Race #5: MN High School Cycling League Race Report: Mt. Kato: Sun. Oct. 27

High School Mountain Bike Racers Rock Mt. Kato at 2013 Season Championship

JV Boys | Mt. Kato 2013

Contact: Libby Hurley [email protected] 952-835-4540

Oct. 31, 2013 - Bloomington, MN - The second season for the Minnesota High School Cycling League’s mountain bike racing program ended in grand style under sunny skies at Mt. Kato in Mankato on Oct. 27th. High school racers from 26 teams took on the Mt. Kato climb, Dead Horse, the Maze, the Traverse, and Varsity racers, riding the exclusive “enhanced” Challenger course, experienced the Luge, a heart-stopping 200-ft drop through a tight, deep ravine with 8-ft bermed corners.

“I’m proud of our racers,” said MN League Director Gary Sjoquist. “This course had lots of climbing, off-camber bench cut trails etched in the slide slopes of Mt. Kato, and sneaky steep uphill climbs over exposed roots and rocks. Our student athletes handled it all – they’ve come a long way from the flat meadows of our first race at Salem Hills.”

Frosh/Soph Girls | Mt. Kato 2013

In Frosh/Soph girls, class leader Justice Sahaydak retained her Leader’s Jersey to take the win. Fellow Washburn team member Ellie Hedlund came in 2nd, with Prior Lake’s Ashley Ball taking 3rd; Burnsville’s Taylor Horner was 4th over rapidly improving Amanda Susnik from Duluth, who was 5th.

Frosh Boys saw a pair of Duluth Composite racers coming in 1st and 2nd. Nathan Bich took the win ahead of Max Fierek, who had an eventful race but overtook several racers near the finish line to claim 2nd. Hopkins racer Collin Maynard was 3rd, with another Duluth racer, Michael Davis coming in 4th and Eastview’s Luke Doolittle coming in 5th.

Independent racer Noah Halloran continued his winning ways in Sophmore Boys. Rochester’s Christian Gostout was 2nd over Jackson Poeschl from Roseville. Osseo/Maple Grove’s Justin Markuson took 4th with Zach Van Sickle from Roseville coming in 5th.

Cianna Swanson, racing for Lakeville, won JV girls in convincing fashion. White Bear Lake’s RaeAnne Kolasa was 2nd over Lakeville’s Nicole Jensen, with Claire Dirnberger from Hopkins 4th and Lakeville’s Kalli Opsal in 5th.

Duluth’s Levi Hayden put in a strong performance to win JV Boys over Hutchinson’s Trevor Roen and Prior Lake’s Erik Binkowski. 4th was Rochester’s Liam Franken, with Van Carlson from Apple Valley coming home 5th.

Varsity Boys and Girls had their own race for the Season Championship, riding the Challenger Course which consisted of an extra mile made up of two steep climbs and the previously mentioned Luge. “You don’t so much ride the Luge as fall through it,” said Sjoquist. “But our Varsity racers made it look easy.”

Kelly Catlin, from Roseville, took the win in Varsity Girls over Burnsville’s Jordan Horner. Rochester’s Claire Ommen took 3rd over the Endersbe twins, Libby and Carley, who came in 4th and 5th. In Varsity Boys, it was an epic, 3-wide sprint to the finish with Roseville’s Colin Catlin taking the win. Lucas Hieb came in 2nd just ahead of Ethan Furois of Roseville. Logan Schlough also of Roseville was 4th and Duluth’s Sam Olson came in 5th.

In the Team Category, Cuyuna Lakes finished 10th, with Hopkins 9th, Hutchinson 8th, Burnsville 7th and Prior Lake 6th. 5th was claimed by Lakeville, with Washburn taking 4th. Duluth took 3rd, Rochester took 2nd, and twin wins by the brother and sister team Kelly and Colin Catlin propelled Roseville to 1st.

