Support JETBLACH Cycling
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Our Little 500 team, JETBLACH, is off to a strong start in 2020 with 8 riders! I'd like to share information with you about how you can support the team, upcoming event dates, and an introduction to our riders,
Support the Team:
Please join me in supporting this year's team by making a contribution on their Go Fund Me Page. Please note, with the house off campus, this is their only source of funding. PLEASE SEE THE VIDEO REQUEST BY DELTS/JETBLACH coach Courtney Bishop, at the helm for the 12th year with our program!
Mark your calendar:
Key dates for Little 500 events this spring.
· Qualifications: Saturday March 23; 8am-6pm
· Individual Time Trials: Wednesday, March 27; 3-11pm
· Miss N Out: Saturday, March 30; 12-6pm
· Team Pursuit: Saturday, April 6; 1-9pm
· 69th Men’s Little 500: Saturday, April 13; 2:00pm
Riders:
This year’s team is made up of 8 talented riders with all 4 racers returning from last year’s team.
Name: Rob Oehler
Year: Senior
Hometown: New Albany, OH
Major: Finance/Accounting
Fun Fact: I have a twin brother
My name is Robert Oehler, and I am a returning senior with two prior races in 2018 and 2019. I was fortunate enough to join what some saw as a ragtag team in Jetblach in 2018, and still more fortunate to ride the race as a rookie, and to sprint in both the 2018 and 19 races. Although we came up short both years, I gained invaluable race experience, and am incredibly excited to return to the track with a potential race day team of 4 returning riders. Last year, I, unfortunately, fell ill the week of the race and did not make a full recovery by the day of the race, however, this year my fitness and focus have been unmatched as we look to dominate the field with 4 of the fittest riders on any team.
Name: Matt Mcgorrey
Year: Senior
Hometown: Alpharetta, GA
Major: Finance / Business Analytics
Fun Fact: I’ve DJ’d a wedding
When I first transferred to Indiana, I had never heard of the Little 500. Once I arrived on campus and learned more about the race, I knew I wanted to participate in it, but I didn’t have a team or the means to do so. That changed when my current teammate Will reached out to me and introduced me to Courtney Bishop. Courtney invited me to join the team and taught me how to be a successful Little 500 cyclist. After a disappointing result in last year’s race, I am as motivated as ever to train hard and to not leave anything on the table. Our team truly believes we will do something special this year, and I hope to be apart of that.
Name: Braden Clements
Year: Junior
Hometown: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Major: Public Financial Management
Fun Fact:
Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to go to Indiana University, and it ended up being the only school I even applied for. The Little 500 was something I had heard of, but not really thought about being a part of. I had been a runner my entire life, and was the captain of a state championship cross country team my senior year of high school. Ever since then, I have been searching to find some way of competing and committing to a team again. I joined run club when I got to IU, but after 2 years of mediocre races and injuries, I texted my friend Matt McGorrey who I met in run club my freshman year because he had spent the past year riding with JETBLACH, and raced in the Little 500 for them. In April 2019, I ran my last race for the club and texted Matt saying I wanted to join the team about 15 minutes after I finished my race, which happened to be the same day of the 2019 Little 500. Since then, I have become obsessed with watching all Little 500 footage I can, and I am committed to continuing the Delta Tau Delta and JETBLACH tradition of excellence and paving the way for future riders.
Name: David Gordon
Year: Senior
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Major: Law and Public Policy
Fun Fact: Yankees have 27 rings.
Since I decided to come to Indiana University, I hoped one day I would get the chance to not only race in the Little 500, but win. I started training in the summer after my freshman year for my fraternity and haven’t looked back. After a year of riding and lots of hard work, I was excited to finally participate in my first race. Unfortunately, my fraternity was suspended just weeks before the race and I was unable to compete. I joined Jetblach this past May and was excited to learn that their expectations were to work hard and race to win. Since joining, I have progressed greatly as a cyclist and as a person. I understand now more than ever that special opportunities like the Little 500 do not come easy; I don’t want to hold anything back. I will continue to work hard and maybe we can accomplish something special over the next few years, making Delts Cycling/JETBLACH a program of legend.
