Wheels spinning, the bikes turn yet another corner in the excruciatingly-tiring race. Rounding the last turn, sweat falling off their faces, the cyclists pedal hard toward the finish. All of a sudden, amidst a crowd of bikers, the Jesuit blue and gold uniforms break through, dashing for the finish line.
This year, the cycling team did tremendously well in its races. While technically a school club rather than a Jesuit sanctioned sport, the cycling team placed second overall in the Texas High School Cycling League (TXHSCL), and achieved second place finishes in both the road and mountain-bike competitions.
While the team did well as a unit, there were also many individual accolades. Sophomore John Paul Blanton was among the most outstanding cyclists, winning the B division with 5 wins in 10 races, even though he did not participate in some of the last races because he was moved up to the A division.
Blanton was more than ecstatic about his win in the B division. “[Winning the B division] felt great! I had a pretty rough season last year and to come out on top this year was great!”
He also placed seventh in the A division, racing only twice.
Andrew Nolan ’13 placed 13th overall in the A division out of 24 racers, but only managed to participate in four races due to a wrist injury. He and Blanton led the charge for a 3rd place finish in the A division.
The B and C divisions also had many outstanding racers, with the aforementioned Blanton winning the B division and
sophomore Thomas Baert placing 4th overall in the same class. In the C division, freshman Jimmy Merkel placed 5th overall while Nathan Ward ’12 finished in 8th place. Garrett Frick ’15 tied for tenth place out of 30 racers. Cyclists in both the B and C divisions helped the team finish 2nd in both respective classes.
Despite their success, many on the team felt it could have been much better. Lots of injuries occurred right at the beginning of the season, noted Baert. Blanton agreed, saying, “Two of our returning members [were] injured and missed the majority of the season.” However, Blanton was impressed with the newcomers, whether they were freshmen or seniors.
Adding to their accolades, the cycling team also had 24 podium finishes out of 50 race entries. Both Blanton and Baert agree that next season will be their best, with Blanton noting that, “We have already been contacted by multiple incoming freshmen who are interested in riding and racing with us next year.
Our coaches are phenomenal and are committed to making our team better and more competitive.” Because of many injuries this season, expect great things from the cycling team next season.
