Mountain Bike Conference Champs!

Another season...another championship. That's the moto of the Appalachian State Cycling Team these days as the boys from Boone continue to thrash their way across the trails across the southeast. Appalachian claimed their first ACCC Mountain Bike Conference Championship by simply exploding onto the scene during the 2007 season. Special recognition goes out to Robert Jameson, Scott Phillips, and David Forkner for strong finishes at the conference finale.

The team has since turned their focus to Cyclocross season as well trained riders have been competing in the road/mountain bike mixed style event for the better part of the past two months. Noah Niwinski has destroyed almost everyone he has encountered and other App State cyclists have contributed to the onslaught as well. Niwinski and company are competing this week out in Kansas City at Cyclocross Nationals. A full report of the events will follow very soon.

And lastly, fundraising is a big part of what the team does every year in order to pay for the immense spring costs associated with carry 30+ riders all over the east coast during road season, our most popular season in terms of numbers alone. Appalachian will be looking to follow in our football team's success of a "three-peat" by looking to secure their third straight conference title in the road category. Information will be following in a future post about our special Porsche Raffle where you have the opportunity to win a prize of cruising around in a Porsche for an entire day. Stay tuned as Jerid Gooding will be bringing the news on this special once-in-a-lifetime event.

-App State Cycling

Mountain & Cross, oh my!

Mountain bike season is well underway and the Appalachian State Cycling Team is dominating in usual fashion week-in, week-out. A couple of new additions to the team have performed well in the mountain season including Robert Jameson and Ryan Fawley who finished 1st and 4th respectively at races in Virginia. Michael Thomas and Daniel Sapp also picked up a couple of first place finishes in the early part of the mountain bike season. Riders like Alex Hannah, Zach Greene, Jerid Gooding, and "The Veteran", David Forkner, also picked up strong finishes to help the Mountaineers secure those precious team points. Currently the Mountaineers lead the conference standings and with an onslaught of talent primed and loaded for the cyclocross season, App State looks to bring home the Triple Crown this year in Mountain, Cyclocross, and Road categories.

Speaking of cyclocross, have you seen our guys around town training like the beasts they are? These guys are not taking anything lightly and a few of them have decided to sit out of the cycling study taking place in the Exercise Science Department in order to be ready and fresh for their races. Riders like Noah Niwinski, who graduates in December, looks to unleash the fury on his opponents as the cyclocross season approaches. Niwinski will help in leading a talented group of riders this season, and be sure to catch the local races as they come to towns near you. For a complete listing of races near your town, please click here!

If you see any of the riders around Boone, or in any towns near your area, be sure to congratulate the team on last year's success while also wishing them good luck in this year's season. All of our riders are hard at work in doing this necessary tasks to prepare for their respective seasons, and we look to bring home multiple Atlantic Coast Cycling Conference Championships this year!

Also, we're still looking for additional team sponsors for the 2007-2008 season before we make our jersey order. If you or your business is interested in becoming a team sponsor, please contact the ASU Cycling Team at appstatecycling@yahoo.com or e-mail Jerid Gooding at jg68987@appstate.edu. Sponsorship includes spots on the team jersey or team bibs, team website, race banner, shirts and other team wear, etc. This is a great opportunity for your business that you certainly don't want to miss, and your donation is even tax deductible! Contact us to find out ways in which you can be involved with a championship caliber team!

-App State Cycling

We're back!

After a long summer with scorching temperatures in the lowlands of North Carolina and the rest of the southeast United States, the ASU Cycling Team is back in the heart of the high country for the 2007-2008 school year. The fall semester is now underway and the Boone community is thriving with students who have returned from their summer vacations.

The team will return over 50 riders back to this year's squad, and the team is confident in repeating as Atlantic Coast Conference Champs. It will surely be a tough hill to climb as the Mountaineers lost Ross Bowden, a strong rider who raced in all three seasons (Cyclocross, Mountain, Road), to graduation in May as well as a few other riders. Travis Hurt, another dominant force to be reckoned with, also graduated and has moved away from Boone to begin his career in construction. Luckily the team will be returning a few riders who have graduated but are returning for graduate school. Jordan Nance will make his return to the road this coming spring after being accepted into the graduate History program, and Noah Niwinski has intentions on beginning graduate school after he finishes his undergraduate program in December. These two riders, as well as many others, will look to lead the team into continued success well into the future.

