Schofield (24) proved in the New Zealand Cup on Wheels at the Mosgiel velodrome last night that she feels at home in her new sport of cycling.
She showed her ability by holding out a strong challenge from the promising Cathy Jordan (Southland) and Charlotte Kelly (Dunedin) to win narrowly the women's keirin.
"I didn't think I'd won," Schofield said. "I'm just happy to be racing. It was a good finish."
After an operation on her right leg Schofield found it too painful to run and took the advice of Dunedin weight training and conditioning specialist Angus Ross and started cycling.
She has been in the sport for only two years and has already won a New Zealand championship bronze medal in the 500m time trial at the national championships at Invercargill last year.
It was a sound tactical race by Schofield, who stayed right behind the motorbike for the first five and-a-half laps.
She held the front position in the sprint for the rest of the eight-lap race.
Veteran Jerard Stock (39), an Invercargill distribution manager with 25 years' cycling experience, rode a shrewd tactical race to win the open men's Devil race.
The back-marker drops off after each lap and then there is a two-lap sprint to the line.
Stock, who has won nine national titles between 1994 and 2008, backed himself in each sprint by staying near the back of the field.
"You don't get any faster when you get older but you become smarter," he said.
Stock was the sprint champion at the Oceania Games in 1991 and won a silver medal in the teams pursuit at the South East Asian Games in 1989.
He knew he had the speed and kept on chipping away at his younger opponents during each sprint to stay in the race.
He coaches promising fellow Invercargill rider Tom Scully, who stayed at the front throughout the race and was passed by Stock when he flew round the last bend.
But Scully (19) turned the tables when he won the 2000m scratch race when he nudged out Stock in the final straight.
He was third at the bell and passed Matthew Vermunt (Southland) in the back straight and then sprinted for home.
Boyd Thwaites (Southland) had a successful night and won the mixed 1000m scratch race from Honor Davies (Dunedin) and the mixed Devil race from Cathy Jordan (Southland).
In the scratch race he took the lead at the bell and in the Devil he left his run later and won only in the last 10m.
The New Zealand Cup on Wheels continues at the Mosgiel velodrome this afternoon. The criterium will be held on the Birch Street road course from 11am tomorrow morning.
