compete in future years at the same level as they do in mountain bike season.

Additionally, WVU cycling prides themselves in having a good standing in the community and the university. A large percentage of WVU bike racers are in Masters and Phd programs, as well as law school. They help to put on youth clinics for bicycle riding safety - included during the home race in Clarksburg. WVU cycling also adopted 2 miles of road for litter pick-up on Monongahela Boulevard in Morgantown, WV. WVU Cycling also supports the non-collegiate cycling in the area by helping out at local WVMBA, WVCXS, WVRRS, and Appalachian Bicycle Racing Association series by buying memberships and volunteering at races. The team volunteers their time to do trail work in the area at venues like Big Bear Lake, Coopers Rock State Park, and Wisp mountain resort. Many members take the time to help out many local organizations like Positive Spin bicycle co-op, as well as serving a position on the Morgantown Bicycle Board.

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We recently held our last meeting of the year this past week, but will hit the ground running in the Fall with extensive recruitment efforts and a drive to win our 11th straight Conference title!

Ride on!

Home Race Weekend Success

http://www.thedaonline.com/sports/cycling-hosts-inaugural-mountaineer-classic-in-clarksburg-1.1340904

Cycling hosts inaugural Mountaineer Classic in Clarksburg
By Ben Gaughan

The Daily Athenaeum

Published: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The West Virginia club cycling team grabbed several top-10 finishes in two races at the inaugural Clarksburg Mountaineer Classic in Clarksburg, W.Va., Saturday and Sunday.

More than 100 racers from schools such as Virginia Tech, North Carolina State University, Naval Academy, University of Virginia, University of Maryland, George Washington University and American University attended the race.

The cycling club also held a bike rodeo Saturday to help teach kids safe bike-riding skills.

"The weekend went really well," said WVU club cycling president Emily Moy. "It was definitely a success. We had a lot of support; a lot of people came out on Saturday and Sunday to watch our races and support us, and that was really exciting." Duncan Oliver, a graduate student in petroleum engineering, and Balaji Seward, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, placed third and fifth, respectively, in the Men’s B category. Janel Bedard, a graduate student, placed third while Moy ended fourth in the Womens A race.

Senior Ryan McGovern placed second, and Todd LaTocha placed fifth in the Men’s D race.

Sunday was the road race at Watters Smith Park near Lost Creek, W.Va., that featured a 12-mile loop around the wooded area with a total distance of 60 miles for Mens A, 48 miles for Mens B and Womens A, 32 miles for Men’s C and Women’s B, and 24 miles for the Mens D grouping.

Bedard placed second in the Womens A while Brad Dodson, a graduate student in physical therapy, won the Men’s B by more than four and a half minutes. Dodson led a 1-2 WVU finish in the race as Oliver finished second. McGovern placed third in Men’s D.

"Brad (Dodson) is incredible," Moy said. "He's new to the team this year and has never raced before, so we’re all blown away by his performance. We’re going to try to help him out, and hopefully he can keep doing this next year.

"He's one of those superstars that starts out as a beginner but upgrades quicker than all the rest of us without even trying."

The team will head to the Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championships this weekend, which will be hosted by Virginia Tech, to wrap up the road season. The team says it's already planning its trip back to Clarksburg next season.

Moy said next year's race will also be open to the public and not just collegiate riders.

"We are extremely grateful for all the support from the community and hope next year will be an even greater success."