Eight cyclists on the cycling team will ride this week at the cycling track nationals in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“I’m really excited to represent the university at a national championship!” Sean Brown, graduate student in exercise physiology, said. “I am nervous too since I did really good last year. I just put too much pressure on myself. If I can bring home a medal I’ll be happier than a body builder directing traffic.”

The races begin Thursday, Sept. 19, and finish on Saturday, Sept. 21, consisting of six main events, a points race, a scratch race, individual 4k pursuit, team pursuit, match sprints, and team sprints. The sprint events are simply stated a race to the finish line, however the points, pursuits, and scratch are a little different. The scratch race is just a normal endurance race., whoever crosses the finish line first wins. Points race is when you accumulate points as the race foes and whoever gets the most wins. The pursuit race is when two or more competitors chase the front runner, or in a team pursuit, their team leader.

“The scratch race is hard because it’s just straight endurance,” Aldo Curiel, junior in exercise physiology, said. “The pursuit may seem easy, but it’s definitely not. The whole time you’re sprinting and switching leaders, meaning you have to fall back, get in line and then go back sprinting.”

Since the start of their training season, the cyclists have been working on these six events especially.

“We have been going down to Frisco, Texas to the Track Vendome as much as possible in preparation,” Ashley Weaver, a junior in athletic training, said. “We’ve at least one to two training sessions a day.”

Last year the team placed second on the podium. However since that time former riders have graduated, giving the team less experienced ones to work with.

“Even though we lost some good riders, we have some new comers who have what it takes,” Weaver said. “I’m pretty confident we will podium overall as a team as long as we work together as a team and really communicate.”

The track nationals are where the top collegiate cyclists in the country compete each year. Track races are only available to athletes that are certified to use the track. Only eight MSU cyclists on the team are certified to attend this year’s competition.

Members of the cycling team certified in track racing include: 

• Corey Scott, graduate student in exercise physiology
• Sean Brown, graduate student in exercise physiology
• Erick Goytia, junior in mechanical engineering
• Jessica Prinner, junior in business finance
• Angela Streadwick, senior in psychology
• Madeleine Steele, sophomore in art
• Cameron Lowery, freshman
• Ashley Weaver, junior in exercise physiology