Speaking of this year's squad, you can't help but look at the amount of talent returning to the trails and roads. David Forkner is turning heads all of over the place as he continues to thrash his away around on both the mountain bike and cyclocross trails. Forkner took home a few top prizes in several races over the summer months. Jerid Gooding is also planning for a big spring showing after superb performances this summer in several road races. Watch for these guys as well as the many other riders as they continue racing through the fall and winter seasons.

Quick note on the first mountain bike race: Appalachian will host the first race of the ACCC season on the weekend of September 1st, in Wilkesboro, NC. For information on the race, please visit www.appstatecycling.com

Also, if your business is interested in team sponsorship for the 2007-2008 seasons, please contact the ASU Cycling Team at appstatecycling@yahoo.com or e-mail Jason Waddell at jw70160@appstate.edu. Sponsorship includes spots on the team jersey or team bibs, team website, race banner, shirts and other team wear, etc. This is a great opportunity for your business that you certainly don't want to miss, so join the ASU Cycling Team and win!

-App State Cycling

Have you seen us?

If you look around on campus over the next few weeks, you'll notice the App State Cycling Team in different media projects for the University. After recent success over the past few years and a team roster that continues to grow year-in, year-out, different offices on campus has taken notice of our team and what we are trying to accomplish.

Besides the club sports office doing their best to promote the team through different projects, our new best friends come from the University Communications Office. Linda Coutant and Mike Rominger helped us out a couple of months ago by taking some team photos on a team bike ride. These pictures will be used in numerous University publications including the new "Appalachian Viewbook" that will be sent to anyone requesting information about our University. The pictures will give the team exposure like we have never experienced before. Another project that will take place very soon is a short web video that will be shot and produced by the University Communication's Office. This video will be used on the University's main website, www.appstate.edu. The web video will be another great way for us to tell the University community about our team and club sports in general. Expect high quality out of this video because the communication office produces top-notch material, and we will certainly update you as to when this project is finished.

Make sure you keep your eyes open for local races because being that it is summer break, many of our riders are all over the east coast racing in their respective communities. Watch for the riders with the block "A" riding past at a bike race near you!

-AppState Cycling

Nationals!

Kansas was a nice place at this time last year. The Mountaineers went to Kansas in 2006 for Collegiate Cycling National's with high hopes and came out with an 11th place nationals finish! Not bad at all! This year was a different story with Kansas deciding not to play nice. The area suffered numerous tornado's and heavy rains and thunderstorms that turned the race course into a disaster area a few days before riders arrived. Consequently, the course was rerouted and it included a 1.5 mile section through rough gravel. Needless to say the race would become interesting real fast.

The criterium was a madhouse from the get-go. Riders complained about the gravel as they knew it could change the race very quickly. You didn't necessarily have to be the strongest rider to win, but if you had some luck on your side, your chances were certainly better. Reports of flats throughout the field were common and by the end of the day, over 170 flats were reported. Both David Forkner and Michael Wilson suffered from flat tires but Ross Bowden was able to survive the 96 miles and 90+ degree temperatures and rode to a 43rd place finish. (if you click the picture at the top, you can see Ross on the left side dodging bikes as they fall)

The Team Time Trial was certainly a better situation for the Mountaineers as they used their skills to the best of their ability. The men took an 8th place finish, with only one minute off the winning time posted by Western Washington University. Congrats to Michael, David, Ross, and Justin Tucker on a superb finish! Watch the video below captured by Jerid Gooding.



You have to love the sound of the bikes as they ride by. Sounds like a rocket, no doubt. The guys would move on to the criterium on the last day of Nationals and Ross Bowden certainly wasn't finished. Ross thrashed his was the the front and wound up finishing 13th in a bunch sprint for the line. Michael and David also had strong finishes with 23rd and 27th respectively. Congrats to Jerid, Michael, Ross, David, and Justin, for making the trip to nationals! It was another top 20 finish for the Appalachian State Cycling Team!

-App State Cycling

ACCC Champs Again!

