Cycling looks for members

The West Virginia University men's and women's club cycling team has encountered recent success since the program's inaugural year in 2000.

Since then, the club has won 10 conference championships in the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Cycling Conference. Most recently, team members Duncan Oliver, a petroleum engineering major, and Emily Moy, a second-year law student, won races at the cycling club's meet at College of William & Mary this past weekend. Oliver and Moy won the men's and women's A Class, respectively.

The team also won the cross country event Saturday, and Moy went on to win her race as well, Sunday at Virginia Commonwealth University.

With all the success the team has accomplished, coach Ryan Post said the team's members are dwindling.

"Every person matters in a cycling meet," Post said. "When our main rival Virginia Tech has 38 members and we have 10, it's tough to compete sometimes, even with our high quality of riders."

WVU competes in a conference with rival Virginia Tech, N.C. State and recent Division II National Champion Appalachian State. Appalachian State made the jump to Division I this season.

Post went on to discuss why cycling is beneficial for more than just competition.

"Cycling is a life-long activity you can participate in if you are 18 or 80," he said. "Plus, we have a lot of fun and the team camaraderie is great".

Team member James Braswell agreed with the many benefits of cycling.

"It's a fun hobby, good for recreation and you can commute anywhere on a bike instead of dealing with traffic," he said.

Post wants everyone to know all interested individuals are welcome to join the team.

"It's not necessarily about quality, but more about quantity," Post said. "We are just being really outnumbered right now."

In the fall, the team participates in mountain biking, while the spring is dedicated to road courses. Cycling is open to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students. There are three weekend meets left with WVU hosting the conference championship in a few weeks.

The next meeting for the cycling club will be held Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Mountaineer Room of the Mountainlair.

Anyone with questions can e-mail the club at wvucycling@gmail.com or by going to www.wvucycling.com.