{"id":2873,"date":"2013-02-15T15:47:13","date_gmt":"2013-02-15T20:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.nd.edu\/cyclingirish\/?p=2873"},"modified":"2013-02-16T00:12:05","modified_gmt":"2013-02-16T05:12:05","slug":"2013-season-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/cyclingirish\/2013-season-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"2013 Season Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

2012 Review:<\/b><\/h3>\n

MWCCC<\/strong><\/p>\n

Team Ranking – 5 (1 D2)<\/p>\n

Individual Ranking – Joseph Magro 11 (1 D2), John Pratt 29 \u00a0(2 D2),\u00a0Andrew O’Donnell 37 (4 D2),\u00a0Douglas Ansel 43 (8 D2)<\/p>\n

\u00a0National Championship<\/strong><\/p>\n

TTT: 11<\/p>\n

Road Race: Nathaniel Lee 30, Joseph Magro 32, John Pratt 53<\/p>\n

Criterium: Joseph Magro 35, John Pratt 41<\/p>\n

Omnium: Joseph Magro 23<\/p>\n

Key\u00a0<\/b>Losses:<\/b>\u00a0Nathaniel Lee, Brian Boyle<\/p>\n

2013 Road<\/h3>\n

Returning Riders: <\/b>Andrew O’Donnell (G), Douglas Ansel (G), Joseph Magro (SR), Brian Hurley (SR), Phil Palmon (SR), Patrick Handy (SR), Rob Piscatelli (SR), David Pratt (SR) Carolyn McCann (SR), Luke Tilmans (JR), August Kunkel (JR), Joshua Corcoran (JR), John Pratt (SO), James Snitzer (SO), Michael Chifala (SO),<\/p>\n

Newcomers:<\/b> Samuel Melgar (FR), Jason Koncsol (JR), Michael Vitek (SO), Brennan Lanier (FR), Domenic Canonico (FR), Ryan Twardzik (FR), Claudi Witzig (G), Paige Handy (FR), Christine Song (FR), Emily Kunce (FR)<\/p>\n

Schedule<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
February 23\/24<\/td>\n@ Lindsey Wilson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
March 2\/3<\/td>\n@ Depauw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
March 23\/24<\/td>\n@ Lindenwood<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
March 30<\/td>\n@ Marian<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
April 6\/7<\/td>\n@ Michigan State\/ Michigan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
April 13\/14<\/td>\n@ Purdue\/ Notre Dame<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
April\u00a0 20\/21<\/td>\nConference Championship @Wisconsin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
May 3-5<\/td>\nNational Championship, Ogden Utah<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/b>Season Outlook<\/b><\/p>\n

An upperclass led Irish squad enters the 2013 road season aiming for their 3rd consecutive MWCCC D2 team title. After re-evaluating off season training and implementing a new fitness program for 2013, \u00a0Notre Dame will look to cement its place among the conference elite on the challenging Week 1 course in Columbia, KY. A combined MWCCC and NCCCC weekend at Lindenwood in late March will give A riders an early look at national competition, while the MWCCC stop at Notre Dame on April 14th will bring some of the best collegiate talent in the nation to the streets of downtown South Bend. \u00a0Key to ND’s success will be the progression of newcomers throughout the spring. Due to new conference scoring rules, if the large C and D teams perform, Notre Dame should not only be considered the clear favorite to take the MWCCC D2 championship, but also may displace some varsity teams atop the conference ladder.<\/p>\n

Category by Category Analysis<\/b><\/p>\n

\"andrew\"<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s A:<\/b> Perhaps Notre Dame\u2019s deepest A team ever, the Irish will look to cross swords with MWCCC\u00a0varsity\u00a0superpowers\u00a0Marian and\u00a0Lindenwood early and often in 2013. Two time defending D2 conference\u00a0champion Joseph Magro<\/a> will lead a squad containing 2012\u00a0National Championship qualifiers Andrew O’Donnell<\/a> and John Pratt<\/a>, as well as veteran Douglas\u00a0Ansel<\/a> who is fresh off an 11th\u00a0place finish in the 2013 Collegiate Cyclocross National Championship.\u00a0 With so many capable riders, count on Notre Dame to be a fixture in breakaways throughout the season, as well as a potential wild card in criterium finishes long\u00a0dominated by the varsity teams of the MWCCC.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"529371_10101319674423808_13754409_65076393_1975879017_n\"<\/a>Men\u2019s B:<\/b> Composed of 4 physically gifted riders with little experience, expect Notre Dame’s B team of James Snitzer<\/a>, Luke Tilmans<\/a>, Michael Chifala<\/a>, and Brian Hurley<\/a> to let some races get away early before becoming one of the most dominant lineups in any category. \u00a0Both Tilmans and Snitzer will be called upon to reinforce the A team time trial throughout the season, while Chifala will look to strike on any hilly course. Hurley brings criterium sprinting power to the squad, whose overall success will be key to ND’s conference title defense. Expect if the Irish ride up to expectation in this category, some may move to A late in the season to play supporting roles at Nationals come May.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_0655\"<\/a>Men\u2019s C:<\/b> Phil Palmon<\/a>, Pat Handy<\/a>, August Kunkel<\/a>, and David Pratt return for Notre Dame, while Bolivian newcomer Samuel Melgar will look to regain form which once found him riding among the world’s best at the 2010 Junior Olympics. Multi-sport athletes with plenty of finishing power, Handy and Pratt will give ND a presence in every criterium, while the most improved ND rider of 2012, Palmon, and Kunkel should be in the winning conversation every road race this year.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"carolyn\"<\/a>Women\u2019s B\/C:<\/b> Led by senior Carolyn McCann<\/a>, the women’s team enters 2013 young, but promising. A competitive swimmer for Saint Mary’s College, freshman Paige Handy<\/a> begins the season in excellent condition and should quickly find her cycling legs. \u00a0Hailing from Fort Wayne, IN, Emily Kunce<\/a> is no stranger to Midwestern riding and has been one of the hardest workers on the team during the winter months. \u00a0New to cycling, Christine Song<\/a> will also try some races later in the season. Expect McCann to be a valuable mentor to these three early in the spring, before filling the void in Women’s A left by Jenn Perricone’s graduation in 2011.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Men\u2019s D: <\/b>In the perennial question mark category, Notre Dame will field a team of six riders, only one of whom has competed in a collegiate race. \u00a0Recent power tests suggest junior Jason Koncsol<\/a> has the physical tools to be successful in the D field, while freshmen Brennan Lanier<\/a>, Domenic Canonico<\/a>, and Ryan Twardzik<\/a> enter 2013 as big unknowns with much to prove. All eyes will be on the D squad throughout the season, as improving \u00a0on ND’s 2012 team ranking will be largely dependent on their performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2012 Review: MWCCC Team Ranking – 5 (1 D2) Individual Ranking – Joseph Magro 11 (1 D2), John Pratt 29 \u00a0(2 D2),\u00a0Andrew O’Donnell 37 (4 D2),\u00a0Douglas Ansel 43 (8 D2) \u00a0National Championship TTT: 11 Road Race: Nathaniel Lee 30, Joseph Magro 32, John Pratt 53 Criterium: Joseph Magro 35, John Pratt 41 Omnium: Joseph Magro … <\/p>\n

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