Cycling Teams Success Captured by School Newspaper
Monday, March 13th, 2006The school newspaper for UMD - the Diamondback - published an article which coincided with the dates of our on campus criterium. In the past the diamondback wouldnt cover sports clubs, so it is great to have their support.
Cyclers take the lead
Club team experiencing soaring success
Jeremy Tam Issue date: 3/13/06 Section: Sports
The Maryland chapter of the National Collegiate Cycling Association continued its unprecedented success Sunday with a win at the annual President’’s Criterium races around the campus.
Already victorious in two early season races, the co-ed team was able to beat out more than 400 participants from 19 schools who rode through Lot 1, President Motes driveway and Ludwig Field.
“We did pretty well today,” said Eric Laing, a sophomore biology major and the club’’s treasurer. “The women’’s teams were really strong.”
Expecting to win is new for the cycling team; the early season wins at the Navy Criterium and William and Mary Road Race were the teams first consecutive wins in the Atlantic Coast Cycling Conference since the 1970s. Led by veteran riders, this years team finds itself in first place in the ACCC and closer to its goal of winning the national tournament in May.
“Our team has never been in first place before,” said Nick Pakulla, the club president. “But we are now at the top of the conference with three first place wins, which pretty much guarantees us a spot in nationals.”
The club returned to the campus in 1999 after dying out in the 1970s. Reviving the team, however, had many obstacles.
“When I first joined the club we were finishing last in the conference,” said Pakulla. “We'’ve had continual growth since 1999, though, as the team got better and stronger with more riders.”
In 2005, the team placed third overall in the ACCC and advanced to the national competition, an accomplishment almost hindered by university policies. Because nationals were the weekend before spring semester finals, the team was not allowed to travel until the very last minute.… more