Some of the Growler High School riders: Freshman rider Braedon Baker, Norwich, freshman rider Alex Kemnah (Unadillla Valley), senior rider Steven Brown, Downsville, and junior rider Grayson Boyer, Norwich (Submitted photo)

Galena Growlers ride in first race of the season at EF Academy in Valhalla

VALHALLA – On Sunday the local Galena Growlers Composite NICA mountain bike team traveled to Valhalla, New York, for its first mountain bike race of the 2022 spring season, know as the Cob Web Shredder.

The 20-kid Galena Growlers team is a composite of a geographic area, made up of boys and girls in 6th to 12th grades from around the Central New York including riders from Norwich, Sherburne-Earlville, Downsville, Unadilla Valley, McGraw.

Below are the results from the nine riders, three middle school students and six high school students that make the trek down to race on the cold, wet, and greasy four-mile per lap race course.

Middle school riders race as individuals while the high school riders race as both individuals and as a 4-scorer boys/girls combined team using the best-points combination of BBBG, or BBGG or BGGG.

For race one the Growlers High School Team used the combination of GBBB for it’s scoring finishing in eighth place overall out of New York’s 23 registered NICA teams.

The Growlers are back out on the trails practicing for the next race, which takes place on April 24, the Timber Ridge Cross Country race, down at Lippman Park, Wawarsing, New York.

“If you see us out on the local trails crossing the streets as we ride in and around Norwich give the kids a honk or a shout,” said Galena Growlers Head Coach Rob Baker.

Middle School Results:

7th grade boys: 2 laps, 19 riders

Andrew Lawrence: 7th grade boys, 10th place

Amon Oliver: 7th grade boys, 18th place (mechanical issue)

Eighth grade boys: 2 laps, 22 riders

Alex Dennis: 8th grade boys, 22nd place

High School Results:

Freshman 9th grade boys: 3 laps, 28 riders

Braedon Baker: 9th grade boys, 9th place

Damien Murphy: 9th grade boys, 21st place

Alex Kemnah: 9th grade boys, DNF (Finished despite crash for 27th place)

JV Boys: 4 laps, 26 riders

Steven Brown, 12th grade, 17th place

Grayson Boyer, 11th grade, 20th place

JV Girls: 4 laps, 15 riders

Madison Lawrence: 11th grade, 12th place

The Preferred Mutual racer of the day: Madison Lawrence, in her first ever NICA race on a new bike.

The R.E. Brooks Construction racer of the day: Steven Brooks, on a new bike in the 4-lap JV race.

The Prime General Contracting racer of the day: Andrew Lawrence on his top 10 finish in the 7th grade boys.

The RSD Motorsports racer of the day: Braedon Baker for his 9th place freshman boys finish.

The Skylla Engineering racer of the day: Damien Murphy completing his 1st ever 3-lap NICA race in the Freshman Boys race.

Any kids interested in riding mountain bikes with our Galena Growlers Composite NICA Mountain Bike team, email GalenaGrowlers@gmail.com for more information.

– Information from the Galena Growlers