WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Midwestern State University (MSU) cyclists Gabrielle Wrightsman and Emma Kasza-James are preparing for a pivotal spring season, building on individual successes achieved in 2025. The duo, who represent the entirety of the MSU women’s cycling team, recently kicked off their second season with strong performances at a Texas A&M event, where Kasza-James secured a first-place finish in the women’s Category A race, according to reports.
Both Wrightsman and Kasza-James hail from Wisconsin, a connection that initially brought them together as competitors before they became teammates at MSU Texas. Kasza-James credits Wrightsman with influencing her decision to attend the university after returning from studying abroad. “She sees me as a friend and competitor and someone she wanted by her side,” Kasza-James said. “She got me to interview with (former MSU Cycling director Pablo Cruz Trochez), and it was a good fit. She and I have been able to race, not only against each other but with each other at every race we’ve been to.”
Their collaborative dynamic extends beyond recruitment. Kasza-James emphasized the depth of their understanding of each other’s racing strategies. “We’ve learned each other pretty well,” she explained. “She knows a lot about what I’m doing and can predict a lot about what I’m going to do, and I recognize a lot about what she’s going to do. We know what strengths and weaknesses we have, and we can lean into that when we’re racing as a team and fighting a bigger opponent.”
The pair’s accomplishments include individual victories at the 2025 Hotter-N Hell Hundred CAT-1 race, claimed by both Wrightsman and Kasza-James, and Wrightsman’s win in the April 2025 conference road race. Kasza-James previously won the women’s CAT-1 mountain bike race at the 2024 Hotter-N Hell Hundred and placed 15th in the 2025 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships. Wrightsman finished 18th in the criterium and 22nd in the road race during her first appearance at the national championships in 2025.
This year’s national championships hold particular significance for Wrightsman, as the event will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, her home state. “I think it’s going to be a good year,” Wrightsman said, adding that she appreciated the opportunity to compete in a diverse field. “I like the competition a lot, especially nationals. I think it’s really nice to have a big mixture of all different backgrounds all together having the same opportunity.”
Wrightsman also expressed her appreciation for the cycling community she has found in Wichita Falls. “I just really like being in an area where pretty much everyone around me bikes,” she said. “At home, I had people like Emma, but they were an hour away. I was pretty much the only one in my town. I really enjoy being here. It’s my people!”