Temecula, Calif. — The fifth and final race of the 2015 SoCal Series took place at Vail Lake in Temecula on Saturday (middle school) and Sunday (high school) April 25-26. To say it was one for the memories would be an understatement. According to most of the 655 student-athletes who participated it was arguably the best course in SoCal League history striking just the right balance of challenge, flow, and spectator viewability. Some of the racers compared it to a UCI World Cup course. And to plus up the course the middle school riders had the opportunity to race in cool rain and wind Saturday so that the high school riders would have perfect hero dirt Sunday. 12 Leader Jerseys were awarded (signifying a series win in a field) including two to the Varsity Girls where, for the first time in SoCal League history, we had a tie for a Varsity series win by two young ladies who scrapped it out in see-saw fashion all season. Additionally, three teams got to take home overall series wins from large competitive fields of teams. All in all, with a weekend of sold out camping at Vail Lake, it was a fitting finale to the regular series and a great bridge to California State Championships for those that will be going. And to help cement the fact that mountain biking is a high school sport, we were thrilled that the Damien High School Marching Band came out in uniform to take part in the festivities! From the Star Spangled Banner to the race starts to the drum line at the top of Marine Corps Hill, nothing says high school like a marching band!
Finals at Vail has one feature more celebrated than any other: Marine Corps Hill! -Photo by @Sourceminer
Teams D1
Division 1 team competition ended with someone other than Crescenta Valley on top for the first time this year. Taking that top spot was Great Oak. Great Oak put together a near perfect day on their “home course.” And in one of the tightest D1 team competitions of the season there were only 46 points total between 1st and 5th places. Crescenta Valley took second on the day but took home the “consolation prize” of the D1 series win. Yucaipa took third on the day. For the season overall it was Crescenta Valley, Great Oak, Newbury Park, Yucaipa, and Foothill. In what could be growing proof of the power shifting within the D1 ranks, Great Oak became the first team to ever have three riders win their series overall for the season.
Coach Rod Gisi of Great Oak said, “This has been an amazing third season for Great Oak HS MTB. We have exceeded any of our expectations and find it humbling to be able to compete with the more established teams in the league. I am extremely proud of our team’s accomplishments especially capturing three individual league Champions and winning the SoCal League Final Race. Everyone pulled together as a team and our gals really stepped it up and showed their grit. We look forward to representing SoCal at State Championships in Los Olivos.”
Coach Jim Rowton of Crescenta Valley said, “Certainly, we would have liked to win the race. Our hats are off to the Great Oak team and to all of the teams that pushed us to be our best. We have accomplished a lot this season and being SoCal League Champions for the 2nd time is a very special honor. A special mention of DeeAnna Lopez is appropriate. She worked very hard to make her final season her very best and finished 4th overall in a very competitive JV girls class. Jason Rowton rode his heart out all season. Just 15 and by far the youngest rider in the Varsity boys his determination and commitment to his team have been tremendous.”
Coach Mike Bagg of Yucaipa said, “Yucaipa had a mechanically perfect day following some rough bike breaks at Keyesville. Yucaipa Racers were pumped to come back to Vail Lake and all racers performed consistently to the best of their ability. We kept very consistent throughout the season. Our team is strong in terms of depth and consistency. More of a majority of points came from our younger racers this year than in years past. Freshmen Janssen, Kennedy and More and sophomore Espino contributed nearly 8500 points toward the team’s 19k points across the season. This shows that the future looks bright for Yucaipa High School MTB Team. As I looked around at all of the teams: the kids, the coaches, the families, I was amazed at the enthusiasm and good cheer across the board. This sport brings families together and fosters clean living and healthy fitness. I saw coaches and kids hanging out with other teams, making friends, and encouraging each other. Who could ask for anything more?”
Grit can be found all over at a SoCal League race! -Photo by CLR Effect
D2
As with D1, D2 team competition was extremely close. How close? There was a tie for the win between Woodcrest Christian and Redlands Adventist Academy. Redlands Home School finished the day in third. In the season overall competition, teams from RICO (the Redlands Interscholastic Cycling Association, the umbrella organization all of the Redlands teams train under) took the top three spots with Redlands Adventist Academy with the win followed by Redlands Home School and Redlands East Valley. Woodcrest Christian was fourth and Righetti was fifth.
