Mountain Biking at the Fort

NorCal Race 1 Sunday, February 25, 2018 @ Fort Ord, Seaside
NorCal Race 1 Sunday, February 25, 2018 @ Fort Ord, Seaside
Welcome to MC MtB’s 2018 season! What a great beginning. Here’s the dirt (get it? dirt? Cross-country mountain biking?)…The inaugural NorCal race #1 at Ford Ord is called “Fun at the Fort”, for good reason. The well-drained sandy soil in open oak woodlands is a great venue to start the season, and also exciting for other reasons: with a new season, there’s new excitement, new equipment, new competitors and team-mates and families to get to know. It is especially wonderful this season because MC has a team of 11 riders (yes 11, no that’s not a typo): three are returning, but 8 are brand new to the sport and just got their first taste of cross-country MtB racing. From the looks on their faces after their races - even through the dirt - the grins seemed to say it tasted pretty good, and they’re excited for more. Although two of our riders sat out this first race due to injuries, we’re looking forward to having sophomores Erin Murphy and Ryan Kelly back with us for race 2 at Laguna Seca in two weeks. Heal well, you two! 
Our race weekend started -as it always does - with a pre-ride the day before the race, which gave our new and experienced riders the chance to see and ride the 5.5 mile loop, learning how to handle the course, both technically and strategically. Following that was the team dinner. This one, however, required an entire room, including a large table where all our student-athletes enjoyed each others’ company at their first team dinner, and even broke out in a unified hand-holding round of MC’s alma mater (Go Cats!!). Early the next morning, MC’s pit-zone was ready for race-day, with gratitude for the returning veteran Shearin and Solway families hosting the pit-zone food for this race in role-model fashion. MC looked good with our newly wrapped team trailer, and now the new families - as well as the athletes - have a clearer sense of how a race weekend works and feels, and what to expect in so many aspects of what it takes to make this community event as successful as it is.
The girls were the first wave of racing, which started at 9:00am with Siena McGibben, our senior team captain/chaplain varsity rider, racing three laps in a field of 16 riders, followed by our three sophomore girls in a field of 17, and then the freshman girls field of 29, both racing two laps. Sophomore Katie Shearin placed 4th, which put her on the podium for the first time ever. First-time sophomore racer Lauren Mullin made it into the top ten in her first race, placing ninth. Also completing their first races were sophomore Claire Abele and Freshman Angelica Valerio. Each of the girls pushed themselves personally, and we are proud of each of them and so glad they’re part of the team, along with their families. 
Wave two was next, with sophomore and freshman boys. Each raced two laps. Sophomore Dillon Solway worked hard to meet his goal and earn his top-ten place of seventh in this huge field of 61, way to go Dillon! Sophomore Nate Wilson was part of a pile-up at the start, but made up amazing time to finish 27th in that same field, and Chris Timboe overcame trail troubles as well to finish with a smile on his dusty face. Freshman Harrison Turner also raced and completed his first race, in another large field of 62 riders. We’re proud of each of our boys as well. Wave three (boys varsity and JV) saw nobody from MC this year, but next year, get ready, because we’ll be there as well!
At the end of the day, MC placed 9th out of 34 D2 teams (Division two is the smaller teams, and D1 is the larger teams). Before the day ended, though, there was a special treat for those able to stay. Coaches, parents, and team members got to cheer Katie Shearin as her 4th place medal was placed on her neck in olympic style in the podium ceremony. Not even Coach Mike’s walking up to reclaim his lost - and found - wedding ring (thank you, God!) gathered larger applause. So proud of you, Katie, so proud of all our riders, and so blessed to have a community such as this to exercise and celebrate and compete. At the end of the day, at the end of the weekend, life is full of blessings. A good start to the season. Go Cats! Peace on dirt.
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