The Grand County Cycling Club’s Middle Park High School mountain bike team had its first thrilling race in Leadville, on Saturday, Aug. 26, at the picturesque Colorado Mountain College campus, hosted by the Colorado High School Cycling League. 

The athletes worked hard all summer, both individually and as a team, to be ready for this race, which is the first of five races.  Their hard work paid off as the team snagged a division 2 first place win in a tie with Heritage High School. Each rider competes individually, but their points, based on finish times, are added to the team total.

Annie Kuhns and Josh Davis lead the team in the 18-mile varsity races and had commendable finishes of 11th and 15th in their respective races.  The sophomore boys put in a superb performance in their 12-mile race, with Jackson Pacocha taking 10th place, Lucas Reade 43rd Connor Clemens 66th and Barrett Acker 68th.  Middle Park’s lone-sophomore girl, Morgan Spiewak, finished her 12-mile race admirably in 10th place.  

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The team’s freshman girls and boys races were shortened from 12 miles to 6 miles due to inclement weather.  The girls finished high in the rankings, with Sophia McGinnis-Smith taking 7th place, followed by her sister Maia McGinnis-Smith in 8th place and Zanna Berman close behind in 10th place. 

Middle Park’s freshman boys also performed well in their race, with  Alex Burke finishing 13th followed by Tyler Schroetlin in 37th and Dillon Stapleton close behind in 38th.

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The team’s next race will be in Steamboat at the Howelsen Hill Ski Area on Sunday, Sept. 9, starting at 8:30 a.m.

About Middle Park High School Mountain Bike Team

There are 18 high school students on the team – nine freshman, five sophomores, two junior varsity, two varsity and 10 middle school riders on the development team. The coach is Steve Myers and two assistant coaches, Liz Newsome and Craig Daugherty, plus nine volunteer coaches/ride leaders.

About the Colorado High School Cycling League and volunteer opportunities

The Colorado High School Cycling League hosts all five high school races. More than 2,000 high school athletes on 90 teams from across Colorado, Southern Wyoming, Northern New Mexico and South Dakota, participate in the races, accompanied by 900 coaches.  The league is separated into four divisions, each with approximately 500 riders. Because of the number of athletes involved, hundreds of volunteers are needed.  Anyone who is interested in volunteering at any or all of these exceptional events is encouraged to contact the Colorado High School Cycling League at ColoradoMTB.org.