Hardin-Simmons Adds Cycling as Varsity-Level Sport

Hardin-Simmons University is excited to announce the addition of cycling as a sport and has hired Brenda Andress as its inaugural coach.

“We are excited about bringing the sport of cycling to Hardin-Simmons,” said Dr. John Neese, Associate Vice President for Athletics. “The cycling community is vast and we think there is a need to bring competitive cycling to Abilene.”

Cycling is not an NCAA-sanctioned sport but has varsity and club levels and falls under the auspices of USA Cycling (USAC). USAC features four disciplines – track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and road. HSU will compete in mountain bike in the fall season and road in the spring season.

HSU will compete at the varsity level in the South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference (SCCCC).  The SCCCC is a collection of cycling teams representing colleges and universities from Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

USAC races have different categories to encourage riders of all levels to compete (A-races for Category 1-2-3 riders, B-races for Category 3-4 riders, and C-races for beginners.) Riders move up categories by acquiring points in races.

Scoring is like a track meet where racers score points for the team.

Andress most recently served as the head girls’ basketball coach at Abilene High School and was also a special education and English teacher. She has been participating in competitive cycling since college. She has a bachelor’s in secondary education from Abilene Christian University and a master’s degree in leadership from UT-Arlington.

Professional cyclist Keiran Eagen

“There are so many physical and mental benefits of cycling,” Andress said. “This is a great opportunity to pair an outstanding educational experience at Hardin-Simmons with the ability to compete in cycling. I’m excited to be able to build this program from the ground up and excited about the possibilities.”

“I’m excited that Brenda is joining Hardin-Simmons University as the founding coach for our cycling program,” said HSU President Eric Bruntmyer. “Her character and experience provide a firm foundation for our program that I know she’ll build on for many years to come.”

The program is being fully funded by Mike McMaude. A 1990 graduate of Hardin-Simmons with a degree in business administration, he is the President of Hospice Services for BrightSpring Health Services.

“Two of my biggest passions are Hardin-Simmons and cycling,” said McMaude. “This program will give cyclists a chance to get a great education while competing in a sport they love. I am excited about what this can bring to the HSU, Abilene, and cycling communities.”

The idea and plans for this program have been in development over the last few years. Part of that plan was to get the Hardin-Simmons name into the cycling world. As part of that, “HSU” is being worn on the jersey of professional cyclist Keiran Eagen, who recently won the Pikes Peak Apex in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“HSU Athletics adding cycling to its collegiate sports repertoire is extremely exciting,” said Eagen. “The growth of collegiate cycling in the US is awesome and adding another school that aspires to be competitive at the national level while also offering a top-notch education is always a good thing for young American cyclists. I am excited to be partnered with HSU Athletics as they kick their cycling program into high gear!”

Hardin-Simmons is a Baptist University located in Abilene, Texas. HSU is dedicated to providing excellence in education enlightened by Christian faith and values.

For more information on the Hardin-Simmons cycling program, contact Andress at (brenda.andress@hsutx.edu).