Head Coach: Andrew Armstrong
Last year’s successes:
Jesuit – 2nd overall in Texas.
Nolan – 1st overall in the B division.
Paul Madsen – 4th overall in the A division
Gabriel Fuentes – 11th overall in the B division
Omar Martinez – 13th overall in the B division
Building on last year’s successes provides a kick start for the upcoming season in Jesuit cycling. Not only has the team increased interest in racing, but it also has a fresh batch of incoming freshmen excited to join in on the fun. With the change of faces around campus, the Texas High School Cycling League (TXHSCL) is also making big changes. Traditionally the TXHSCL has only participated in road events, but this year races will expand into mountain biking and track cycling. The team hopes this change increases interest in cycling at many schools around the state.
Senior captains Gabriel Fuentes and Paul Madsen will try to lead the team to another successful season this year. Sophomore Andrew Nolan plans on making the transition into the A Division, giving Jesuit more power and continuity as a team. Also, many returning riders will attend numerous races this season, helping Jesuit rack up points, a necessity if the team is to be the best in the state.
Many people are curious about the Jesuit Cycling club and about cycling in general. Here are a few of the most popular questions:
Do I need to have a bike to ride on the team?
No, through the team’s sponsorship from Richardson Bike Mart, many generous donations, and the annual Ranger Roundup road race, the club was able to purchase many bikes that riders can borrow.
How many people are on the team?
Last year the team consisted of 12 riders, the biggest group yet. That number is expected to grow this year.
Which schools participate in the league racing?
Jesuit, Bishop Lynch, St. Marks, Amarillo ISD, McKinney, Denton, Fort Worth, Fort Worth Nolan, Frisco, Plano, Lubbock, Coppell, Keller ISD, Pflugerville HS, Smithville HS, and others, along with many individual riders from other schools who race in TXHSCL.
Head coach Andrew Armstrong started the team about five years ago and it has grown ever since. Jesuit was the first school in the state to have a cycling team, and because of this, the team was featured in Bicycling magazine, the largest cycling magazine in the country. Coach Armstrong also runs the TXHSCL while teaching full time and racing at the professional level. He has raced around the world with some of the fastest professional racers. He continues to train and race for Richardson Bikemart’s elite racing team, Matrix. His dedication to the sport has given the entire team motivation to pursue its goals in cycling. Asked about his predictions for the new season, he responded:
What are you most excited about for the upcoming cycling season?
I am most excited about the growth of cycling at Jesuit as well as at high schools throughout Texas. At Jesuit it looks like the club could be doubling or even tripling in size particularly in terms of the number of committed, active racers. Throughout the state there is also a dramatic increase in the number of individuals, schools, and clubs interested in high school cycling and racing. This increase in interest also touches on another area where I am excited about the upcoming season which is the continued evolution of the cycling club from a club with a club-like feeling to more of an athletic team with the increased structure, expectations, and camaraderie that comes along with it. Of course I am also excited about our returning core of experienced riders and racers including Seniors Paul Madsen & Kevin Kolker and Sophomore Andrew Nolan who look to anchor one of the state’s top Varsity teams. We also already have a few new members who look as though they will have an instant impact on the team’s results at races throughout the spring road season. Finally, I am excited to at last be expanding into mountain biking with the league’s fall mountain bike series. Although the Jesuit club may not do much, if any, mountain biking this fall, I am pumped about developing a group to race mountain biking by the fall of 2011.
Do you expect an increase in participation in the TXHSCL races?
Yes, I think we have a solid core group that is already leading a number of new members as they gear up towards an active and competitive high school race series this spring semester. As the director of the Texas High School Cycling League, I have also seen an increase in interest from across the state with new clubs or clubs greatly increased in size from schools throughout Dallas (Plano, McKinney, Frisco, FW Nolan, Coppell, and more) and across the state at places such as greater Houston, Corpus Christi, Austin, and even small towns in between.
What is your biggest accomplishment as a cyclist?
That’s a tough question. I think getting two different fourth place finishes at the 2008 elite, national track cycling championships would have to be my favorite. Others that come to mind are competing in the 2005 collegiate national championships representing my school, Boston College, winning a professional velodrome race in 2008, racing a 3-day velodrome race in Geneva, Switzerland, and racing with/against 10-20 Olympians and Tour-de-France racers in races in Australia in the winter of 2008/2009.
It seems that this year will prove to be explosive for Jesuit cycling. Everyone on the team has high hopes, including sophomore Andrew Nolan who said “last year’s success will help push us to our goal of becoming the best in the state.” Teamwork is what will bring the team to its ultimate goal. The excitement for the 2010-2011 year is just building as Jesuit Cycling enters the season with the best team it has ever had.