Coach Charlie Wilber of Redlands Adventist said, “We are so proud of all our riders and the determination they showed, each of them gave everything they had. In the end it was about the team more than individual results. I am thankful for our Senior Captains Andrew Wilber and Summer Medina, for their leadership and example as positive Christian role models. Redlands Adventist Academy has been blessed to have their caring inclusive spirit and we see their impact on students as they have shown each of our kids they are an important part of the team. It was an honor to share the podium with Woodcrest Christian for the day. It just goes to show how close the races can be. We feel very fortunate to have won the series for Division 2 and it was because of the commitment and work our kids, their families, coaches, sponsors, and the community have done to make our season a success. In the end it is about those connections and the memories that we value the most. It’s been a fun ride!”
Coach Mike Fuller of Redlands Home School said, “It was great to get back to Vail and this time the course had everything you could want from a mountain bike course, lots of flowy single track, pitchy climbs and of course, Marine Corps Hill. I am so proud of all our riders, their consistently great perfomances lead to our solid second place despite having only one varsity rider and bringing home the boys D2 sophomore leader jersey was icing on the cake.”
You can NEVER have too much cowbell (especially while trying to get up Marine Corps Hill!) -Photo by CLR Effect
Composite
Corona Composite finished the season by winning their fifth race in a row in powerhouse fashion. Redlands Composite finished the day in second with San Diego Composite in third just three points back. In season overalls it was Corona Composite, San Diego Composite, and Redlands Composite wrapping up the top three spots.
Coach Kevin Carlson of Corona Composite reflected that, “The day and the season both exceeded coaches expectations. These kids worked hard throughout the year, practicing technical sections like Marine Corps Hill, passing, communication, and of course keeping sight of goals. Its always good to reflect back and see where everyone has come from, a sense of pride and accomplishment for everyone involved brings to an emotional happy/sad moment in the end. Ultimately this season student-athletes learned a lot about themselves and dynamics of the race culture, they also learned outcomes may not always be what they thought. Overall we believe the word to describe the most memorable moments are summed up in the word “Success.” Watching Madeline clear Marine Corps Hill all three laps was amazing, not to mention our Junior Higher Blake Wray (12) clearing as well making the crowd go wild (the Experienced Boys middle school raced the high school lap), proving that timing is everything on this monster hill. Watching Jack Fitzpatrick become 1st place overall and racing on a bike for the first time this season. Hearing Dylan say that he dropped 4 min on his average lap times and meeting his goal. Seeing family from all over the USA travel to watch our victory moment at Vail and support the team. Becoming the #1 Composite team for SoCal and watching these kids grin ear to ear on the podium is priceless.”
Coach Alex Estrada of San Diego Composite said, “I couldn’t be happier with how our season ended. For this race we were down to four riders so we knew that all of our riders had to finish and score well to keep our place in the team series standings. I’m super proud of everybody on the team as I know they gave it their best and finished the race. I’m really looking forward to states, I know is going to be a super exciting weekend.”
Varsity racers had a few extra challenges on their loop. -Photo by Elizabeth Pang
Varsity Boys
Varsity Boys competition was the most wide open it’s been in years. With four different winners in five races the overalls were going to come down not only to wins but to dogged consistency and smart tactical racing across the series. At the end of an epic day of racing it was Daniel Johnson (2014 Series Winner) taking the win followed by Evander Hughes of Great Oak and Bradley Breyer of Redlands East Valley. Evander Hughes made the challenging jump from JV to Varsity this season and won a hard fought series victory. After seizing the Leader Jersey in race two and losing it in race four he took it back in the Finals and will represent the SoCal League as the first Varsity Boys call up at State Championships. Second overall for the season was Daniel Johnson followed by Jason Rowton of Crescenta Valley and, tied for fourth, Jaron Cappos of Ramona and Imeh Nsek of Corona Composite. Nsek is the only graduating senior on the final podium meaning next year’s Varsity Boys field will be even tougher. There were a total of 33 riders in the field this season.
Johnson noted, “The most memorable thing was racing hard every race and seeing and hearing the people on the course cheering everyone on. This weekend’s race felt like there was a ton of people around the course cheering me on so that was really cool! I wasn’t sure how my legs would be going into the race as I had a big training week leading into this one. Evander put the pressure on with a strong pace out of the gate. I got around traffic and settled into a pace the first two laps then found some power left the last two laps to real Evander in and create a gap. The last lap I made a push up the varsity hill and created a gap but Evander was able to close it in traffic. Then I made one last push on the flatter fire road when we go up by the jumps on the last little half of the course and the gap stuck to the finish. Thanks for cheering me on in the sidelines everyone!!!” On his prospects for States he said, “I am feeling strong heading into state champs. I have been working hard on my strength and fitness so I should be in a good place for the race.”
