North Star Grand Prix
Camarillo, Calif., May 18, 2016 — A CSU Channel Islands (CI) senior who is graduating with a teaching credential on May 21 will compete in the North Star Grand Prix on the Medica Collegiate All-Stars composite team.
Amy Benner, 27, was asked to be an all-star in the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based bicycle race following her stellar performance in the 2016 Division II USA Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals May 13-15 in North Carolina.
Benner will compete in Minneapolis June 15-19 in a race that is nationally televised.
“It’s a great honor to have been invited, and I hope to make CSU Channel Islands proud,” Benner said. “I am proud to represent this University.”
Benner won a silver medal among the collegiate women for her second place showing in a grueling road race through the Carolina countryside. Then she came in fourth in the tricky “criterium,” which was a tight, technical circuit race through the city.
“One girl got off the front, so the rest of us were sprinting for 2nd. I got edged out by Seattle and Whitman College and ended up fourth,” Benner said. “Still, I'm pleased with the effort – our is the best-placed college from the West Coast Conference.”
Helping place CI on top for the West Coast Conference was Andrew Shimizu, 22, who will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in history on May 21.
Shimizu competed in the Men’s Division II, even though he was battling a stomach virus. He came in 12th out of about 65 racers, even though he was “deep in the pain cave” as he crossed the finish line, he said.
Associate Vice President for Wellness & Athletics Ed Lebioda could not be prouder of the cyclists and the CI Bicycle Kitchen (CIBK) cycling club.
“It just goes to their dedication both to their cycling and their academics,” Lebioda said. “It shows what they can do when they set their minds to it.”
Lebioda said the club has been powered entirely through student dedication, but his area is looking for additional ways to support the Bicycle Kitchen and its top-notch athletes.
Benner and Shimizu thanked Lebioda, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation & Recreational Sports Nathan Avery, CI and CIBK alum Felicia Tan, who traveled with them and took photos, handed them water bottles on the way and helped with race strategy.
Benner also pointed out the rainbow-colored armbands the West Coast racers wore in protest of North Carolina’s transgender bathroom laws.
“All the West Coast racers wore them in support of the LGBTQIA community, and UC Berkeley deserves a huge shout out for making it happen,” Benner said.
There’s lots more ahead for CI’s cycling community, Benner said. She and Tan will host the Western Collegiate Cycling Conference women's training camp in late October.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.