Maybe Olympics?

Although you wouldn't expect it from the "junker" he rides around campus, Baylor senior Matt Googe is one of the top mountain bike racers in the country.
Growing up in Knoxville, Tenn., Googe spent his time playing tennis and golf. His dad introduced him to mountain biking at age 12, "but he didn't like the Lycra," says Googe's mom Patti. "Now I'm sure he has more Lycra than normal clothes."
When he came to Baylor, he wasn't playing tennis anymore, but still needed something to occupy his time. So he joined the cycling club. He started racing with the team his freshman year and also ventured out to race on his own.
Googe says he's raced more than 100 times in his mountain biking career, 30 of which he completed this year alone. But of all these competitions, Googe is most proud of this past year's competitions. Last July he competed in the expert men's division (ages 19-29) at the Infineon Cougar Mountain Classic/USA Cycling MTB National Championship in Sonoma, Calif. Googe raced in the cross-country event and finished in two hours, 24 minutes, 41.11 seconds. Since then he has moved up to the semi-pro category, just one level below professional. "If I could get good enough, I'd like to move up to pro next year, where I'll have the chance to race internationally and possibly go to the Olympics," Googe says. "It would be a good goal to reach before I'm 30. It probably won't happen in 2008, but maybe 2012." 
Googe's favorite places to ride are near his home in the Smoky Mountains at Tanasi and in Waco's Cameron Park. He tries to average 10 to 20 hours of riding time each week, but with school and a job at Bicycles Outback, "it's hard to find time to fit it in." He's worked at Bicycles Outback for two years. He deals mostly in customer service, but also does repairs and bike building. 
Googe has worked on Secret Service members' bikes when they come into town with President Bush. He's had a chance to ride with the Air Force One pilots during layovers, but hopes to make it out to the ranch in Crawford to ride with the Secret Service members, or even the President.
Bicycles Outback agreed to sponsor Googe this year. They'll help him with bikes, parts and clothing, but not travel. "We're going to do the best we can. We just don't have the money for that," says Ian Moore, store manager. Googe is excited about getting the help, especially since he's already spent a couple thousand dollars in travel expenses and bike repairs this year.
Along with Moore, Patti admires her son's work ethic. "He's had to show a lot of discipline to do both school and cycling. This is something he does all on his own, when other kids are out there doing things that aren't as healthy and productive."
Googe comes from a family of athletes, so it's no surprise he excels at his bike riding. Patti and her husband used to compete in triathlons. Elizabeth, one of Googe's sisters, is a sophomore tennis player at Cornell University, and Harris, his youngest sister, is a dancer and field hockey player.
"It's fun to see him doing the things we used to do," Patti says.
Even though Googe is far from home, his mom says that Baylor is "worth the distance. He's found a good group of friends there with the cycling team," Patti says.
Googe is president of the Baylor Cycling Team. He says they're at a high point this year; they already have a team trailer, Bicycles Outback is helping the team to get custom bikes, and there are about 43 active members. "I think with the whole Lance Armstrong thing, there's more interest in the sport. We have a lot of people who've never ridden bikes before. It gives them a chance to learn how to ride. That's how I got my start."
Googe is an engineering major and is considering taking the LSATs and going into patent law. But he says he'll keep riding. "I just do it for the love of the sport."