For the second straight year and the fourth year overall, the Appalachian State Cycling Team cruised to another Atlantic Coast Conference Championship! The Appalachian Mountaineers rapped up the conference title in what was described as some of the hardest racing of the season at West Virginia University.

In the criterium the Apps placed riders in the top 10 in each category. Ross Bowden showed the conference how the Apps rolled by rocketing to a first place finish with a little help from teammates such as Justin, Michael, Travis, and David. It was a huge win that put the Apps over the top in the Division II title and it showed the conference that the Mountaineers didn't plan to relinquish the conference title after winning it last year as well. With an onslaught of cycling talent and youth, ASU will return as the clear favorite for their 3rd straight ACCC title (5th overall) next year as well.

Special recognition also was awarded to the ASU Cycling Team as the team was named the "Club Sports Team of the Year" for 2006-2007. The award comes after a hard year of work by each member of the team and a roster that has grown from only a hand full of riders five years ago to a team that now bolsters over 50 riders! We'll now take a moment to thank those who have contributed to the success of the team into making it what it is today. Those we wish to thank are: Ben Early, Taylor Jones, Ross Bowden, David Forkner, Travis Hurt, Michael Trivette, Justin Tucker, Noah Niwinski, Michael Rigby, and many more. These guys have worked hard to bring people into the team, create a good image of the team, build partnerships with team sponsors, and create a social environment where everyone is accepted. Indeed the ASU Cycling Team is alive and well, and we couldn't have done it without the support of the aforementioned riders and team sponsors. Please visit our team sponsors (their links are on the right side of the page). Thanks to everyone for your support!

-App State Cycling

"Wake"ing the Deamons...

The Mountaineer train kept rolling right along as ASU recently competed close to home in Winston-Salem at Wake Forest. The Apps showed the Deamon Deacons and the rest of the ACCC who was boss with arguably one of their most impressive weekends since the famous "John Hopkins/Maryland Massacre of 2006". The team summary from the official team website follows below:

"Wake Forest went like clock work. Despite the fact that WF did a killer job at promoting the omnium, ASU swept the weekend winning all three events. For the TT Geoff Clark showed his true form with a 4th place finish. Roy Bracey took 7th and Daniel Sapp came out of the woods long enough to snag the 10th place spot. The two triathletes (J. Wheeler and J. Marcus) flexed their muscles with 4th and 5th finishes. Alex, Paul, and Jason took 10th, 11th, and 12th respectfully. Lauren Trull made an appearance with a cool 5th place finish in the Women’s A, and a HUGE congratulations to David Forkner with his first collegiate win! Booyahcasha!

For the crit # 1. Roy and Koballa sprinted to an awesome 4th and 5th place finish. Alex rocked out with a 3rd place finish and Jason at 6th. Lauren continued her streak as the Queen of darkness taking 3rd place. Ross also had a dominate race finishing 6th in the A race. For round #2, Roy threw it down (way down) winning the C race in excellent fashion. Koballa took 4th and Geoff 10th. In the B’s Alex had a great race finishing 8th with Jason 9th. David taking the weekend by storm had another huge finish, out sprinting the best sprinters in the ACC taking 3rd place. Ross, Jerid, and Michael after a long race of blocking and working for David in the break rocked the field sprint finishing 8th, 10th, and 11th."

Wow! Can you say "bigtime!" Special shoutout goes to David Forkner, the Jan look-alike himself. The big thigh machine pulls out a big victory which helped in putting the Mountaineers at the top of the conference standings. Stay posted for more wins and more domination to ensue! Give em' Hell Mountaineers!

-AppStateCycling

JMU & Jefferson Cup

Another race weekend....and another weekend of punishment enforced by the ASU Cycling Team. Let's start in the cozy confines of James Madison University on the campus of a Duke Team that is still bitter from an early football loss to the Mountaineers last semester. Well the punishment would continue on this weekend. Read the release from the team website below:

"ASU Cycling traveled deep into the heart of Mennonite country for a rainy TT up to the summit of Reddish Knob. The C squadron dominated like mad men. Roy Bracey took a sicky sick 2nd place finish. Thatcher Hurt and Martin W. took 5th and 6th and Bradley and Matthew grabbed the 8th and 22nd spots respectfully. Alex in the B race shredded the slopes with a 10th finish and Michael Wilson cranked out an impressive 6th place in the A’s. With an honorable mention, Travis Hurt seized a crucial 9 points with his 15th in the A race finish."

