The Steamboat Springs High School mountain bike team competed in the first of four Colorado High School Cycling League regular season races in Frisco on Saturday, with early hopes of state qualification already looking promising for some.

As it is the first race of the season, team leader Paul Majors wants his athletes to get stronger and better prepared for the upcoming season. With little time to prepare and only four races before the nationals, every event counts.

“People who have never raced before learn valuable lessons; some of the racers who compete in the Town Challenge and other events in town have just continued to step up their game,” Majors said. “There were a few disappointments with flat tires, but other than that, it was exactly what we hoped for.”

As a team, Steamboat finished second overall in Yampa Division 2, while Steamboat Mountain School finished eighth in Yampa Division 3 with only two riders.

The standout performances came from the girls, who earned three podium finishes, led by freshman Sydney Soard, who completed the 11.8-mile, two-lap race in just under 1 hour and 2 minutes. Whitney Warnke (JV girls) and Allie Reznicek (sophomore girls) took second place in their classes with times of 57:50 and 1:02:13, respectively.

“The ladies on the team have always been outstanding and have had a lot of podium finishes, so I’m very, very proud of them,” said Majors.

Majors said he was impressed with his athletes’ ability to handle wet conditions and still put up good times on Saturday. He attributed part of the success to Friday’s practice session, which gave racers a chance to see the track firsthand and develop strategies to ride it most efficiently.

What made Majors even happier was the number of athletes who made the trip to Frisco as fans, even though they were unable to attend due to injuries or age restrictions.

“They came and supported the team and cheered the team on even though they couldn’t race themselves,” said Majors. “I think that shows a lot of commitment and support for the team.”

Next up for the mountain bike team is their home race at Howelsen Hill on Sunday, September 8. The team is still looking for volunteers to help with the Boat Race Showdown. Interested parties can sign up at ColoradoMTB.org/volunteer..

Results
CO MTB League
Frisco Bay Invitation
Saturday, August 24, 2024

Department 2
Uni boys — 10. Thomas Agosta, 1:20:06.45; 29. Luke Bedell, 1:24:29.69.
JV Girls — 2. Whitney Warnke, 57:50.27; 7. Jesse Weaver, 1:06:23.04.
JV Boys — 64. Elliot Nance, 1:04:39.69; 65. Jackson Sloop, 1:04:43.23; 77. Stovin Briggs, 1:08:09.51.
Girls in their second year of study — 2. Allie Reznicek, 1:02:13.14; 10. Lindsay Berke, 1:11:24.92.
Boys in their second year of study — 7. Schuyler Biglow, 56:29.62; 12. Oscar Libin, 58:49.76; 15. Jackson Rosencrantz, 1:00:00.47; 22. Rowan Hanaughan, 1:02:38.79; 44. Logan Drury, 1:08:51.22; 48. Morgan Garrett, 1:10:00.84.
Freshman Girls — 1. Sydney Soard, 1:01:59.53; 7. Lucia Magnotta, 1:08:46.84; 21. Ellis Dressendorfer, 1:18:08.86; 24. Julia Boness, 1:20:16.69.
Freshmen Boys — 4. Robbie Wodnik, 56:39.24; 8. Odin Gruben, 57:35.96; 9. Caleb Walker, 57:49.03; 19. Henry Davis, 1:02:12.14; 27. Soren Shepherd, 1:06:25.58; 40. Daniel Crocker, 1:09:10.60; 56. Mason Lipscomb, 1:13:38.13; 60. Quinn Dressen, 1:17:26.97.

Department 3
JV Boys — 18.Ian McLarney, 57:12.87.
Freshmen Boys — 45. Mitchell McLarney, 1:10:42.75.