Penn State Race report. (I did my best with this although I was on there for 6 hours)


          One word. Toad. If you don’t get it then you need to come to more races.


          Blue Knob is a mountain that seems to have a black cloud over it; literally. The fog there is unreal. You will not be able to see 15 feet in front of your car. It may be warm and sunny in the valley below but do not be fooled because the second you reach the top of the mountain you are in the clouds. It’s almost as if you could say in PA the higher you get, the higher you get. I mean it truly is refreshing to be on the top of a mountain.


          As you typically expect with a Drexel Cycling mountain bike race most of the interesting things happen off the race course. The race at Penn State was no exception. The usual Sac Shop* stop and then up the mountain. A few rest stop dinners and then camping in the rain. Of course some people spent the night in the condos or their beds at home in Philly.


          Ah, the Ol’ Sac shop.* It is no Wawa. Maybe that is because it’s not a Wawa. Sac Shop.* Sac Shop.* Sac shop.* Sac Shop.* Visualize the picture of the team in front of the Sac Shop* last year. It is called the Sac Shop.* Someone actually named it, probably with a straight face, oblivious to the fact that it can be interpreted the way that 92.453268% (the numbers are made up but the concepts are real, i.e. see the doughnut) of the English speaking people on this planet would see it.


          But I have digressed.


          The course has been described to me as something similar to Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe is very rocky with long technical descents and not too many difficult climbs.


          As a whole the team faired very well. Mainly because I didn't race. These results are as always unofficial but in men’s A XC – Erik Da Silva/8th, in men’s B XC – Justin Kline/3rd, in men’s C XC – Dan Moyer/4th, Steve Place/8th, Jared Crossman/16th, Najeeb Qutob/27th, Dan Hieneman/30th. In men’s A DS – Jared Crossman/DNQ (but don’t downplay it, he did race A), In men’s C DS – Dan Moyer/1st (I hate to say I told you so!….alright), Justin Kline/DNQ (the most spectacular crash of the season). In men’s ST XC A – Erik Da Silva/3rd, in men’s ST XC C – Jared Crossman/4th. Some of these are probably wrong; although I’m pretty sure the high finishes are right.


     * - Please except my sincere apology/apologies if you are offended by this in anyway.