Cats Grind it out in Granite Bay

Race 4: Granite Bay Grinder @ Granite Bay (Saturday, April 8, 2017)
Race 4: Granite Bay Grinder @ Granite Bay (Saturday, April 8, 2017)
And what a grinder it turned out to be! After reporting all season how lucky we’ve been with weather, race 4 at the shores of Folsom Lake was a wet and muddy challenge. The regularly scheduled Friday afternoon preride was cancelled due to a downpour (and thunder and lightning that night), and any thought of a Saturday morning pre-ride as a back-up was interrupted by trees falling across the trail due to the weather. Our own Mike McGibben ended up using his chainsaw-wrangling skills to reopen the 6.5 mile loop trail for the day’s race, thanks Coach! The rest of the day also had plenty of weather-related drama: a busy medical tent with injuries related to the cold and the mud, a brief hailstorm, shortened races and start delays for weather-related safety, and plenty of mud on the riders and their bikes. Hot chicken soup a la Dillon's dad not only tasted good, but played an important role warming riders, parents and especially our hard-working - and cold and wet - coaches. Yet, with all the opportunities for complaint, we’ve got a team of student-athletes who not only didn’t complain but supported each other and spent the day doing their best. Students, your parents, your coaches, and your school are proud of you! 
Junior Siena McGibben placed 8th in her race of 26 competitors, which places her 6th overall at this point in the season. Freshman Katie Shearin powered through her two laps to finish 10th, and is now ranked 7th overall for the season so far. Amazing rides, girls, and way to focus! Freshman Dillon Solway took a fall during his race, and tried to push through the injury, but the double-punch of an injury and the cold wet weather was too much to overcome, so he was treated to a tour of the medical tent, and was well cared for, but has no desire to repeat a medical visit! We’re glad you’re okay, Dillon, and look forward to watching your next race! Sophomore Kyle Hammer took 11th this day in the field of 43 JVd2 riders, and now sits 9th for the season so far. Senior Nick Abell placed 32nd. Nick has also started an Instagram account for the team, another way to get the word out, thanks Nick! Senior Evan Sabadell placed 35th, and was recently the subject of an email from a course marshall who noticed Evan’s consistently positive and kind attitude on the trail. Way to represent, Evan! After 4 years, this was also Evan’s final race as a high school MtB athlete. Quite a trail, more on that later.
Luckily, Marin had a sunny Sunday, so all the wet and sandy gear was able to be dried and cleaned on a sunny driveway. Those bikes are going to need some TLC, though, and washing machines in racer’s homes around NorCal are no doubt working extra hard. NorCal Championships will be in three weeks (Sat., April 29 near Lower Lake), and the state race is in Petaluma two weeks after that (Sunday, May 14). All of us need to be beating the bushes for more of the MC community to come and see what this sport is all about, since it’s right in our neighborhood! MC MtB will also look forward to a team banquet hosted by Nick's parents on Saturday May 13th, before we all get swept up in finals, graduation, and other end-of-year events. What a ride. Go Cats!

Check out the race report and quote from Coach Schmitz on the official Race Report:
https://norcalleague.exposure.co/norcal-league-race-report-2
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