Mercer hosts SECCC Championship in spring finale

With the highest turnout in Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference history, Mercer Cycling successfully hosted the final race of the spring road season with a time trial, criterium, and road race over the course of Saturday and Sunday.

With nearly 155 riders and 23 schools in tow, Saturday morning’s time trial was delayed by an hour due to inclement weather. As soon as the weather passed over though, the action got hot on the back roads of Twiggs County as the team time trials and individual time trials got under way. Racing as Mercer’s lone entry in the individual time trial, Andrew Lockwood would post the 6th fastest time in the Men’s B time trial that morning, averaging slightly less than 22 mph over the 17.5 mile rolling-hill course.

Moving to the confines of Tattnall Square Park for Saturday afternoon’s criterium events, the spectators came out in droves to watch the five races of six categories zoom around the 0.7 mile loop with average speeds hovering between 25-28 mph for most of the afternoon. Sophomore Austin Sholly made the most of his showing in Men’s C criterium, controlling the race at points in route to sprinting to a 12th place finish.

Lockwood and teammate Gabe Denes would enter the Men’s B criterium with a competitive field that included stacked teams from Brevard College, Lees-McRae College, and Florida State. After fighting for position in the mid-pack in the opening laps, Lockwood would get stuck behind two riders that touched wheels, crashing and losing some skin in the process.

Taking the free lap that comes with a crash, the wheel pit mechanics worked on Lockwood’s bike, getting him back in the race at the tail end of the peloton. Denes worked up front in the top positions halfway through the 45 minute ordeal as Lockwood would zoom by at the 30 minute mark to take 2nd in a points premium, but in terms of a final result, the Mercer boys were outmatched by the likes of the schools with larger teams. Denes would take 14th while Lockwood came in at 20th in the 33 man field.

Elizabeth Lee, looking for a strong ride before her second consecutive nationals appearance in Madison, Wisconsin sat in the field for a majority of the Women’s A criterium finishing 7th at the field sprint.

Sunday’s road race would prove to be the most challenging event of the weekend as the riders circled a 15.5 mile course with several steep hills around the kaolin mines five miles from the city limits of Gordon for several laps depending on the length of their race. Austin Sholly rode another strong race, garnering a 5th place in the Men’s B group while Elizabeth Lee would take 9th in the Women’s A race. Lockwood and Denes would round out the main field in the Men’s B race with 23rd place and 21st place finish respectively.

With the SECCC Championship complete, Mercer Cycling turns their sights to three final events in the spring before their summer hiatus in which they’ll race individually. Athens Twilight (April 30), Historic Roswell Criterium (May 1), and the Macon State Championships (May 7) round out the team’s calendar for the spring season with the final race taking place around Tattnall Square Park.

Hosted by the Georgia Neurological Institute Cycling team (also known as the ‘Spine Team’), the ProGold Georgia State Criterium Championship will bring another elite group of cyclists to Macon to compete for a state championship including Mercer Cycling’s best riders. For more details of the race, visit the team’s webpage at http://mercercycling.blogspot.com.

Boys of spring hit Sunny King

-Anniston, AL-
Quickly gained recognition as one of the top Criterium races in the country, the Sunny King Criterium last weekend saw huge fields, hot weather, and a ton of locals who turned out to watch the top pro teams battle it out in the nightcap.
But before the pros hit the course, Andrew Lockwood and Gabe Denes made an appearance in the black and orange for their final tune-up before next week’s SECCC Championship held in Macon. With director sportif Kevin Roberts on hand, recently out of action due to tendinitis in his right knee, Lockwood took the course first in the Category 4 race that featured nearly 60 talented riders from across the southeast, including entries from SECCC schools Florida State, Alabama-Huntsville, and University of Alabama.

Racing from the back of the field, Lockwood moved up throughout the first few laps of the 45 minute race, carrying himself to as high as 10th in the large peloton, but struggled with positioning on the fast four-corner course.

“I really like the outside groove on the circuit, but there were always surges within the race on the inside, so positioning was a tough battle throughout the race,” Lockwood said following the race held in the 87 degree weather.

“I gave it my best effort, but I wanted to use today’s race to prep for the SECCC Championship next weekend as well as the Criterium races throughout the next month. The result wasn’t what I was necessarily looking for, but I was glad to finish with the lead group,” Lockwood added.

On the last lap of the race, Lockwood would fall to the back of the lead group to cross the line in 24th position.

Gabe Denes would then represent Mercer next in his first Category 3 race since moving up a category following his recent win in Dalton. Stockpiled with talent, the Category 2/3 race featured over 100 riders on strong regional teams including Macon’s own Georgia Neurological Institute cycling team. After a crash midway through the race, Denes, along with fellow Maconites Jake Andrews, Trey Crisp, and Drew Slocum, were placed back in the race with 40 other riders to effectively change the course of the race. The Spine team’s John Stowe put a large gap on the field until the last two laps in which he was reeled back in by the field. Denes would place 26th in the bunch group at the conclusion.

Local pro rider Christian Parrett would finish at the back of the Pro-1 field after moving to as high as 2nd with three laps to go in the event’s finale.