Name: Gavin Goode
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Granger, Indiana
Major: Business Law and Ethics
Fun Fact: I had already been racing bikes for 5 years before coming to IU
I came to IU with the intention of racing in Little 500 even though I knew nothing about the race itself. Once I came down to Bloomington to start school I was on the hunt to try and find a team that would want me to be apart of there program. After making a stop in a local bike shop I meet Will, an employe there and also a member of Jetblach. He put me in contact with a number of his friends on the team. The next day I went on a ride with two other guys on the team David and Braden. After that ride I knew I wanted to be on the team and to carry on the traditions and expectations. After spending more and more time with the team on and off the bike little 500 is a race I’ve grown to love because of the people it has introduced me to. I can’t wait for this year's coming race to give it all we’ve got and our best shot at winning. This is going to be a special year for Jetblach and I’m excited to be apart of it.
Name: Trent H
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Seymour, IN
Major:
Fun fact:
Name: Will Warmath
Year: Senior
Hometown: Milton, GA
Major: Media Advertising
Fun Fact: My stepdad won Little 500
My stepdad took me to my first Little 500 when I was a Sophomore in high school. Ever since then it has been a dream of mine to follow in his footsteps and win the best bike race in the United States. As a freshman I joined a fraternity and began riding for their bike team that spring. Unfortunately, we split ways the following semester and I was put in contact with Courtney. From training in a dirty basement with nothing but a simple roller and the goal to compete, to being offered the opportunity to train in a state-of-the-art cycling training room with the goal to win a ring, it was an easy decision to put on a Jetblach jersey and I haven’t looked back since. What I love most about riding for Jetblach is that I get to compete with and against my best friends. Over the past year we have re-developed the strong culture of dedication hard work and sacrifice of Delts Cycling and it has all brought us closer together as teammates and friends. I believe that the future is bright for Jetblach Cycling and Delts Cycling and can’t wait for what is to come.
Name: Daniel Kurzendoerfer
Year: Senior
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Major: Finance
Fun Fact: I’ll wear anything with pineapples on it
My freshman year, I didn’t attend the Little 500, much less did I have an inclination to be a competitor. Over the summer before Sophomore year, though, I began training while I was living in California for an internship. My teammate Will had encouraged me to join and I figured it’d be fun to do with friends. However, I wouldn’t begin seriously committing to the sport until our decision to join JETBLACH in the spring of our Sophomore years. It then became an everyday effort of training to get myself into the necessary shape to be competitive. Since then I’ve raced in the 2018 and 2019 races for JETBLACH. I am proud to say that we finished 5th in my first-year riding in the event and 6th last year. We are out here to make JETBLACH and Delts fans proud. Now, coming back this year, our training has reached another level and we have our sights set on gold. I’m extremely excited to see what our highly competitive team is able to accomplish with its deep roster this year.
Recap: The 68th Men’s Little 500, April 22nd 2018
The start: With a starting position on the outside of the 10th row, the team made short work of reaching the leaders off the start, fueled by smart riding from Sophomore Rob Oehler.
The wreck: Riding in contention early, their luck shifted in an early multi-team wreck in turn 3/4. The result was an injured rider and a mangled bike. By the time team mechanic, Luke Momper, reached the rider, the team was almost 1.5 laps down. The strategy was clear – gain the lap back as quickly as possible. Senior Patrick Wisdom took on the task and quickly caught the end of the main group, making up a half lap in short order – now JET BLACH is 1 lap down. He then proceeded to continue his charge past the leaders and exchange to Rob Oehler. Oehler sat in the pack for just 1 lap, then charged off the front. This move garnered no reaction from the field and he continued for another lap - one of the fastest of the day. A quick exchange to Senior Michael Schmahl, found JETBLACH 3/4 of a lap down. Bridging to the nearest group of lapped riders for a rest before carrying on up the track. Amazingly, within 4 laps he’d made the lap back and JET BLACH was back in the race!
