Mountain Biking

Dublin School was the host of the seventh racing challenge of the 2012 Lakes Region Mountain Bike racing season. The course was fast and leaf covered, which made seeing rocks and holes difficult. Once again our riders rose to the occasion and gave their all. In the girls division Angel Shi finished in 6th position. In the B race Connor Brown rode to a solid 2nd place followed by Bailey King in 11th. In the C race Sipho Msipa had his best finish of his season in 2nd. Chris Iamonaco rode to a 23rd place result followed by Brendan Hunt in 29th, Yi Wei Wang in 53rd, and Lloyd Wilson in 54th. The Wildcat peddlers will wrap up the competitive season at New Hampton on Halloween.

The VA cyclists were coming off a nice three-day break and were ready to pounce on the competition at Cardigan. This is a brand new venue for our league and it was filled with challenge and intrigue. Half of the course was in a large rolling field in which you could keep track of your competition easily, and the second half was a technical woods section filled with logs, rocks, bridges, and mud. In the girls’ race, Angel Shi rode to an impressive 2^nd place finish. In the A race, Craig Calhoun got off to a blistering start making a dynamic pass at the big step down jump for the lead. Unfortunately a few minutes later, his chain snapped and his race was done. In the B race, Connor Brown rode well and finished 8^th. In the C race, our top finisher was Sipho Msipa in 5^th followed by Brendan Hunt in 17^th. Next was Chris Iamonaco in 35^th. YiWei Wang and Jerry Li swapped positions throughout the race and finished in 50^th and 51^st. Lloyd Wilson continued to improve his bike handling skills and crossed the finish line in 55^th. Next week we travel to Dublin school for our penultimate race of the season.

VA hosted race #3 of our 8 race series. 97 riders from all over Northern New England came to test themselves on the moist, slick trails. In the A class Craig Calhoun put together a solid ride to finish on the podium in 3rd. In the B race Bailey King made an impressive pass on the final lap to move into 2nd and opened the gap to best 3rd by 40 seconds. Connor Brown rode to a good 5th place finish despite battling a cold. In the Girls race Angel Shi continued her fast ways with a 3rd place finish. In the C race Sipho Msipa rode to an impressive 5th place followed by Brendan Hunt in 7th.  Feng Yu Xu put together a consistent ride and finished 26th. Yi Wei Wang crossed the finish line in 49th followed by Jerry Li in 50th and Lloyd Wilson in 54th. Lloyd continues to work his way up the results sheet at each event. I’d like to thank all the students, faculty, and staff who helped to make this race a success.

The VA Mt Bike team journeyed over the scenic White Mountains for the Redstone Rampage at Kennett High School, in North Conway, NH. Despite being a few riders short due to illness and previous commitments, the attending Wildcats put in some exemplary performances in the damp, slick conditions. In the B category Connor Brown finished a strong 2nd followed by Bailey King in 8th. In the G division Angel Shi battled through the mud to finish 6th. In the C race our top finisher was Brendan Hunt in 9th, followed by Sipho Msipa, 14th, Fengu Xu, 19th,  and Lloyd Wilson in 63rd place. Next Wednesday we host our home race, the Maple Leaf Classic, on October 3rd. Come out and enjoy the fall colors and support the team.

The VA Mt Bike team traveled to Pine Hill Park in Rutland, VT. for a race hosted by Rutland High School. Pine Hill Park is one of the premiere mountain bike areas in New England and provided an excellent race venue.  Angel Shi rode the technical and hilly course to a 3rd place finish in only her second bike race of her life. In the A class, Craig Calhoun battled with strong Rutland and Proctor riders and finished a solid 4th.  In the B race Connor Brown Made it to the 3rd step of the podium followed closely by Bailey King in 4th. The C race had Brendan Hunt finishing in 11th, Chris Iamonaco, 15th, YiWei Wang, 42, Jerry Li, 43, and Lloyd Wilson in 44th. This Wednesday we head to North Conway for a race hosted by Kennett High School.

Our first race of the season took place at Proctor Academy under sunny skies and temps in the mid sixties. For nine of our twelve team members, it was their first mountain bike race of their lives. With a fun LeMans style start, the riders were off on the fast demanding race. In the A category Craig Calhoun tested himself against some of the fastest high school mt. bikers in the northeast and despite battling a chest cold finished a strong 4th place. In the B race Bailey King and Connor Brown worked together and paced each other to a strong 6th and 7th place finishes. In the girls race Angel Shi rode to a 6th place in a field of 12 in her first race. In the very large C class of 71 racers, the VA crew held their own with Sipho Msipa and Brendan Hunt finishing 8th and 9th followed by Chris Iamonaco in 20th and Chris Vernali in 22nd. Next back in 28th were Feng Yu Xu, Yi Wei Wang in 62nd, Lloyd Wilson in 64th, and Jerry Li in 65th. The coaches are very proud of the effort our riders have been putting in throughout preseason and the first few week of the season. Our next race is this Saturday at Pine Hill Park in Rutland, VT. Our home race is scheduled for October 3rd.