USA Cycling announces scholarship winners

The 2005 recipients of the USA Cycling Development Foundation Stenner Scholarships and other Foundation year-end grants were announced earlier this week, totaling $29,000 in scholarships and grants given directly to athletes and clubs/teams. The Foundation annually presents two $2,000 scholarships to the top female and male athletes in the National Collegiate Cycling Association. Stenner scholarship recipients must be collegiate cycling athletes, active in their collegiate cycling teams.

Molly Hummel was named this year's women's recipient. Hummel has developed a healthy respect among her peers while racing for the University of Colorado-Boulder cycling team. She recently transferred to Fort Lewis College to complete her senior year, but not before helping the CU team win its latest Conference and National road championships. Hummel had 31 top-five finishes in Women's A and Pro,1,2 regional and national road and mountain bike events combined in 2005 alone, including 14 wins and the 2005 collegiate team omnium at road national championships.

Kenneth Hanson (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) is this year's men's recipient. Hanson is a senior at Cal Poly majoring in Nutrition Science, and originally came to college with plans to play for the school's varsity soccer team. Hanson was unable to make the roster and was recruited to the cycling team by a fellow dorm mate. With no prior racing experience, Hanson went through the ranks racing both road and mountain bike events, upgraded and eventually qualified for the 2004 Road Nationals in Madison. Hanson finished a respectable 10th and 12th in the road race and criterium, and returned in 2005 with only three years of experience to win the National Championship Criterium in Kansas.

Six outstanding regional athlete development programs were chosen in 2005 to receive financial awards from the Foundation through the Center of Excellence designation. The awards are based on the requirements of a specific team structure, which includes a board of directors, coaches and a plan for developing athletes into international competitors. Topping the list are three familiar programs which continue to set an example for the rest of the nation with continued growth in organisation, participation and results.

Rad Racing, based out of Olympia, Wash. and serving junior and U-23 riders in the Northwest, continues a mission to develop young local beginner riders into international competitors. Joining Rad are two other California based programs: The Santa Rosa road program of Team Swift, and the Northern California (NorCal) High School Mountain Bike League. Additional programs include the Orlando Road Club (Florida), XXX Racing (Illinois) and Team Bliss (Vermont), that join the list as Centers of Excellence for young athlete development in 2005.