LEADVILLE - The Nederland High School Mountain Bike team is off to a strong start this season, with a record number of nineteen athletes on the team this year, including six freshmen boys racing for the first time. 

Amika Begin landed herself on the podium in fourth for JV girls (moving up thirteen spots from her call-up position), with other top finishes including Madeline Perry in 11th for JV girls (moving up 11 spots), Tyler Begin in 12th for freshmen boys, and Codi Waldron in 13th for sophomore girls. 

The freshmen boys were nervous but ready for their first high school race—a time trial race that helps rank riders. Coach Alison Powers said that the common theme she heard from the freshmen boys after the race was, “Whoa, I did way better than my goal!” 

Jonny Moss also had an exciting race, with not one but two mechanicals in the sophomore boys race, which required a mid-race visit to neutral support.

If a racer requires external help during a race it’s an automatic five minute penalty, but even with this penalty, Jonny still ended the race in 26th place.

Jonny said this about his experience: “It was really frustrating to have two mechanicals in one race, but I know how hard I’ve been training and hopefully it will pay off. It was really cool to have the crowd cheer me on as I carried my bike across the finish line!”

The high-elevation Leadville course is one of the most technical of the season, but the team was well-prepared as most of their practices are held on the rocky and challenging West Magnolia trails.

Coach Powers also helps them prepare mentally by having them write down their goals along with using the Nederland-based mental fitness program, Reboot Mindfulness. 

The team is thrilled to have such an amazing community supporting them. Here’s a shout out to their very generous sponsors—Nederland Veterinary Hospital, Eldora, Justin’s, Rudy’s, Fitzer Electrical Contracting, and Tin Shed Sports.