SCCCC Track Race #1 Recap

by Kristen Kjellberg | USA Cycling Collegiate News

Texas A&M Track Cycling Team

The SCCCC held its first track race in 2 years this weekend in Katy, TX. This was the first race of 3, signaling the beginning of the longest collegiate track season this summer. The Alkek Velodrome is a 333 meter, 8 to 33 degree banked concrete track that is completely maintained by volunteers under the Greater Houston Cycling Foundation. The race weekend, hosted by Texas A&M, started Saturday with Team Pursuit, Point-a-lap, Scratch, Men’s Chariot, and Women’s Handicap races. Sunday included Team Sprints, Points, and Miss and Out races. In the Women’s Category, Texas A&M dominated the team events with 4 women. In the Women’s Points and Scratch races, Afton Shelton (U of H) and Nicole Brady (TX A&M) pulled a breakaway in the first half of the race and switched taking the lead until the end, with Shelton taking first in both cases.

TX A&M also dominated with numbers in the Men’s A Field. In the Men’s A scratch, Andrew Carlberg (TX A&M) broke away while his 5 teammates held back the competition. After he caught back on the pace line, Carlberg’s teammates Shane Haga and Cody Foster (fresh off his 2nd place finish in the Tulsa Tough Criterium) pulled another breakaway and lapped the field. Foster ended up with 1st in the points race, followed by Haga and then Carlberg. Adam McCullough, lone U of H racer, defied the odds of numbers in the Men’s A omnium. He won the Miss & Out and solidly performed in all of the other races to earn 1st place in the Men’s A omnium.

 Last but definitely not least, Tulane University brought a highly spirited group to control the Men’s B category. The team won both the Team Pursuit and Team Sprint. Ben Bradley (Tulane) won both Points races, the Scratch, and the Miss & Out to take the Men’s Omnium 1st place. The SCCCC will continue with their 2nd track race of the season at the Frisco Superdrome near Dallas on August 6th.

Women’s Scratch Breakway (by Henri Kjellberg)

Tulane Men’s B Team Pursuit (by Cindy Rasche)