The Whitman College Cycling team enjoyed a strong home-turf finish at this weekend’s campus criterium, placing first overall in the event. The third annual Criterium featured a variety of cycling individual and team events, and over a dozen other Northwest area schools competed.

Both individual riders and the overall team performed well in races. Junior Dessie Wiegel finished first in both of individual events in the Women’s A category, and Whitman’s Women A racers  finished first in the team time trial. Senior Kevin Wallin finished fifth in the Men’s A road race on Saturday, and the team had strong results in the Women’s B and Men’s B categories.

The organization of the event required intense preparation and planning, both with local officials and the college itself.

“It’s very stressful because we’re 100 percent student run,” said junior Alex Ihle, a member of the team who coordinated the event. “There’s really no outside help, and it’s a very complicated event to put on while you’re also going to school.”

The structure of the race weekend included three major events. A road race was held along Lower Waitsburg Road on Saturday. Team time trials, an event where four cyclists from each team race together for a shorter distance than a normal road race, were held later in the day. The most recognizable event, the criterium itself, was held on Sunday, and Men’s and Women’s categories circled around campus throughout the morning.

The team worked with the City of Walla Walla, Whitman Events Board and Allegro Cyclery to put on the event. Over 100 volunteers worked at the criterium on Sunday and helped to maintain pedestrian safety cyclists whirred around campus. Whitman cyclists also organized homestays for over 100 racers from teams in the Northwest Conference.

“It’s a lot more work than a normal race weekend,” said junior cyclist Fiona Bennitt, who served as this year’s Homestay Coordinator. “But I personally get so excited and go all out cheering for my team racers at our home race, because it is our home race.”

With the completion of the Campus Criterium, the team is over halfway through its competitive season. Multiple cyclists will compete in the Tour of Walla Walla this weekend, a non-collegiate race, and the team is headed to Montana and Idaho in the coming weeks before eight Whitman riders compete in the National Competition in Asheville, North Carolina.

“We’ve been doing really well, we’re usually one of the best teams in the conference. Our women’s team is especially good,” Ihle said.

Members of the cycling community said the team’s success last weekend, both in planning and competition, was a testament to their overall strength.

“As far as team participation, Whitman consistently has one of the most vibrant teams and cycling communities every year,” said Matt Faunt, Allegro Cyclery employee and chaperone for the Whitman Cycling Team.