Emma Kasza-James was an unexpected national champion back in February at the Collegiate Gravel Nationals.

But she’s not surprised by the excellence achieved at Midwestern State University, a place the Wisconsin native chose to pursue her degree and cycling. Not to mention, compete with a team that has won 53 national titles.

Kasza-James and her teammates are glad to be home this week for a South Central Collegiate Conference race in Wichita Falls, including Saturday’s criterium races at the MSU Texas campus. The race weekend begins with the time trial Saturday morning, and then the criterium races will begin around 4 p.m. Saturday in front of the Clark Student Center. The campus community and Wichita Falls cycling fans are encouraged to show up and support the cyclists at MSU Texas. The event concludes with a road race on Sunday morning.

MSU Cycling has focused on peaking at this time of year as the team gears up for the Collegiate Road Nationals in Madison, Wisc., which will be a homecoming for Kasza-James and Gabrielle Wrightsman.

Kasza-James also had a chance to travel to New York this spring for the Model United Nations event with the MSU Texas MUN team.

The opposite of New York might be Turkey, Texas (population 329). But Kasza-James will always remember Turkey, as she shared before campus and community supporters.

“This unassuming and quaint town is laughably symbolic. It highlighted how some of the most extraordinary moments can unfold in unexpected corners of the map, and how spectacular experiences don’t often boast grandeur,” Kasza-James said. “The extraordinary moments are what we make of them, and depend on how we change our perspective to match the landscape. To be completely honest, though, when we got to Gravel Nationals, I didn’t even think I would be on the podium.”

Kasza-James won by five minutes, even after losing her front wheel just past the halfway mark of the race.

“This team is amazing at adapting to the landscape, and we have gone from being unsure freshmen and sophomores, searching for our place, to poised and confident students and athletes. We compete not only against other collegiate teams, but also against professional teams in our races. We also have athletes that represent the university in domestic elite and international races, while balancing the load of university at the same time,” she said.

Kasza-James thanked the cycling community in Wichita Falls for “making us feel like family from day one.” Additionally, having a team to train with has meant a lot to Kasza-James.

“Having a team to ride with, feeling like I have constructive competition always pushing me to be better; this is what has pushed me to get to the level I am at now,” she said. “What keeps me going is this MSU cycling team!”

The 53 national titles have been delivered by 28 student-athletes in the history of this tradition-rich program. MSU Cycling is always on a quest to deliver the next one.

MSU Cycling will look to protect home turf and wrap up Collegiate Conference racing season with a victory, ending a four-weekend series where the riders have competed at different universities or colleges. The riders have earned points based on their finishing place, and these points have been tallied over the season to determine Omnium (overall) standings for each individual category offered and a team Omnium.

MSU Texas has a conference-high 7,429 points going into this race, compared to 5,517 points from second-place Texas A&M and 2,175 points for Texas State in third.

MSU Cycling director Mario Arroyave said spectators can expect to see “cyclists buzz around campus at more than 30 mph. They can expect an electric environment with music and an announcer in addition to watching the racers speed through campus.”

It’s a fan-friendly event, Arroyave said, and he wanted those with small children to know they are welcome to come by the start/finish area to meet the amazing student-athletes.