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