Five students from five different schools. That’s the foundation of the Olympia Composite Mountain Bike Team. They’re small, but they’re mighty, and on May 1st they snagged the state championship in the inaugural season of the Washington State High School Cycling League.
The three freshman and two juniors competed against 14 other teams plus a number of independent riders from across the state of Washington in a two race series held this spring. They came away not only with the overall team championship but also with three individual titles and two additional podium finishes. And they’re not content to stop there. Team members, along with coach Luke Brechwald, want to grow their sport and their team and get more high school students involved in mountain biking.
“The long term goal is for every high school to have its own team,” explains Brechwald. Just like the Olympia group, the majority of teams in the league this year were composite teams, groups of kids who live in the same relative geographic location. The largest team was the Clark County Mud Slingers, a team of about ten students from the Vancouver, WA area. The smallest team consisted of two students representing the Tacoma School of the Arts. Most teams had between five and six members. As soon as four or five riders from an individual school join, Brechwald will help them form a unique school team. Until then, Olympia Composite will fill the void.
Those involved stress that you don’t have to be an experienced mountain biker to join Oly Composite or any of the league teams. “Kevin doesn’t even own his own mountain bike,” laughs Gayla Stewart. Her son, 17 year old Kevin, a junior at Aberdeen High School, took up road biking last year and had to borrow an uncle’s mountain bike to compete off road. “He came in 6th in his first race, and it was only his second time on the bike!” Stewart took 6th again at the May 1st race and secured a 4th place Junior Varsity Boys’ podium finish.
Kyle Sweeney, a freshman at River Ridge High School, placed 4th and 7th at the two races earning a 5th place Freshman/Sophomore Boys’ podium spot. Sweeney had mountain biked with his mom and step-dad for years, but competing with Oly Composite was his first foray into racing. “We happened onto it by chance,” says Kelly Ditrich, Kyle’s mother. They met with Brechwald shortly before the first race and managed to get Kyle’s bike race ready with just a few days to spare.
Olympia High School junior, Shannon Elliott, started racing bikes last fall and hasn’t looked back since. She had already made the podium in some local women’s road races, and she knew that mountain biking would help round out her skills. Like Stewart, Elliott has been relying on loaner bikes this season. That didn’t stop her from winning both of the Girls’ Junior Varsity races and being named state champion this weekend.
Andrea Casebolt, a freshman at North Thurston High School, and David O’Brien, who attends Capital High School have a little more race experience than their teammates. In fact, Casebolt is a former cyclocross national champion. However, neither she nor O’Brien, who has also competed at the national level on the road and in cyclocross, had much experience with mountain biking.
“Everybody has a different skill set,” says Brechwald, “Some kids have big motors and some have the technical skills.” For his two experienced racers, the idea was to challenge themselves. “With mountain biking, you don’t know what you have until you race.”
O’Brien proved he had the motor in April when he not only won the Junior Varsity division, but also managed to pass the entire Varsity field. The more technical May 1st course didn’t slow him down, and he won a decided victory and the JV Boys’ individual state title. The 15 year old freshman will be racing Varsity next year.
Casebolt easily won both Freshman/Sophomore Girls’ races and is the new state champion in that division. There were not enough girls’ to field a Varsity race this year, but Casebolt and teammate Elliott will no doubt do battle for that individual distinction in 2012.
Although official practices won’t happen until January of next year, Oly Composite is already actively recruiting riders for the 2012 season. Luke Brechwald invites any interested high school students, including incoming freshmen, to contact him at the team’s sponsor shop, Joy Ride Bikes, in Lacey: (360) 491-9551. Home school and private school students are also welcome to take part. You can also check out “Olympia Composite High School Mountain Bike Team” on Facebook.
Brechwald, a former high school champion racer himself, says students involved in team sports at their schools can still ride. “You can do both,” he stresses. Because Mountain Biking is a club sport, races can and do take place on Sundays and don’t conflict with standard high school athletics. Although the team and league will offer skills clinics and training rides, the majority of training is done on the rider’s own time. “You don’t have to wait around for somebody to start up a game,” he says. “You can hop on your mountain bike and go ride whenever you want.” The goal is to get kids hooked on the sport.
Riders living outside of Thurston County can find teams by contacting Lisa Miller, executive director of the Washington State High School Cycling League via e-mail: lisa@washingtonmtb.org or phone: (206) 291-7773.
Adults interested in volunteering as ride leaders or coaches may contact either Luke or Lisa.
Oly Composite is also looking for local businesses interested in sponsorship opportunities. Please contact Luke at the number above if you are looking for a unique way to be involved in the community and promote your business.
Links of Interest
http://www.joyridebicycles.com/
