The team held its annual awards dinner at the Point Annex in Westport recently. It’s our time to get together and relive the highlights from the previous season, and to recognize those athletes who turned in great performances throughout the year. We also connected with many of our sponsors, and thanked them for their support.
Keen Wealth Advisors was in attendance and re-committed to Big D and to cycling in general. Keen Wealth Advisors will be donating funds to the KCA to help purchase updated finish line camera gear, and will be presenting the Keen Wealth Cup for the overall KBAT team starting in 2013! Special thanks to Bill Keen, CRPC®, Founder/CEO and the rest of the staff at Keen Wealth Advisors for your continued support of Big D, and cycling in the region.
The award for the most outstanding rider went to Lynn Wilson, for her sheer volume of racing and excellent results. She competed in 28 races and finished on the podium in most of them. Only her husband, Kurt, competed in more road races.
Rochell Schleicher was recognized as best team rider for her contributions to her teammates and for her outstanding results during the season. Schleicher won three state championships, and was a regular on the podium in important races. She was also recognized for her great results at the World Triathlon Championships in Las Vegas, where she placed seventh in her age group!
In the Most Improved Rider category, it was Susan Ruettimann taking honors for coming out of nowhere to grab the KBAR Masters 40+. In her first year of racing, Ruettimann went from a recreational fitness rider to a dominant force in regional women’s racing. Her savvy strategizing and determination kept her in the lead for points all season.
Among other awards, Bill Mason was recognized for bouncing back from a crash that left him with a titanium plate holding his collar bone together. Kurt Wilson won for the most racing, and Shawn Knight won the dubious rainbow jersey for his dominance at Tuesday Night Worlds.
Bill Keen of Keen Wealth Advisors also announced support for a race in 2013. This race is in development and will most likely be a late season criterium in the Kansas City area.
Look for Big D riders in their Bolle sunglasses again this season. Dwayne Baldwin of Bolle also let the team know that they would be there protecting Big D eyes while helping us look stylish!
We are all looking forward to even greater accomplishments in 2013! For more images of our festivities, click here.