About MU Cycling

Click here to view our 2021 Annual Report!

2021-2022 Omnium update:

The Marian University Cycling Team is a nationally-competitive varsity cycling team with a mission to develop student cyclists into life-long leaders and learners who commit to academic accomplishment, team achievement, and personal excellence on and off the bike.

We are sanctioned by USA Cycling, the country’s governing body for cycling, and compete in all five collegiate cycling disciplines: track, mountain bike, cyclocross, BMX, and road. Marian Cycling is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Cycling conference, which includes Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri.

Cycling is a reason that many student-cyclists may consider Marian, but academics are number one. We work very closely with all student-athletes to ensure that everything is going well in the classroom as a priority above cycling.

We ask all riders to compete in at least two disciplines (one fall and one spring). The fall semester has track, mountain bike, and cyclocross, and the spring semester focuses on BMX and road racing. Many riders compete in three or even four disciplines, but this is not required. Riders in all disciplines receive training and coaching support year round.

Everyone on the team races: there are levels to accommodate riders of all experiences, from brand-new (cat 5) to professionals. Collegiate cycling is open to anyone with the intent to not only get new riders into the sport, but also to allow those at the elite level to get an education while continuing to develop as a cyclist.

What is Marian Cycling all about? We are a TEAM of student-athletes (between 60 and 70 total between men and women in all disciplines) who take our mission and goals very seriously, while having a great deal of fun, throughout the year and a full training and racing schedule that includes over 25 weekends of travel. We use school as the foundation of why we are together and what our primary target is, and build upon that with cycling as the method of physical, emotional, and leadership development. We embrace the University's Franciscan values (peace & justice, dignity of the individual, reconciliation, and responsible stewardship) as the guiding pillars of what we seek to achieve daily. On and off the bike, we treat each person as a unique individual and work towards the goals associated with each person's process of intellectual, spiritual, moral, and social development.

Is there scholarship money and support available? Scholarships are available to team members based on academics and athletic experience. Scholarship money is packaged through the financial aid department and does not change from year to year once you sign.

Regardless of scholarship, all members of the team receive the same amenities, which include:

All travel expenses for racing are covered by the team (athletes spend no money out of pocket for travel) – this includes entry fees, travel, lodging, and food.
Kits (race clothing – bibs, jerseys, socks) provided to all team members, regardless of level. Riders pay a small one-time fee for a team-issued helmet.
Riders provide their own bikes, training gear and ‘specialty’ equipment. Other sponsor products are provided to all riders, and riders have access to several pro-deal purchase opportunities from industry partners after their first semester with a minimum 2.75 GPA
Coaching is provided to all riders through training plans, direct feedback during training and racing, and life coaching (school, emotional, and psychological), through conversation(s) with each member of the coaching staff throughout the season. Riders are welcome to continue working with an outside coach if they desire.

What’s the riding like in Indianapolis? In addition to the dedicated venues at the Indy Cycloplex (see below), the team utilizes the roads and trails of central Indiana to support training year-round. Mountain bike trails at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park, Town Run Trail Park, Southwestway Park (incudes a DH ‘flow’ trail) and Brown County State Park are all a part of our riding, and we use the roads south and west of town for small group and individual road training.

What cycling facilities does Marian have? Marian University operates the Indy Cycloplex on behalf of the City of Indianapolis, a 42-acre park that includes the Major Taylor Velodrome, BMX track, cyclocross course, and mountain bike trails (including dual slalom and singletrack). While this is primarily a community park, Marian cyclists are a primary user group and have access to the facilities as their 'home turf' for training and racing.

In addition, Marian Cycling has a recently-renovated indoor training studio on campus at the Paul J Norman Cycling Center, the home of PowerBooster™. This studio includes a over ten stations with smart trainers linked to the PerfPro software, a Wattbike, TruTrainer Rollers, and a NormaTec recovery area.

What are the requirements to be involved with the cycling program? You must be an enrolled full-time student at Marian University (minimum 12 credit hours per semester). You must adhere to athletic department policies and requirements and hold an active collegiate USA Cycling license attached to Marian University, and you must maintain a minimum GPA to stay eligble to race per Marian standards. Lastly, you must review and sign our team agreement each season, agreeing that you'll uphold the procedures and conduct of Marian University, Marian Cycling, and work cooperatively with the coaching staff in all areas related to your development while a student-cyclist.

What are my next steps if I am interested in joining the team? To express interest, you must first apply to Marian University and then schedule a campus visit. Be sure to indicate an interest in cycling to trigger a meeting with the team coaching staff during your visit. We highly encourage a tour of campus through the admissions department in order to ensure that Marian is the right fit for you academically and socially. School is the top priority and making sure that the academic programs meet your needs is the first order of business. If that fits, then we can explore the cycling component – so get in touch with our coaching staff with the interest form or a direct email!

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About MU Cycling