Click on the Read More below to follow the last couple of very successful weekends by the KU riders. Note the press conference today at Sunflower Outdoor in Lawrence to announce the team roster for the upcoming Collegiate National Championship events.
KU Cycling: Individual Conference Winners Crowned
Kim Kissing and Jeff Schroeder, representing the University of Kansas Cycling Club, won individual conference championship titles during the NCCCC conference championships hosted by the University of Minnesota on April 29-30.
It was raining in Lawrence when KU cyclists loaded their bikes and gear, and it was still raining when the high-spirited, but waterlogged KU riders returned from a successful weekend of racing in Minnesota.
Kimberly Kissing, lead rider for the KU women’s team, brought home the 1st place award for overall conference women’s riders. Kissing finished 3rd in both road and criterium events this weekend, with enough points to secure the individual conference championship (which is based on total points from four conference races). Kissing was supported throughout the events by teammates Kathy Kalbac, Katie Roach, and new rider Kristen High.
In the Men’s competitions, Jeff Schroeder rode in top form for the KU-B team. Schroeder finished his collegiate season as the top B-racer in the conference with a strong 3rd place finish in Saturday’s challenging road race, and a decisive victory in Sunday’s criterium. David McLeod, KU cycling’s assistant coach and racer, finished his season as the 3rd place overall rider in the Men’s B division. Teammates John Giles, Eric Schaumburg, Anwar Garcia, and Todd Beauford all had excellent races this weekend despite mechanical failures, crashes, and inclement weather.
The KU Men’s A team produced spectacular performances for the conference championship as well. Senior Joe Fox, a first year rider for KU, and teammates Jason Knight and Michael Folendore fought their way to 5th, 7th, and 8th place finishes, respectively, in a series that has been dominated by riders from the University of Minnesota and University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Throughout Sunday’s criterium, KU’s Jason Knight led the peloton in pursuit of a 3-man break from these same two schools. Christian Beer out-sprinted the overall conference leader, Mark Smelser (Kansas State University), for all primes and demonstrated his explosive power finishing 4th, seconds ahead of the peloton.
The roster of the KU Cycling Club competing in the national championships will be announced at a press conference on May 3 at 3:00 p.m., at the Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop in Lawrence, Kansas. For more information, visit www.kucycling.com.
KU Cyclists Victorious in Nebraska!
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and race promoter John Lefler Jr. hosted the Lincoln Plating Classic Stage Race in Lincoln, Nebraska (22–23 April). A lack of wind, an abundance of sunshine and fantastic temperatures made for an excellent weekend of racing. Collegiate riders from the North Central Collegiate Cycling Conference competed in a road race, team time trial, and circuit race.
Led by Kimberly Kissing, KU riders dominated the women’s peloton, with Kissing winning both road and circuit races. The KU women’s squad (K. Kissing, Kathy Kalbac, and Katie Roach) also won the TTT event. In the Men’s-B RR, KU swept up 4 of the top spots with John Giles, David McLeod, Paul Heimbach, and Jeff Schroeder finishing 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th, respectively. Despite the setback of a flat tire at 2 miles to go, KU Men’s-B squad (Heimbach, Schroeder and McLeod) rode to 2nd place in the TTT, finshing just 2 seconds behind riders from St. Olaf University. In the TTT, KU Men’s-A squad Christian Beer, Joe Fox and Joe Wasikowski rode to a decisive victory, placing KU among the highest scoring teams for the weekend.
The KU Cycling team will travel to Minneapolis for the NCCCC conference championship races 29–30 April. KU will face stiff competition this weekend as teams compete for the conference title and spots in the upcoming Collegiate National events in Lawrence 12–13 May 2006.