Wednesday Time Trial Times

Bryan: 10.05
Jon: 10.24
Steven: 10.50
Tiffany: 11.16
Cameron: 11.25

Distance approximately 5k on the Ceresco Prairie Trail.

Red Hawks Endure Fat Tire 40

Four members of the Ripon College Red Hawk Cycling team participated in the Fat Tire 40 off-road bike race from Hayward to Cable, Wis., Saturday. The 40-mile race on portions of the famed American Birkebeiner ski trails, forest roads, snowmobile trails and other wooded lanes is part of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. This year marked the 26th anniversary of the annual event which is the largest mass-start off-road bicycle race in the United States.

Seniors Bryan Nell of St. Germain, Wis., and Jonathan Paretsky of Eagle River, Wis., led the Red Hawks. The pair crossed the finish line together in a time of 3 hours, 38 minutes and 53 seconds. The two placed 1,192 and 1,193, respectively, in a field of nearly 1,700.

Tiffany Seering, a first-year student from West Bend, Wis., finished approximately 12 minutes later with the clock at 3:50:41.2. Her effort placed her 1,351. Christa Kussmann, a junior from Beaver Dam, Wis., crossed the line at 6:10:33.8.

The Fat Tire was a monumental undertaking for all four of them. I told them to have fun and to consider it more of a training ride than a race. I'm extremely happy that each of them finished safely.

The race began at 10 a.m. in the city of Hayward under threatening skies. Occasional light rain showers persisted until steady rain began to fall midafternoon. The rain brought dropping temperatures and created muddy trail conditions.

Bryan, Jonathan and Tiffany all finished before worst of the rain. The weather certainly made things difficult for Christa in the final stretch of the race. It was not the best of circumstances for her, but she can be very proud of finishing.

Photos from the race.

Fat Tire 40 Weekend is Here!

I'll be heading up to Cable this afternoon with Tiffany, Christa, Jonathan and Bryan for the Chequamegon Fat Tire weekend. The 26th annual festival sponsored by Trek is set for Sept. 12-14. The field, capped at 2500 riders, has been filled since March.

The main event, the Chequamegon 40, rolls down Main Street in Hayward at 10 a.m. as it has since 1983, while the Short and Fat, the 16-milerace, starts in Cable at 10 a.m. Both races finish at event host Telemark Resort east of Cable.

In 1983 at the first Chequamegon Fat Tire Fest, 27 riders pedaled north from Hayward, finishing then at Lakewoods Resort. From that humble beginning, the race has grown into the largest mass start mountain bike in the country, with 2500 riders in both the short and long races.

Festival director Gary Crandall once again used a lottery in March to select the riders for the September races. Nearly 1000 riders got turned away as the Chequamegon Festival continues to hold its total registration to 2500 riders, making the race one of the most popular mountain bike events in the country.

Several special events are planned for the 26th running of the race. The Cable Hayward Area Arts Council (CHARAC) and the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival will co-sponsor the Bicycle as Art contest. Artists can enter either 2D or 3D bicycle art. On Sept. 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. a Meet the Artists reception will take place at Telemark Resort. The exhibit will be open to the public that Friday evening and all day Saturday.

At 1 p.m. Friday, CAMBA (Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association) will offer trail tours out of Telemark Resort, showcasing their singletrack trails in the area. Vendors will be on hand all weekend, starting on Friday with Trek displaying their new line of mountain bikes, including the new Top Fuels.

Saturday's races are preceded by Children's Bicycle Parades in both Cable and Hayward at 9 p.m.

The Chequamegon 40 will use the same course as last year. A dry summer has left the course in great shape, with a minimal number of mud holes. The 16-mile Short & Fat starts in Cable and will use the traditional course that leads the riders south on Randysek Road then onto logging roads south of Telemark Resort. Expect the first Short & Fat finisher just before 11 a.m., while the winner of the Chequamegon 40 should reach the Telemark Resort finish line sometime shortly after noon.

Seering Leads Red Hawks at Illinois

First-year Tiffany Seering (West Bend, Wis.) led the Ripon College cycling team with a second-place finish Saturday in the cross country race and a third place Sunday in the short track.

Seering's second- and third-place finishes were highlights for the Red Hawks in their second collegiate competition.

The men started things off Saturday at Kickapoo State Park just west of Danville, Ill. Senior Cameron Arndt (Madison, Wis.) finished the cross country course as the highest placed Red Hawk in 13th. Senior Bryan Nell (St. Germain, Wis.) was just behind Arndt in 18th. Nell was followed by senior Jonathan Paretsky (Eagle River, Wis.) in 21st, while senior Steven Siewert (Waukesha, Wis.) finished in 32nd.

Seering's second-place cross country finish was complemented by a ninth-place finish by junior Christa Kussmann (Beaver Dam, Wis.). Seering returned Sunday to take third in the women's short track race on the University of Illinois campus. Kussmann improved a spot from Saturday, taking eighth on a wet and muddy course that better resembled a cyclocross course.

Nell was the best finisher for Ripon in the men's short track event with an eighth-place result. Siewert was right behind him in ninth, while Paretsky and Arndt finished in 13th and 18th, respectively.

As a team, Ripon finished in 13th place (out of 17 teams) in the cross country event and eighth (of 10) in the short track.

Photos from the cross country race.
Photos from the short track race.

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.