Eight teams remain in the Fall Frenzy and they aren’t your top seeds! The action in the Super 16 came down to the wire, and fans witnessed not one, not two, but three shocking upsets! The remaining competitors will face off each Wednesday and Thursday for the next three weeks on their Expresso bikes until a champion is crowned.
Here are the matchups for the Electric Eight round:
(1) Schoolcraft College vs. (9) Marist College
(2) Georgia Gwinnett College vs. (10) University of Virginia at Wise
(3) Carnegie Mellon University vs. (6) University of South Dakota
(5) University of Rochester vs. (13) SUNY – Binghamton
Team action from the Super 16
Things played out as expected for the big three, #1 Schoolcraft, #2 Georgia Gwinnett, and #3 Carnegie Mellon, but in the battle for SUNY supremacy, #13 Binghamton crossed the 1000-mile mark to upset #4 Oswego. Depth proved to be the key for a Binghamton squad of 83 riders compared to Oswego’s small but solid team of 40 riders.
The tightest match of the round showcased the talents and grit of three of the top 10 individual riders. #7 Houghton was led by John King with an astonishing 235 miles, but it was not enough to beat the determined #10 University of Virginia at Wise. It came down to the wire, but the Virginia at Wise had a one-two punch with Jared Ring riding 110 miles and the number two female rider Tamyra Howell riding 80 miles on her own. It was just too much for Houghton to handle. The final score was 399 miles to 391 miles in favor of Virginia at Wise.
Ranked#9, Marist College completed the trifecta of Super 16 upsets by snatching victory from #8 Salem State. Both colleges have made tournament appearances before, and Marist advanced to the Fearsome Four two years ago. If they are going to get there this year, though, they are going to have to get through the #1 Schoolcraft powerhouse.
Individual tournament riders
Riders are also competing individually. For every ten miles ridden, riders receive a lottery ticket. At the end of the tournament, one lucky rider will win $500! Even if a team drops out, riders can continue earning tickets and bragging rights!
Top rider John King from Houghton College has logged a ridiculous 470 miles. If John continues to ride, there is only one man within striking distance. That rider is Kevin Anthony of Georgia Gwinnett, who rode a double century in the Super 16 and has logged 381 miles of his own. Other notable riders include Jim Seay of Schoolcraft (246 miles), Thomas Marshall of University of South Dakota (237 miles), Randall Damron of Carnegie Mellon (194 miles) and top female rider Sarah DeGeorge of SUNY – Oswego (176 miles) who did a full century in the last round.
Tune into the Fall Frenzy from October 18-19 to see who moves forward in the tourney and one pedal stroke closer to the championship title and the coveted Golden Spokes trophy!
- For more information, contact Expresso Coach, Ross Stensrud .
- If you are interested in highlighting your campus or a NIRSA member’s achievements on your campus, pitch us your ideas.
Ross Stensrud is currently Chief Marketing Officer and coach at Expresso. He can be reached at rstensrud@ifholdings.com.
