MIDWESTERN STATE CYCLISTS DOMINATE HOME TURF
MIDWESTERN STATE CYCLISTS DOMINATE HOME TURF
The Midwestern State University Cycling Team dominated the top categories at a three-event collegiate stage race the team hosted in Wichita Falls April 1-2.
Brian Wyrick won all three events to take the top spot on the podium in Mens Category A. Ivana Miucic won two of the three events and helped a teammate win the third event on her way to the overall title in Women's Category A.
More than 60 collegiate riders from across Texas competed in the event. The stage race started off on Saturday morning with a road race west of the city. That afternoon, riders competed in an 8-mile individual time trial on a course just east of town. Competition moved onto campus on Sunday morning as the riders competed in criterium. The overall winner in each category was the rider with the lowest combined time.
"We performed well in the top categories, and it's another sign that we're on track in our preparations for collegiate nationals, which now are just over a month away," said MSU Cycling Coach Gary Achterberg.
"It's really nice to see Brian in top form, and all of the women had a great weekend," he added. "Ivana especially really stepped up to the plate both with her strong individual rides and the work she did for her teammates."
Wyrick is in his final full year at MSU. The previous weekend, Wyrick won both events at collegiate races hosted by Stephen F. Austin University in Cleburne . He spent the entire summer of 2005 competing as part of the elite U.S. amateur Cycling Center program in Belgium .
In the Mens Category A race, Adam Biwan, a junior from Wisconsin , finshed second in the overall results. Biwan had strong rides all three days. He and Wyrick were in a breakaway in the road race along with a rider from Texas State University , who finished third in that race. Biwan finished third in the time trial and was second in the criterium.
Midwestern State 's women dominated their Category A race. Laura Whittle, a third-year rider from Illinois , won the criterium and finished just one second behind Miucic in the time trial. She was second in the road race. Sheri Jordan finished third in all three events, behind Miucic and Whittle, and earned the third-place position in the overall competition.
Midwestern State also had a number of riders competing in the Mens Category C event. Top finishers in the overall were Joseph Solis, 4th, Tyler Henderson, 6th; Stephen Triche, 10th, and Bryan Zurlo, 11th. Solis took second place in the time trial.
"This was a great event that helps showcase MSU Cycling on the campus and in the entire community," Achterberg said. "Our team put a lot of work into making this happen. I really appreciate their efforts, as well as those of many others on the campus and in the community who volunteered to help us put on a safe and well-run event."
The MSU Cycling Team's next collegiate competition takes place on April 29-30 when the University of Texas hosts the conference championships in Austin . The Mustangs then head to the Collegiate National Championships in Lawrence, Kan. , on May 12-14.
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