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MIDWESTERN STATE WINS CONFERENCE CYCLING TITLE

12 April 2005
3 min read

MIDWESTERN STATE WINS CONFERENCE CYCLING TITLE

The Midwestern State University Cycling Team won the South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference title for the fifth consecutive year on Sunday as the season ended with the conference championships in Wichita Falls.

Team Arrow won the title with more than 7,000 points accumulated at collegiate races since the school year started last September. The University of Texas was second with just over 2,000 points, narrowly beating out Texas AM.

The top two teams in the conference qualify for the national championships, which will be held in about a month in Lawrence, Kan. Riders from MSU won the season-long competition in four of the five categories:

-In the top men's division, Category A, MSU riders captured the top six spots. Dominic Van Nielen, a junior from Kingwood, Texas, won.

-In Womens Category A, MSU took the top two spots; Jennifer Purcell, a sophomore from Milwaukee, won.

-In Men's Category B, MSU also took the top two spots. David Van Akkeren, a sophomore from Houston, won.

-The top riders in Womens Category B also are from MSU. Malinda Michaud, a sophomore from Wichita Falls, won.

"I'm really proud of our team for riding consistently all season," said MSU Cycling Coach Gary Achterberg. "From our elite riders to women who came to our team from other sports because they wanted to try bike racing, we've had a lot of athletes who have been working very hard to get better."

This past weekend's conference championships started on Saturday morning with road races of varying distances on a rural course east of Wichita Falls. The race distances ranged from 77 miles for the Category A men to 38.5 miles for the entry-level men's and women's racers. MSU riders won four of the five races. On Saturday afternoon, schools assembled teams ranging from two to four riders to race a team time trial over a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) course on Lower Charley Road. MSU won every category. Its two elite mens teams finished first and third. South Central Collegiate Cycling Confernce Championships Wichita Falls, Texas

Road races

Men Category A

-1. Dominic Van Nielen, MSU; 2. Stefan Rothe, MSU; 3. Brian Wyrick, MSU; 4. Scott Veggeberg, University of North Texas; 5. Dax Kastrin, Texas Tech.

Men Category B

-1. David Martin, MSU; 2. Adam McMahen, MSU; 3. Collin Davis, Stephen F. Austin; 4. Jody Mixon, SFA; 5. Adam Allen, SFA.

Men Category C

-1. Mario Arroyave, UNT; 2. Brett Anderson, Univ. of Texas; 3. Colt Trant, Texas State; 4. Andy Rottman, UNT; 5. Daniel Valperta, Texas State.

Women Category A

-1. Jennifer Purcell, MSU; 2. Laura Whittle, MSU; 3. Brenda Moczygemba, UT; 4. Sara Cowles-Krause, UT.

WomenCategory B

-1. Malinda Michaud, MSU; 2. Sheri Jordan, MSU; 3. Ellen Williamson, MSU; 4. Lisa Brennan, Texas Tech; 5. Gail Gardner, University of Houston.

Team Time Trial

Men Category A

-1. MSU (Team 1), 27:45; 2. UT, 29:35; 3. MSU (Team 2), 30:27; 4. Texas AM, 30:37; 5. University of Arkansas, 31:10. Men Category B

-1. MSU, 31:04; 2. Baylor University, 32:06; 3. UNT, 32:19; 4. SFA, 32:38; 5. UT, 32:57.

Men Category C

-1. MSU, 32:30; 2. TAMU, 34:23; 3. Houston (Team 2), 35:05; 4. UNT, 37:02; 5. Houston (Team 1), 37:39.

Women Category B

-1. MSU, 43:41; 2. Baylor, 45:03.

Criterium

Men Category A

-1. Adam Biwan, MSU; 2. Rothe, MSU; 3. Van Nielen, MSU; 4. Veggeberg, UNT; 5. Todd Campbell, MSU.

Men Category B

-1. David Van Akkeren, MSU; 2. Matt Googe, Baylor; 3. Martin, MSU; 4. Allen, SFA; 5. David Simon, Baylor.

Men Category C

-1. Devin Carroll, TAMU; 2. Aaron Crum, MSU; 3. Trant, Texas State; 4. Valperta, Texas State; 5. Anderson, UT.

Women Category A

-1. Purcell, MSU; 2. Whittle, MSU.

Women Category B

-1. Michaud, MSU; 2. Jordan, MSU; 3. Ellen Williamson, MSU; 4. Gardner, Houston; 5. Courtney Waal, UT.