Flyin' Bryan Takes Short Track, Seering Second

The Red Hawks made a big impression on the short track in just their first collegiate race. Bryan Nell claimed first place in the men's C race and Tiffany Seering took second in the women's race.

Nell took off early and lapped the field to win his first collegiate competition. It was redemption for Nell who missed a turn in Saturday's cross country race and crossed the finish in eighth place.

Seering couldn't match the speed of Ashley James of Lindsey Wilson — who lapped the field more than once — but held her own to capture second.

Jonathan Paretsky and Cameron Arndt added to the Hawks winnings, taking third and fifth, respectively.

Christa Kussmann left everything she had on the short course before abandoning with chest pains. Steven Siewert did not start the race due to continued soreness in his knee from an accident Saturday.

Check out Ripon College's flickr gallery for more photos of the weekend.

Paretsky Finishes Strong in First Collegiate Race

The Red Hawks traveled to Columbia, Missouri, for the kick-off event on the 2008 Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference calendar. Jonathan Paretsky led Ripon with a second place finish in the men's C race.

Paretsky's finish was a bright spot for an otherwise beleagured Red Hawk squad. Bryan Nell was placed as high as fourth place midway through the race, but a poorly marked turn near the end of the second lap resulted in Bryan venturing off-course and losing time and places.

Cameron Arndt experienced misfortune for the second week in a row as he once again broke a chain. The determined Arndt crossed the finish line with his bike on his back for a respectable 13th-place.

Steven Siewert and Tiffany Seering were equally unfortunate. Seering flatted early in the first lap, and, without a spare, she chose to abandon the race. Siewert also quit after suffering an injury to his left knee.

The tenacious Christa Kussmann endured to the end and finished near the bottom of the results sheet, just above Seering and another DNF.

The men's C and women's B races consisted of two laps on a 5.7-mile circuit through Rockbridge Memorial State Park just west of Columbia. The trail included tricky rock sections, fast flowing wide singletrack, a wonderful creek crossing and a 1/2-mile climb to the finish line.

Red Hawks Persevere in First Race Outing

The Ripon cycling team traveled to River Falls, Wis., for the Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS) Border Battle and returned home with a second-place medal and some hard-earned race experience.

Christa Kussmann took second place in the 19-24 women’s age group in the citizen division. In her first race ever, Christa toughed out two laps on the nearly 5-mile course with a time just exceeding 1 hour and 30 minutes. The course at Whitetail Ridge was a technical and challenging course even for advanced racers. The fact that Christa endured to the finish is a testament to her spirit and determination.

Bryan Nell finished just 45 seconds behind the fourth-place finisher in the men’s 19-24 category for a solid fifth place. Bryan was the highest placing Ripon male in the citizen division at 56th overall with a time of 56 minutes and 43 seconds. Jonathan Paretsky finished in ninth place in the same age group with a time just eclipsing 1 hour, while Steven Siewert brought up the rear in 1 hour and 23 minutes.

None of these young men have raced on a mountain bike course, let alone one as challenging as the one at Whitetail Ridge. Steven just picked his bike up from the shop on Thursday. His pre-ride on Saturday was his first ever ride on a mountain bike trail. He took a few spills, but he did not quit.

Tiffany Seering competed in the sport category. Based on her excellent showing in the citizen category at Crystal Ridge, I elected to test Tiffany in the sport class. An upset stomach and the agonizing back pain caused by an unfortunate crash sabotaged her sport debut. Still, like her teammates, she persevered. She finished three laps in 1 hour and 35 minutes — good enough for 27th place overall.

As a precaution, on-site paramedics took Tiffany to the hospital following her race. There was some concern that she may have seriously injured her lower back, but the doctor suspects it is only a sprain. She’s a former rugby player and a tough girl. It is amazing that she was able to finish the race.

Cameron Arndt experienced his own setbacks in the men’s sport Clydesdale division. Cameron broke his chain and had a flat tire, but like his teammates did not call it a day. The senior from Madison, Wis., repaired both and recorded a time just short of 2 hours to cross the line in last place.

We had three racers finish last in their divisions, but the fact that they finished at all is inspiring. This was their first big test against some stiff competition. They showed guts and enthusiasm, and they all came away with smiles on their faces.

The team also came away with some much needed race experience that should benefit them this weekend when we head to Columbia, Mo., for our first intercollegiate race. Ripon will compete against teams from other colleges and universities in the seven-state Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 30-31 in races hosted by the University of Missouri-Columbia.