Fun at Fort Ord
Mountain Biking kicks off the 2017 season at Fort Ord.
Race 1: Fort Ord (Sunday, February 26, 2017)
Marin Catholic Mountain Bike Team Coach Mike McGibben, who has been an involved father and ride leader for two years, has this season agreed to clip himself into the coaching seat, supported by a valuable and involved group of parents and volunteers. His first act was to prognosticate wet weather and prepare for it, so the team has spent lots of time indoors on trainers, like so many in Northern California this winter. For this first race, however, God smiled on mountain biking and blessed us with a beautifully sunny race weekend on the sandy-based 5-mile loop on the Monterey Peninsula.
In the first wave, our newest member freshman Katie Shearin completed the two laps of her first high school NorCal race with a winning smile and an excellent placing of 7th in a field of 22 riders from all over Northern California. Way to go, Katie! Junior Siena McGibben took a good fall at the beginning of her race, but solid fitness and training and guts brought her back into the fold where she finished in the middle of the pack after her three laps. Next race, no falling and see where she places! Wave two would have had an MC rider, but sophomore Kyle Hammer moved up to JV this year, where his three laps ended him in 19th out of a field of 55 riders, cleanly in the top half. That’s a great start, and we know Kyle will be pushing to better that! Rounding out the day were our two senior riders, who both raced JV and raced well. Nick Abell and Evan Sabadell are now into their fourth and final year as MC MtB Wildcats, leaving it all on the trails.
From the pre-ride the afternoon before, the team dinner, the pit zone set-up, the chili a la Lauri Hammer, to the razing of the pitzone and the drive home, a safe, fun, exciting weekend with a wonderful community. And the season begins!
675 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Kentfield CA 94904 Phone: 415-464-3898 | Email: admissions@marincatholic.org
