Local Olympic Spotlight: Pennridge High School Grad, Matthew Baranoski, Hoping to Make Name For Himself in Rio Cycling Competition

Matt Baranoski (GETTY IMAGES)

Pennsylvania cyclist Matthew Baranoski is hoping to burst onto the international scene in the Olympics, and come home with a medal.

Even though he is only 22 years old and has limited international experience, Baranoski has an impressive resume. He had seven national titles in college in track cycling in college, and the only championship race that he lost, he finished in second. He was named to the Olympic team in keirin, which is a sprint race between six cyclists on a track behind an electronic pace bike. With two and a half laps remaining in the race, the pace bike tails off, leaving an all out sprint for the finish.

In the World Cup last year, he finished the overall standings in second place, after placing bronze in the final World Cup race. At the 2015 Pan-Am games, he finished eighth in the keirin race, and only fifth in the sprint. He has limited international experience, and he is still very young relative to the rest of the competition.

Baranoski is immensely talented, and has the chance to earn the first ever American medal in keirin racing. After a strong finish in the World Cup last season, and dominating performances in the national championships, there’s no reason to think that he couldn’t surprise the world and make it to the podium. Azizulhasni Awang of Malaysia, Francois Pervis of France, and Eddie Dawkins of New Zealand, all veterans on the cycling circuit, probably collectively have enough talent to keep Baranoski off the board. It would take a big upset over them and other world championship fixtures in order to medal, but Baranoski can at least make it interesting in Rio.

Baranoski graduated from Pennridge High School in Perkasie, Pennsylvania in 2011. From there he attended Penn State University. He graduated this year with a degree in electrical engineering. He is part of the Pure Energy Cycling Team located in Lambertville, New Jersey. He became the youngest Elite National Cycling Champion at age 17.