The Marian University Cycling Team continues to seek interested students for their first-of-its-kind student mechanic program: a scholarship opportunity designed to give college students experience as a cycling race mechanic as a member of the team while studying at the undergraduate level.
This program pairs developing mechanics with real-world competition settings to hone skills as a race mechanic. The student mechanics, who are full team members, work alongside the cycling team's staff to maintain team equipment, service athletes' personal equipment, and prepare for travel and competition in collegiate cycling's five disciplines (track, mountain bike, BMX, cyclocross, and road). The students also have opportunities to learn about projecting needs and ordering equipment and supplies for the team's fleet of equipment, athlete care, operations, sponsorship, and logistics.
"My experience with a collegiate team helped me develop ten-fold as a mechanic – but, it also teaches what it means to be a mechanic beyond just wrenching on bikes," said Michael Kubancsek, the team's Director of Operations and Chief Mechanic. "Coordinating logistics, knowing events schedules and venue details, providing athlete care, service course management, sponsor relations, and more – we want to assist young mechanics in learning the ins-and-outs of the mechanic's role with a team."
The ideal candidate for the program at Marian is a high school senior with two or more years of shop experience, who wants to work in the race setting and support a high-performance cycling team all season, including National Championships. Meanwhile, the student mechanics are committed to undergraduate studies and higher education in the school-first sprit of collegiate cycling.
"It takes a lot of equipment and many moving parts to compete at the highest level of collegiate cycling, and we have learned that it is more than one dedicated person, or even two, can do," said Head Coach Dean Peterson. "We are hoping this program offers a unique educational, leadership, and mentoring model for students to grow as bicycle mechanics while being a part of a collegiate cycling program."
"We hope to give young mechanics confidence and a platform to build their experience," said Kubancsek.
Interested students should contact Kubancsek at mkubancsek@marian.edu. A campus visit and tour will be arranged with the admissions department, and the recruiting process will include an interview with the staff.