Roy Bracey gets the nod for the breakout performance at JMU and we show the face of the fearless C leader as the picture on this post. Riders also competed in the Jefferson Cup recently and here is the summary below from the team website:

"The Jefferson Cup was hot. Thatcher sprinted to rockin 8th with Martin Wadewitz finishing in 13th. David Forkner had a sweet sesh with a mega 5th place finish with Michael Wilson taking 9th."

With finishes like that, look for ASU to once again compete for the ACCC Conference Championship! GO 'NEERS!

-AppStateCycling

bringing the fire!

The past week in the high country has been very warm by March standards. Temps have climbed into the 70's and the ASU Cycling Team has reemerged on the streets showing those white thighs and arms in an attempt to gain back those much desired tan lines. A cyclist is nothing if he can't walk around without a shirt while still looking as if he was wearing a shirt. Bring on the sun and the warmer temps and kick off those leg warmers and wind vests, the month of April is right around the corner.

This week marks an important week in the schedule for the team. Preparation is taking place for Wake Forest this coming weekend and the team looks poised to make a good run at claiming the weekend's top prizes. From top to bottom the team is looking strong and well trained. Only time will tell if the right things will come together for a good weekend but look for App State to make some statements this weekend. Updates will come soon!

Also look for updates from racing this past weekend in Virginia. Word on the streets is that David Forkner unleashed the fury and he certainly looks primed to enforce another punishing race at Wake. As far as the picture is concerned for this post, it features Michael Wilson as he goes in a breakaway during the races in Philly. Mike Wilson is also dominating the ACCC this year so look for him bringing the fire to a town near you.

-App State Cycling

Leading the Peleton

Here is a brief overview of the recent race weekend that took place in Philadelphia. Results of the race can be found at www.appstatecycling.com.

"In Philly ASU dominated in the usual fashion. Jerid Gooding led the way in Saturday's Circuit race with a gnarly 19th place finish in a field of 88. In the C's Dan Wendover (the dark horse of the weekend) grabbed a 14th place finish and Mike Koballa began his reign of terror with a 16th place finish out of 71 starters. Sunday morning was the team time trial with the A team taking 7th out of 17th, the B's 11th out of 20, and the C teams taking 5th (Booyah), 11th, and 19th out of 21 teams. Mike Koballa in the C's made a killer move and took a 2nd place finish in a field of 66 starters. Zach Parker sprinted to an (oh so) impressive 10th place B finish out of a massive field of 92. David Forkner, Ross Bowden, Michael Wilson, and J. Gooding played the A field like a fine instrument rocketing Ross to a whama-jamma 5th place finish. Not only educating the northeast to the whereabouts of our fine university the team also took 17th out of 57 teams and by my calculations a 1st place ACCC Division 2 finish."

So it looks like Appalachian is picking up this season where they left off after last season. The John Hopkins/Maryland weekend was a bust with the bad weather this past weekend but the Mountaineers look to pick up again this weekend when they travel to UVA for an uphill time trial. The Apps will then prepare next week for a huge weekend at Wake Forest that features an Individual Time Trial, a circuit race, a criterium, and more! It looks like it will be time for the Mountaineers to show the Demon Deacons who deserves to wear the black and gold and I have a feeling it will be the guys with the big Block A on the back of the jerseys. Give em' Hell Apps!!!

-App State Cycling

App State!

Hello everyone and welcome to the blog of the App State Cycling Team. The team is from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, and we compete in the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Cycling Conference. The team is coming off a strong 2006 season where they claimed their 3rd ACCC title and placed 12th at Collegiate Cycling Nationals! We are looking to make another strong run this season so stay posted.

Throughout the next few weeks look for constant updates and upgrades to this blog as we try to bring you more news about the team and what we're all about. Until then, keep the rubberside down and watch out for the Mountaineers as they come to a town or a street near you.

-App State Cycling