Galena Growlers at Lippman. Front: Malakai Hagenbuch, Left to right Head Coach Rob Baker, Amon Oliver, Mckenie Hagenbuch, Cassidy Murphy, Alex Kemnah, and Damien Murphy. Missing from the photo is Eli Mondics and Uriah Bugyi. (Submitted Photo)

WAWARSING – The Galena Growlers Middle/High School composite Mountain Bike Team, part of NICA New York, traveled down to Wawarsing, NY on Sunday, June 1 to compete in the Timber XC mountain bike race. It was race number three of four in the New York Spring season. The race pre-ride on Saturday May 31st, was cancelled due to the venue receiving another one inch plus of rain, which made for a slick course on Sunday.

Nine Growler mountain bikers traveled down on Sunday to compete against the other 170 kids from the 19 NICA teams in our NICA NY League. The Middle School course was 2.65 miles and the High School course was 3.1 miles, the same course as the middle school course with an extra short switchback added to the course. With all the rain on Saturday, the course was slick and muddy in locations, that dried up some throughout the day as the kids rode and rode over the course. Lots of single track, lots of beautiful berms, a big loop around a large pond with great chances for passing and only a few passing areas once you were in the woods. All the Growler kids loved the course!

The days started with the Middle School girls. The races start eighth grade girls, then three minutes later the seventh grade girls start followed three minutes later the sixth grade girls. There is a lot of action out in the woods with three middle school races going on at the same time. Cassidy Murphy, our lone seventh grade girl, finished in third place, and she is currently in third place overall for the season. Cassidy had a great race today having a great start, and finished her 2-lap (5.3 mile race) in 43:11.97 seconds; just 24 seconds out of second place.

For our two eighth grade girls, Margaret Kemnah finished in first place (39:02:23), is currently first overall (NYS Leader) for the season and Mckenzie Hagenbuch finished in fourth place (40:22:09), is currently in eighth place overall for the season, having missed the first race of the season. Margaret led from the start while girls from Saratoga and Otsego teams chased her. McKenzie battled with the Otsego and Niskayuna girls. All three of our Middle School girls had fantastic race days!

Following the MS girls, we get a short break in the action while the four High School girls races take place since we don’t field a High School girl on the team. Following the HS girls are all the boys races, starting with the Middle School boys. Our two seventh grade boys were Eli Mondics, who finished in seventh (39:26:00) and is currently in fifth place overall for the season and Uriah Bugyi who finished in 16th place (46:50:42) and is currently in 22nd place overall for the season. These two seventh grade boys have been working hard. Eli’s knocking on the podium’s door. Uriah, in just his second time racing, is learning all about speed and pacing over the 46 minutes from start to finish. They are doing awesome!

Once the five MS boys races were complete, the High School boys lined up on the starting line. Varsity Boys start first, followed 2-3 minutes later by JV Boys, Sophomore boys start 2-3 minutes later, and finally Freshman boys. The 2-3 minutes gives the kids time to get out ahead and in to the woods but it doesn’t take long for all the boys to be mixed together out in the woods. It makes for some challenging passes, and hard on the coaches knowing who’s in what place. The only way you can tell who’s racing who is by the color of the kids number plates – light blue, for example is the Varsity Boys with black plates being JV, etc. etc. and you have to wait until they cross the finish line where the electronic scoring lets the coaches and parents know where they sit.

For the Freshman boys; Malakai Hagenbuch finished his 3-lap race in fourth place after three laps (53:40.51) and is currently in sixth overall for the season. Sophomore boys; Amon Oliver finished his 3-lap race in fourth place (53:07:88) where his time tied for third but photo finish showed he was fourth by a quarter of a wheel by a Saratoga Shredder rider, and is currently in third place overall for the season. JV Boys; Damien Murphy, finished his 4-lap race in 10th place (1:20:03.22) and is currently 10th overall for the season. Damien lost a contact on lap 1 of his race and rode 3+ laps down an eye – that’s tough out in the woods. Our lone Varsity Boys racer, Alex Kemnah finished his 5-lap race in second (1:25:21.95) and is currently in second place overall for the season. All our HS boys raced strong today. Taking nine kids down and having six podium, with the strong competition from the other 18 teams, that’s a great day! The kids were all smiling – making it fun is what counts. The best part is that this is a lifetime sport!

The team finished in a season-best eighth place out of the 19 teams in the NY league. Overall, on the season, the Growlers sit in 10th place. The Growlers now taper off and prepare for this Sunday’s State Championship race out at the Ontario County Park near Naples, NY. Naples is a tough course with a grueling finish.

We’re training in the Quarry and gonna take it a little easy to taper this week – and as they say, the “Hay’s in the Barn” – now we’ll see what happens with some well rested legs. We’re also praying for a DRY weekend.

If anyone local wants to come see what High and Middle school mountain bike racing is like – come on out – it’s free to watch and cheer our Growlers on! Come to the Growlers tent and say hi! If anyone’s interested in having their kid join the Growlers, reach out at GalenaGrowlers@Gmail.com. Our mission is to get #MoreKidsOnBikes! Again – thanks to all the support from our local community! Go Growlers!

-Information from the Galena Growlers