All thawed out

Thanks to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts for the Special Olympics of Wisconsin. Furby, Paul, Eric and I raised $675 and took the Polar Plunge in Oshkosh Saturday. It was certainly one of those "bucket list" moments. The plunge was a first for each of us, and none of us knew quite what to expect ... other than the shivers. It all happened pretty quickly. In some ways, I would describe it as anti-climactic. Still, we all agreed that we were glad to have done it. Will we be rushing to do it next year? I suspect it could become an annual team event, but time will tell.

Coach Damm's Bike Leg

Coach Ric Damm completed the bike leg of the 2010 Badger State Games. The route was a 5K out-and-back on Red Bud Road near Nine Mile Country Forest in Wausau, Wis. Damm recorded the fastest time on the bike for the day, completing the 5K distance in 12:42.1. He teamed up with Eric Smith to place second overall in the pairs, age 16-28 category with a combined time of 1 hr. 20 min. 57 sec.

Furby's Quadrathlon Ski Leg

Andy "Furby" Fehrenbach completed the 5K ski leg of the 2010 Badger State Games Quadrathlon in a time of 17:34.0, the fourth fastest time on the day. Furby teamed up with Paul Meuer to compete as a pair in the 16-28 age group. The two finished fourth in the category with a combined time of 1 hr. 46 min. 33.4 sec.

Red Hawk Recognition

A few photos from the recognition at Friday night's basketball game:























Tiffany, Coach Damm and Eric.























The new Cycling championship banner hanging among the other College championship banners in the gym.

Hawks to be Recognized before Ripon Basketball Game

The Ripon College athletic department will recognize two members of the Red Hawks cycling team before the start of the Red Hawks men's basketball game Friday, Feb. 5, at Ripon College's J.M. Storzer Center.

Tiffany Seering and Eric Smith were each named Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference Division 2 mountain bike individual omnium champions for their performances last fall.

Tiffany, a junior from West Bend, Wis., ended the 2009 season in third place in the conference standings and tops among Division 2 females.

Eric, a freshman from Charlottesville, Va., ranked 11th among conference men at the end of the season and was the best of Division 2.

With their success, both Tiffany and Eric earned a trip to USA Cycling's Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals at Northstar at Tahoe Resort in California last October. The pair led Ripon to a 12th place finish among Division 2 schools.

At Nationals, Eric was 10th among the male individual omnium competitors. Omnium results are a combination of scores from all four events, and Eric finished 28th in cross country, 22nd in short track cross country, 35th in four cross and 20th in downhill.

Tiffany competed in the cross country and short track events, finishing 15th and 17th, respectively.

A banner recognizing the cycling team's 2009 Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference Division 2 championship has been added to the College's wall of championship banners in the Wyman Gymnasium.

It's Super Spin Week

The Red Hawks are back on campus after a long winter break. Hopefully they've been staying active either on the bike, skis, snowshoes, running, weights, whatever. We'll find out this Saturday when they're challenged on the Computrainters at the Ride for Rosita: Super Spin Saturday.

I posed for a promo photo last Thursday with Dave Haase, Thomson Remo and some local radio personalities. This photo and article should appear in the local newspapers this week to encourage folks to come out for a great time and a great cause.

Also this week, a few of the Red Hawks and I will be headed down to Fox Point, Wis., to rub elbows with Frankie Andreu and a who's who of area cyclists at the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin fundraiser. I wonder if Lance Armstrong questions are taboo?

We hope to see you at one or both of these events.

Sixth Annual Ride for Rosita, Jan. 23

The Red Hawks will be participating in the sixth annual Super Spin Saturday: Ride for Rosita Saturday, Jan. 23 at Theisen Middle School, 525 E. Pioneer Rd., Fond du Lac, Wis. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration opens at 8 a.m.

Participants from beginners to pros are welcome to spin for one hour or up to four hours. A limited number of stationary spin bikes will be available, however, participants are encouraged to bring their own bikes and stationary trainer or rollers. A limited number of Kinetic trainers will be available for use with your own bike.

Every participant will get a two-week membership at the Fond du Lac YMCA. All children six and older will have their name entered to win a Wii. All adult participants can enter their name to win a $500 shopping spree at Attitude Sports. The adult bringing in the highest dollar amount of pledges will be awarded a Festina watch.

New this year will be a competition between schools to bring in pledges. The top school will win a Fond du Lac YMCA party.

Individuals can also earn a variety of prizes based on the amount of money raised.

United Hearts for Health volunteers will once again serve their very tasty homemade energy bars (worth the cost of admission alone!).

I will be leading an hour of spinning beginning at noon. In addition to your's truly, hourly sections will be led by endurance coach and professional triathlete Heather Haviland, a six-time Ironman finisher; Oliver Clements, a doctor from Fond du Lac who will offer trivia and prizes; and local triathlete Tim Laird.

Members of the Red Hawks cycling team will be competing with other event participants in a point-to-point Computrainer simulated race.

Super Spin Saturday is a fund-raising event to support United Hearts for Health (UHH) and its health care efforts in Rosita, Nicaragua. The first group of Fond du Lac medical missionaries traveled to Rosita in 2003. The health care system they found was in a dire crisis. The hospital infrastructure was rotting away, the laboratory facilities were inadequate for diagnosis, dental equipment was inadequate and the infant and maternal mortality rates were — and remain — among the highest in the world.

Since 2003, a new hospital has been built and a new well drilled to provide potable water to the hospital and its patients. Fond du Lac health care providers have treated more than 600 patients in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, that number rose to more than 1,200 in Rosita and at two nearby satellite locations. Every year the cost of medicine and supplies goes up, and UHH relies heavily on donors to help us purchase the type and amount of medicine and supplies needed to treat patients effectively. The cost of medication alone was over $10,000 in 2009.

Participants are required to pay $5 for each hour they ride and are encouraged to raise additional money through pledges. All checks should be made payable to “United Hearts for Health/Holy Family.”

Download the registration form.

For more information, visit the United Hearts for Health Web site or call 920-921-6021.

By the way, you may notice that the poster and registration forms both list Ripon as the "Midwest's Premiere Collegiate Cycling Program." Rest assured, we don't have inflated egos or a false sense of grandeur. I'm not sure who gave us that billing. We're not there yet, but rest assured we do aspire to such greatness.

Please come out and join us Jan. 23 for a good time and a great cause.