State Championship Race in Moab

Oops, with the winding down of the season, we forgot to upload some pictures and commentary from the 5th and last race of the season.

Our state championship race was held in Moab, Utah, on the Moab brand trails.

How awesome to be a high school student and race in Moab!

 We had fantastic weather on November 9.  So nice that even the girls, who race at 10 a.m., were in shorts and short sleeved jerseys. Our star Freshmen girl, Lia, was having a superb race.  Here she is coming through at the half lap.  The other cheerleader is Lia's mom, Ellen.

Lia raced hard and well, but in the end a small crash followed by derailleur problems kept her from repeating her wins from the last two races.  She still managed to place 6th which put her in 4th for the overall series!

The Freshmen and Sophomore boys were next.

Coach Drew giving last minute advice on the start line.

Thomas has been improving all year.  So much so that he has had call-ups the last three races. 

The race was off and running.  Many spectators enjoyed the sun and excitement.

Crowds cheer.

 Sam had a good race and ended up 5th.

Sam

 And Thomas took 6th, which was enough to place him 5th overall for the entire season series!!

 There were tight finishes and lots of excitement for all our racers.

 At 1 PM, the JV and Varsity race got underway.  One of our best riders had to sit this one out because of a bad fall the night prior at the jump park, but the other guys were in good form. 

The narrator/coach gets a little excited in this video.

 The final verdict on racing in Moab. Rad!

After all the excitement of the day, it was time to celebrate.  Most of our student athletes and their parents came out to the condo to enjoy a post-race meal and revel in the achievements of our team. 

Team captain Sam Casper presented a sweet surprise: gifts for all the coaches and a heart-felt note, "... you guys made Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays way more fun than normal!..."

So, Team SLC Conglomerate has put the 2013 season in the books.  When Coach Drew and I (Coach Lucy) set out to coach the team this year, our goals were to turn kids on to the many benefits of racing mountain bikes.  I know for certain that more than one of our student athletes found that fire within!  What I had not anticipated was the fun we would have as a team and the friendships that we would make as coaches and as students.  2014 is going to be good!

A final note of thanks to all those that support our team.

Our Sponsors
Cascade Water Resources
Aspen Falls Chiropractic
Buckner Company Insurance
Guthrie Bicycles
Wasatch Touring
Private donors that are active in the cycling community but who will remain nameless.

Our volunteers
Coaches and ride leaders
    Drew
    Lucy
    Steve W.
    Matt
    Steve G.
    Glen
    Travis
    Rachel
    Leonard
    Bethany
    Ally
    Ben
    Shawn
    Collin
    Ellen  

Competing in a doughnut eating contest is hard work but demonstrates that competitive drive.  Photo credit Steve Wilson photography

And especially the parents of our student athletes and spouses of our coaches and ride leaders.  These folks provide support in countless ways.  It really takes a village to make a mountain bike team!

Photo by Steve Wilson Photography