Hughes said, “I’m just really happy with winning the series. I knew going into this race that I just had to go out there and put in a solid finish. I didn’t have a good race at Keysville so I knew I had to finish on top of the podium to be in contention for the series win. I’ve put in so much training this year and I have some good people behind me; my team, my parents and sponsors. Yea, I would have liked to win the last race, but Daniel is strong and he had a good day. I’m stoked with second and the series overall! Heading into State Championships I feel pretty good. I’ve just been getting ready, putting in lots of training, so we will see how it goes. The NorCal guys are fast!”
Series winners with the tied Varsity Girls sitting on the top step. -Photo by Robert Binder
Varsity Girls
This season Varsity Girls has been a hard fought battle to fill the vacuum left when three time series winner Hannah Rae Finchamp graduated. All season long it’s been a back and forth battle between two riders with several other hungry girls chomping at their heels in case they stumbled. And for the first time ever, two riders each finished with season totals made up of two wins, two seconds, and 25 bonus points for completing every race. In other words, the see-saw ended up perfectly perched at stasis between Madeline Bemis of Corona Composite and Geraldine Guerrero of San Diego Composite. For this to happen, Madeline had to switch out the second place she had in Keyesville for a win and Guerrero would have to finish second at Vail after taking the win in Keyesveille. This is what happened. Hannah Binder of Tustin finished a strong third. In season overall it was Bemis and Guerrero tied followed by Danielle Emter of Trabuco Hills, Karina Fuentes of Redlands East Valley, and Binder. Emter is the only graduating senior on the final podium meaning next year’s Varsity Girls field will be even stronger. There were a total of 14 riders in the field this season.
Bemis said, “This weekend at Vail was one of my best races of the season! Vail is one of my favorite courses, and I felt good all throughout the race. I was very happy to tie for first overall for my first season in Varsity. Geraldine is such a great rider, and I enjoyed battling with her during all the races. This whole season has been such an amazing learning experience, and I am ready to apply what I have learned to the State Championships. Until then, I will continue to train hard. I would like to thank my family, coaches, teammates, and all the volunteers on and off the course for their services and support. They are the ones who make the sport of mountain biking so awesome! Thank you!”
Guerrero added, “This season has been very memorable since I never thought I would have gotten this far when I started riding my bike two years ago. I feel a great sense of accomplishment being able to hold on to the leaders jersey at the end of the series. I’ve learned a lot this season and I can’t wait for next year’s season. I’m really excited to have the opportunity of going to states and represent the SoCal league, I know it’s going to be an awesome race and I’m going to give it my best.”
Middle school racing took place in chilly rain Saturday. -Photo by Erin Garrett
JV Boys Division 1
Trevor McCutcheon of Great Oak has made a two year habit out of winning tight races and sprint finishes and he won his fourth race in a row in similar fashion beating Ben Bennett of Foothill by eight seconds. Bennett outkicked Brent Franze by two seconds. In the overall season standings it was McCutcheon taking the win followed by Bennett, Matt Wennerstrom of Newbury Park, Kahlo Chitraroff of Murrieta Mesa, and Bradley Murrill of Beumont High School. There were a total of 101 riders in the field this season.
Franze liked the course saying, “Vail is awesome. THE best one you do!”
JV Boys Division 2
Mikael Rodgers of South Orange County Composite finished with his fourth race victory in a row and continued in dominating fashion with a 3.5 minute margin of victory. Samuel Smith of Righetti had his best race of the season taking second while Glenn Cortez of Tustin finished in third. In the season overalls it was Rodgers, Ama Nsek of Corona Composite, Smith, Steven Nadaskai of Mission Viejo, and Caden Gruber of Corona del Mar. There were a total of 97 riders in the field this season.
Rodgers said, “There were so many memorable things from this season of racing, but by far the most memorable was taking the overall win. The last 6-7 months have required a lot of time, dedication, perseverance and intensity. Along with that, making new friends, and furthering others have made this my favorite season of SoCal Mtb yet! I can’t wait for states this year! It’s at one of my favorite venues and I think I will do well. I think with having someone like Ama to work with will really give SoCal a chance to take the win!”
Smith added, “The thing that I won’t forget about this race is that I finally reached my goal of getting second. I have moved up and down the podium the past two years and I knew I had to give it my all if I wanted to get there. I know that I would have never made it without the encouragement of my team, they were always on the course cheering me on. I liked this course better than the first time we rode it, this time it seemed like it was more rolling and we had the big climb (Marine Corps Hill) this time too! I never fully made it up, but each time I passed people. I cannot wait for state championships, and to see what NorCal will bring at the championships. This will be a local race for Righetti and I’m hoping we will have the advantage. This has been an amazing year for our team but even though we are losing members, I cannot wait to see what next year in the SoCal League will bring.”
