Galena Growlers freshman Dan Scholl (Sherburne-Earlville) takes a corner on the course at the first race of the season in his Long Island race. School won the freshman division race. (Submitted Photo)

LONG ISLAND – Ten kids and five coaches made the trip five-hour trip for The Galena Growlers National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) Composite Mountain Bike team to competed in the first race of the 2019 Spring NICA New York season down in Long Island.

On April 14 at the Cathedral Pines County Park, six kids racing in the high school races and four kids competing in the middle school races hopped on bikes to race the lengthy and winding course through the spooky woods of the park. Three kids raced course for their first time as a member of the Growlers.

After months of practice indoor at the Norwich YMCA and outdoor on various parks in the area, every Growler finished the race. In the Middle school races, the Growlers had a total of three racers – two sixth graders and a seventh grader.

Of 18 out of the 20 registered New York teams were at Cathedral Pines and in the sixth-grade boys’ race, first time racers Braedon Baker of Norwich and Sherburne-Earlville’s Lucas Scholl came in 7th and 12th places respectively.

In the seventh-grade boys’ race, Norwich’s Collin Behrmann raced to a ninth place finish in his first time on the course.

“These three first timers rode great races and really enjoyed it,” said head coach Rob Baker.