The escape: At lap 120 they looked to capitalize on their earlier success and used a strong exchange to gain distance on the field. Within a few laps, the lead had grown to nearly 250 meters. Unfortunately, other teams gave chase and despite this distance, they weren't able to reproduce their earlier success. After nearly 40 laps out front, a conscious choice was made to call this back and focus on the final sprint.
The sprint: By lap 190, the field had devolved into a series of rapid-fire exchanges with 17 teams still on the lead lap and 10 in contention for the final sprint. At lap 192, JETBLACH called upon Sophomore rookie Rob Oehler to take on the final sprint. By 195 the majority of sprinters were in the race and setting up for the final sprint. In the final 2 laps, the pace rapidly picked up and Rob tucked into position riding a flat-out 32 second final lap to beat out the top sprinter in the field from Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Joe Krahulik, to finish in 5th place less than one second from the winner.
The hardware: At the Victory Banquet, the team garnered a number of awards commensurate with their effort and achievement including the program’s first Dixie Highway Award. This award, given to the team which improves the most between qualifications was taken by the largest margin (30th to 5th) since 2008. Additionally, senior Michael Schmahl was named to the All Star team and Sophomore sprinter Rob Oehler was named as a Rookie of the Year.
Who was JETBLACH?
They were the founders of Delta Tau Delta’s Alpha Chapter at Bethany College and a single piece of history that Beta Alpha Delts have been taught for decades. We’ve borrowed the first letters of their last names to form JETBLACH. Their names were:
· John C Johnson
· Alexander C Earle
· Eugene Tarr
· Henry K Bell
· Jacob S Lowe
· Richard H Alfred
· William R Cunningham
· John LN Hunt
Thank you for your continued support and passion for Delta Tau Delta and the Little 500.
Support the Team:
Please join me in supporting this year's team by making a contribution on their Go Fund Me Page. Please note, with the house off campus, this is their only source of funding. PLEASE SEE THE VIDEO REQUEST BY DELTS/JETBLACH coach Courtney Bishop, at the helm for the 12th year with our program!
Mark your calendar:
Key dates for Little 500 events this spring.
· Qualifications: Saturday March 23; 8am-6pm
· Individual Time Trials: Wednesday, March 27; 3-11pm
· Miss N Out: Saturday, March 30; 12-6pm
· Team Pursuit: Saturday, April 6; 1-9pm
· 69th Men’s Little 500: Saturday, April 13; 2:00pm
Riders:
This year’s team is made up of 8 talented riders with all 4 racers returning from last year’s team.
Name: Rob Oehler
Year: Senior
Hometown: New Albany, OH
Major: Finance/Accounting
Fun Fact: I have a twin brother
My name is Robert Oehler, and I am a returning senior with two prior races in 2018 and 2019. I was fortunate enough to join what some saw as a ragtag team in Jetblach in 2018, and still more fortunate to ride the race as a rookie, and to sprint in both the 2018 and 19 races. Although we came up short both years, I gained invaluable race experience, and am incredibly excited to return to the track with a potential race day team of 4 returning riders. Last year, I, unfortunately, fell ill the week of the race and did not make a full recovery by the day of the race, however, this year my fitness and focus have been unmatched as we look to dominate the field with 4 of the fittest riders on any team.
Name: Matt Mcgorrey
Year: Senior
Hometown: Alpharetta, GA
Major: Finance / Business Analytics
Fun Fact: I’ve DJ’d a wedding
When I first transferred to Indiana, I had never heard of the Little 500. Once I arrived on campus and learned more about the race, I knew I wanted to participate in it, but I didn’t have a team or the means to do so. That changed when my current teammate Will reached out to me and introduced me to Courtney Bishop. Courtney invited me to join the team and taught me how to be a successful Little 500 cyclist. After a disappointing result in last year’s race, I am as motivated as ever to train hard and to not leave anything on the table. Our team truly believes we will do something special this year, and I hope to be apart of that.