Some riders gained valuable seconds on the pump track section of the course. -Photo by Fred Laughton
JV Girls
Gwendalyn Gibson of Ramona took her fifth straight victory in her second year of racing. Veronica Laughton of Antelope Valley Composite had her best race of the series taking second while Haley Peery of Woodcrest Christian capped a strong series taking third. In the overalls it was Gibson, Kayla Nelson of Trabuco Hills, Peery, Dee-Anna Lopez of Crescenta Valley, and Tara Neuville of El Toro. There were a total of 40 riders in the field this season.
Laughton said, “The most memorable part in my race was just having my team cheer me on from the beginning to the end. They have helped me a lot this season and I love how supportive they are for every rider. This course was probably my favorite one yet. Adding in the pump track portion was a blast! It was a great course to have the SoCal finals on.”
Sophomore Boys Division 1
Cameron Joye of Great Oak took his fourth race victory in a row and with it grabbed the Leader Jersey and series victory. Trevor Hunter of Foothill and Jarett Megla of Newbury Park finished a strong second and third. In the overalls it was Joye, Hunter, Joshua Dupree of Beumont, and Justin Hurdle of Newbury Park. There were a total of 72 riders in the field this season.
Joye said, “This season was very memorable for me. It did not look promising in the beginning after breaking my collarbone three weeks before the season opener at Perris, and then finishing 17th there. However, it took a massive turn for the better after getting my first ever podium and first ever win in the SoCal League at Vail two weeks after, then winning four races in a row along with the championship. I am feeling very strong heading into states and I am hoping and working hard to pull off a win there.”
This steep downhill berm was a rider, crowd, and photog favorite! -Photo by Steve Hallmark
Sophomore Boys Division 2
Thomas Fuller of Redlands Home School took home the win in Sophomore Boys D2 coming in 20 seconds ahead of a pack of four riders. Of that pack, Ulises Arce of San Diego Composite finished in second and Zack Villars of Victor Valley Composite finished in third. In the season overalls it was Fuller, Alex Nelson of Redlands Composite, Parker Arnold of Trinity, Arce, and Christopher Martinez of San Diego Composite. There were a total of 65 riders in the field this season.
Fuller reflected, “I’d like to thank the league, sponsors, coaches, volunteers, and parents for putting on such a memorable season, along with my teammates and the other racers that pushed me to achieve my goals. Before Lake Perris, winning the SoCal Season 7 Sophomore Boys D2 series overall was my dream, but not something I was sure I could achieve. With such a strong field I knew each race would present new challenges and opportunities; I was pushed to the limit with my training and discipline in order to be the best possible athlete I could be. Capping SoCal Season 7 with a win at Victory at Vail was especially memorable because many of my family members were there to cheer me on and to see me receive my 1st place podium and overall award. I will never forget SoCal Season 7 and hope seasons 8 and 9 will be just as memorable.”
Arce added, “I’m feeling pretty excited about heading to the State Championship because this is the first time I qualified. Other than that I feel strong and very confident with myself. I can’t wait to represent SoCal and work together as a team with Thomas, Alex, Parker and my teammate Cristopher.”
Sophomore Girls
Alexis Vitale of Temecula Valley Composite took the victory at Vail after a back and forth season long battle with Jordyn Watkins of Redlands Adventist Academy who finished second. Michelle Cabanas of Foothill finished third. In season standings it was Vitale, Watkins, Cabanas, Sidra Aghababian of Calabasas, and Alyssa Espino of Yucaipa. There were a total of 14 riders in the field this season.
Vitale said, “It was an amazing 2nd season of racing for me. I rode as an independent my 1st year so it was awesome to finally be on a team this year. My coach and teammates are such a great support system. We all push each other to do our best and our coach tries to make every ride we go on a fun experience. I’m excited to go to States this year. It will be my first time. So, I’m looking forward to racing a bigger group and I’m sure the NorCal girls are going to be some tough competition.”
Watkins added, “I am looking forward to states, because it’s always such a delight spending an entire day with your friends out riding bikes and having fun. I have been told that the course is awesome. By God’s grace, my coaches guidance, and my parents and teammates support, I am able to be where I am at today.”
