The University cycling club ruled the roads at the Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference Championships on April 29-30. The Ducks took home several podium places and plenty of individual glory in addition to finishing as the top Division I squad in the conference, qualifying them for the USA Cycling Collegiate Road Championships May 10-14 in Lawrence, Kan.
The weekend began with the road race event in Moscow, Idaho, and Pullman, Wash., in which the riders traveled almost 23 miles while at an elevation of above 2,000 feet. Oregon experienced success right away, with several top-10 finishes.
Chris Swan crossed the finish line sixth in the men’s “A” category and Mariel Ettinger finished second in the women’s “A” event after staying in a two-person breakaway with the conference’s overall women’s points leader. In the “B” races, Anita Dilles captured fourth while Adam Edgerton placed eighth. Finally, in the men’s “C” category, Takuya Hagiwara finished on the podium in third place.
Later on Saturday riders joined up for the team time trial event at Tomer Butte, Idaho. Despite adverse weather conditions, Oregon finished in the top five of every team event it entered with all teams covering the 10-mile course in less than 30 minutes.
“It was hot for the road race, but for the time trial we had one of those sudden downpours, and then it cleared up again,” team captain Ross Spero said.
The third and final event of the weekend took place on Sunday in Lewiston, Idaho. Known as the criterium, this race is seen as the sprinter’s chance to shine as the riders take laps around city streets, capped off by a long finishing straight-away.
“(The course) was fast, technical and fun,” Spero said. “There was a big turnout, what I call Thunderdome – really loud. It was a great way to go out.”
Spero nearly went out on top, but he was edged by half a wheel at the finish line of the men’s “A” race and was forced to settle for second. Two other Ducks weren’t far behind. Swan crossed in ninth place and Sean Podvent finished 12th. In the women’s “A” race, Ettinger continued her solid weekend with an eighth-place finish. The next three events were all Oregon, as Dilles and Robert Jones won their respective “B” races and Hagiwara also placed first in the men’s “C” event. In addition to their wins over the weekend both Dilles and Hagiwana finished atop the overall season leaderboard in their categories.
“This was the most successful weekend we’ve had,” Spero said. “Everyone is getting on the same page.”
The Ducks will enjoy a two-week break before they travel to the USA Cycling Collegiate Road Championships. Only Oregon’s category “A” riders are eligible to compete in the national event. The Ducks earned the team berth to the event despite finishing third in the conference overall, because the top two finishers, Whitman College and Western Washington, are both Division II schools and compete at a different national event. Thus, as the top Division I program, Oregon was awarded the trip to Kansas.
The extra chance to compete will also mean an extra expenditure for the team members who take the journey to the national championships. Spero, the only Oregon rider who competed in this event last year, estimated his costs at around $600. To help offset the costs of entering tournaments throughout the season, the cycling club has sponsored fundraising effort such as ride-a-thons and by cleaning McArthur Court.
“We get some help from Club Sports, but a lot of teams have been going to nationals, so there’s not much money to go around,” Spero said.