Name: Braden Clements
Year: Junior
Hometown: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Major: Public Financial Management
Fun Fact:
Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to go to Indiana University, and it ended up being the only school I even applied for. The Little 500 was something I had heard of, but not really thought about being a part of. I had been a runner my entire life, and was the captain of a state championship cross country team my senior year of high school. Ever since then, I have been searching to find some way of competing and committing to a team again. I joined run club when I got to IU, but after 2 years of mediocre races and injuries, I texted my friend Matt McGorrey who I met in run club my freshman year because he had spent the past year riding with JETBLACH, and raced in the Little 500 for them. In April 2019, I ran my last race for the club and texted Matt saying I wanted to join the team about 15 minutes after I finished my race, which happened to be the same day of the 2019 Little 500. Since then, I have become obsessed with watching all Little 500 footage I can, and I am committed to continuing the Delta Tau Delta and JETBLACH tradition of excellence and paving the way for future riders.
Name: David Gordon
Year: Senior
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Major: Law and Public Policy
Fun Fact: Yankees have 27 rings.
Since I decided to come to Indiana University, I hoped one day I would get the chance to not only race in the Little 500, but win. I started training in the summer after my freshman year for my fraternity and haven’t looked back. After a year of riding and lots of hard work, I was excited to finally participate in my first race. Unfortunately, my fraternity was suspended just weeks before the race and I was unable to compete. I joined Jetblach this past May and was excited to learn that their expectations were to work hard and race to win. Since joining, I have progressed greatly as a cyclist and as a person. I understand now more than ever that special opportunities like the Little 500 do not come easy; I don’t want to hold anything back. I will continue to work hard and maybe we can accomplish something special over the next few years, making Delts Cycling/JETBLACH a program of legend.
Name: Gavin Goode
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Granger, Indiana
Major: Business Law and Ethics
Fun Fact: I had already been racing bikes for 5 years before coming to IU
I came to IU with the intention of racing in Little 500 even though I knew nothing about the race itself. Once I came down to Bloomington to start school I was on the hunt to try and find a team that would want me to be apart of there program. After making a stop in a local bike shop I meet Will, an employe there and also a member of Jetblach. He put me in contact with a number of his friends on the team. The next day I went on a ride with two other guys on the team David and Braden. After that ride I knew I wanted to be on the team and to carry on the traditions and expectations. After spending more and more time with the team on and off the bike little 500 is a race I’ve grown to love because of the people it has introduced me to. I can’t wait for this year's coming race to give it all we’ve got and our best shot at winning. This is going to be a special year for Jetblach and I’m excited to be apart of it.
Name: Trent H
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Seymour, IN
Major:
Fun fact:
Name: Will Warmath
Year: Senior
Hometown: Milton, GA
Major: Media Advertising
Fun Fact: My stepdad won Little 500
My stepdad took me to my first Little 500 when I was a Sophomore in high school. Ever since then it has been a dream of mine to follow in his footsteps and win the best bike race in the United States. As a freshman I joined a fraternity and began riding for their bike team that spring. Unfortunately, we split ways the following semester and I was put in contact with Courtney. From training in a dirty basement with nothing but a simple roller and the goal to compete, to being offered the opportunity to train in a state-of-the-art cycling training room with the goal to win a ring, it was an easy decision to put on a Jetblach jersey and I haven’t looked back since. What I love most about riding for Jetblach is that I get to compete with and against my best friends. Over the past year we have re-developed the strong culture of dedication hard work and sacrifice of Delts Cycling and it has all brought us closer together as teammates and friends. I believe that the future is bright for Jetblach Cycling and Delts Cycling and can’t wait for what is to come.