Big fields. Big starts! -Photo by Tony Gamberutti
Freshman Boys Division 1
Jake Chromy took his fourth race victory in four starts at the finals. All by solid margins. Jonah Sanchez of Murrieta Mesa followed with a strong second place showing and Blaise Janssen of Yucaipa took third. In overalls it was Chromy, Sanchez, Janssen, Christopher Polvoorde of Hemet, and Parker Burgett of Great Oak. There were a total of 59 riders in the field this season.
Sanchez said, “My first SoCal season is definitely one to remember. I have had such an amazing season, because I have gotten to meet so many new people, and bond with them. It was also fun to compete with Jake Chromy, Blaise Janssen, and the rest of the D1 riders! The course used for finals is equivalent to a UCI level course that high school boys and girls are riding. It was definitely hard, but fun.”
Freshman Boys Division 2
Douglas Lau of Redlands Composite took a narrow five second victory in the final race of the series. Jack Fitzpatrick of Corona Composite was second and Weston Giem of Valencia was third. In the overalls it was Fitzpatrick, Giem, Travis Claypool of Murrieta Valley, Jonah Dinger of Redlands Home School, and Dakota Greer of Rim of the World. There were a total of 67 riders in the field this season.
Lau said the sportsmanship he experienced this season was memorable and he feels great heading into State Championships.
Crowd support is always in overdrive at high school races! -Photo by CLR Effect
Freshman Girls
Micah Mason of Tehachapi took her fifth victory of the series. Mead Plum of Mono Inyo County Home School was second while Destiny Arce of Redlands East Valley took third. In season overalls it was Mason, Plum, Arce, Aubrey More of Yucaipa, and Hayley Richards of Murrieta Mesa. There were a total of 25 riders in the field this season.
Middle School
The middle school riders finished their third race of the season in epic fashion. Not only was it the longest course of the year, they had to contend with a cool spring rainstorm which kicked off in earnest right as the riders made their start. But regardless of the rain, riders came through the finish over and over again with tired, dirty, smiles. Suffice it to say that there are a lot of strong middle school riders who will be aging in to high school competition over the next few seasons and a whole lot of kids simply getting STOKED on the idea of riding hard with their friends!
The 2015 SoCal Series has come to an end. -Photo by Motivation Sports
As the 2015 SoCal Series closes many riders are finished for the year while some will be heading to State Championships to compete against the NorCal League in Los Olivos on May 17th. Regardless, we have seen a solid increase in the number of riders and teams involved and new teams are already on the horizon for 2016. We want to thank, from the bottom of our hearts, the efforts made by our volunteer race staff to bring high quality high school sporting competition to our student-athletes. We also want to thank all of the volunteer coaches from throughout the SoCal League for the enormous amount of time and passion they put in to building quality programs where young adults can thrive and learn not only how to race but to overcome personal challenges, set and achieve goals, and contribute to vibrant local mountain biking communities! We also want to thank the many sponsors and donors who help us bridge the gap to make our program look as good as or better than any high school sporting program regardless of the fact that we have no state funding. Truly what we do is a labor of love and we welcome you to join our family!
Upcoming Races:
May 17: State Championships, Los Olivos, SoCal Hosts
• Full information available HERE
About the SoCal High School Cycling League
The SoCal High School Cycling League was organized in 2008 to provide a well defined race season for high school student athletes and to promote the formation of teams at public and private high schools. In 2014 that grew to include a middle school program designed to introduce middle school aged riders to the sport of mountain biking focused heavily on skills, fun, fitness, and responsibility with a taste of the competitive aspects of mountain biking. With the cooperation of local race promoters and our sponsors we produce a first class series of races in addition to providing training for coaches and riders. The League is working to make interscholastic racing the easiest way for youth to get involved in the challenging and exciting world of competitive cycling. NICA and the SoCal League exist by virtue of a range of fundraising activities, as well as generous donors, and sponsors including founding national sponsor Specialized Bicycle Components, Easton Foundations, H2, SRAM, and Trek Bicycles; major sponsors Kenda Tire, Bicycling, Giro, Clif Bar & Company, Primal Wear, and Quality Bicycle Parts; sponsors Camelbak, Casino Bicycles, GU, ICE Sportswear, Intense Cycles USA, Jax Bicycle Center, JensonUSA, Kayo Clothing, Maxxis, Rock n’ Road Cyclery, and Simplicity Bank; additional sponsors Athletic Event Supply, Cannondale, DeFeet, Feedback Sports, Fox, Kinetic, Optic Nerve, Ritchey, and Yakima; educational partners Ft. Lewis College and Lees McRae College; and media partners Mountain Bike Action.