Name: Daniel Kurzendoerfer
Year: Senior
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Major: Finance
Fun Fact: I’ll wear anything with pineapples on it
My freshman year, I didn’t attend the Little 500, much less did I have an inclination to be a competitor. Over the summer before Sophomore year, though, I began training while I was living in California for an internship. My teammate Will had encouraged me to join and I figured it’d be fun to do with friends. However, I wouldn’t begin seriously committing to the sport until our decision to join JETBLACH in the spring of our Sophomore years. It then became an everyday effort of training to get myself into the necessary shape to be competitive. Since then I’ve raced in the 2018 and 2019 races for JETBLACH. I am proud to say that we finished 5th in my first-year riding in the event and 6th last year. We are out here to make JETBLACH and Delts fans proud. Now, coming back this year, our training has reached another level and we have our sights set on gold. I’m extremely excited to see what our highly competitive team is able to accomplish with its deep roster this year.
Recap: The 68th Men’s Little 500, April 22nd 2018
The start: With a starting position on the outside of the 10th row, the team made short work of reaching the leaders off the start, fueled by smart riding from Sophomore Rob Oehler.
The wreck: Riding in contention early, their luck shifted in an early multi-team wreck in turn 3/4. The result was an injured rider and a mangled bike. By the time team mechanic, Luke Momper, reached the rider, the team was almost 1.5 laps down. The strategy was clear – gain the lap back as quickly as possible. Senior Patrick Wisdom took on the task and quickly caught the end of the main group, making up a half lap in short order – now JET BLACH is 1 lap down. He then proceeded to continue his charge past the leaders and exchange to Rob Oehler. Oehler sat in the pack for just 1 lap, then charged off the front. This move garnered no reaction from the field and he continued for another lap - one of the fastest of the day. A quick exchange to Senior Michael Schmahl, found JETBLACH 3/4 of a lap down. Bridging to the nearest group of lapped riders for a rest before carrying on up the track. Amazingly, within 4 laps he’d made the lap back and JET BLACH was back in the race!
The escape: At lap 120 they looked to capitalize on their earlier success and used a strong exchange to gain distance on the field. Within a few laps, the lead had grown to nearly 250 meters. Unfortunately, other teams gave chase and despite this distance, they weren't able to reproduce their earlier success. After nearly 40 laps out front, a conscious choice was made to call this back and focus on the final sprint.
The sprint: By lap 190, the field had devolved into a series of rapid-fire exchanges with 17 teams still on the lead lap and 10 in contention for the final sprint. At lap 192, JETBLACH called upon Sophomore rookie Rob Oehler to take on the final sprint. By 195 the majority of sprinters were in the race and setting up for the final sprint. In the final 2 laps, the pace rapidly picked up and Rob tucked into position riding a flat-out 32 second final lap to beat out the top sprinter in the field from Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Joe Krahulik, to finish in 5th place less than one second from the winner.
The hardware: At the Victory Banquet, the team garnered a number of awards commensurate with their effort and achievement including the program’s first Dixie Highway Award. This award, given to the team which improves the most between qualifications was taken by the largest margin (30th to 5th) since 2008. Additionally, senior Michael Schmahl was named to the All Star team and Sophomore sprinter Rob Oehler was named as a Rookie of the Year.
Who was JETBLACH?
They were the founders of Delta Tau Delta’s Alpha Chapter at Bethany College and a single piece of history that Beta Alpha Delts have been taught for decades. We’ve borrowed the first letters of their last names to form JETBLACH. Their names were:
· John C Johnson
· Alexander C Earle
· Eugene Tarr
· Henry K Bell
· Jacob S Lowe
· Richard H Alfred
· William R Cunningham
· John LN Hunt
Thank you for your continued support and passion for Delta Tau Delta and the Little 500.
Organizer and beneficiary
Courtney Bishop
Organizer
Bloomington, IN
Robert Oehler
Beneficiary