SEASON AWARDS PARTY - SAT. NOV. 2

All that’s left now for the 2013 season is the Awards Party, which takes place at Quality Bicycle Products in Bloomington, Saturday, Nov. 2nd from 5 to 7:30 pm. Event Details

“It’s been a season of experiments,” said Sjoquist. “We tried a Saturday race for Race 2, allowed 7th and 8th graders for Race 3, and created a separate race with more climbing and technical elements to challenge our Varsity Boys and Girls at the Season Championship. I’d like to personally thank my Core Staff, our wonderful Volunteers, and the parents and adults who work so hard to create this opportunity for these fortunate high school athletes. ”

Individual Race Results - Race #5:

Freshman/Sophomore Girls:
1. Justice Sahaydak -- Washburn Composite
2. Ellie Hedlund - Washburn Composite
3. Ashley Ball - Prior Lake High School
4. Taylor Horner -- Burnsville High School
5. Amanda Susnik -- Duluth Composite

Freshman Boys:
1. Nathan Bich - Duluth Composite
2. Max Fierek - Duluth Composite
3. Colin Maynard - Hopkins HS
4. Michael Davis - Duluth Composite
5. Luke Doolittle - Eastview HS

Sophmore Boys:
1. Noah Halloran - Independent
2. Christian Gostout - Rochester Area Composite
3. Jackson Poeschl - Roseville Area Composite
4. Justin Markuson - Osseo Area Composite
5. Zach Van Sickle - Roseville Area Composite

Junior Varsity Girls:
1. Cianna Swanson - Lakeville Composite
2. RaeAnne Kolasa - White Bear Lake High School
3. Nicole Jensen -- Lakeville Composite
4. Claire Dirnberger -- Hopkins High School
5. Kelli Opsal - Lakeville Composite

Junior Varsity Boys:
1. Levi Hayden - Duluth Composite
2. Trevor Roen - Hutchinson HS
3. Jake Binkowski - Prior Lake HS
4. Liam Franken -- Rochester Composite
5. Van Carlson -- Apple Valley High School

Varsity Girls:
1. Kelly Catlin - Roseville Area Composite
2. Jordan Horner -- Burnsville High School
3. Claire Ommen -- Rochester Composite
4. Libbey Endersbe -- Lakeville Composite
5. Carley Endersbe -- Lakeville Composite

Varsity Boys:
1. Colin Catlin - Roseville Area Composite
2. Lucas Heib -- Osseo Area Composite
3. Ethan Furois - Roseville Area Composite
4. Logan Schlough - Roseville Area Composite
5. Samuel Olson - Duluth Area Composite

Team Race Results - Race #5:
1. Roseville Area Composite
2. Rochester Composite
3. Duluth Composite

RACE RESULTS AND PHOTOS

Final race results for Race #5 and Season Overall Standings are now posted to the minnesotamtb.org site.

Official Photos - now posted. Photo Credit: Todd Bauer, MN League Official Photographer.

MN League Information
MN League website: www.minnesotamtb.org
MN League Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MinnesotaMTB
MN League Twitter: twitter.com/MinnesotaMTB

Media Contacts:
Libby Hurley -- [email protected] 952.835.4540

About the Minnesota High School Cycling League
The Minnesota High School Cycling League, founded in 2011, serves all Minnesota high school-aged students, and regardless of ability level, is committed to providing a positive co-ed cycling experience. New for 2013, the MN League launched Crank Sisters, an outreach program established to recruit girls to race and women to become licensed coaches in the MN League. Each MN League season includes summer camps, a five-race series, wilderness first aid certification courses and a Spring Leaders’ Summit for training and certification of coaches. The MN League exists by virtue of a range of fundraising activities, as well as generous donors, and MN League sponsors including the founding national sponsor, Specialized Bicycle Components; as well as establishing NICA sponsors Easton Foundations, SRAM, and Trek Bicycles; major sponsors Sho-Air, Clif Bar and Company, Clif Bar Foundation, Primal Wear, Quality Bicycle Products, GU Sports, Kinetic, Giro, Maxxis, Easton Cycling, Optic Nerve, CamelBak, Feedback Sports, Fort Lewis College, Fox Racing Shox, and Ritchey Designs; media partners Mountain Bike Action, Dirt Rag, Mountain Bike Review, Switchback and Cyclingnews. MN League specific sponsors include Founding Retailers Penn Cycle and Erik’s Bike and Board Shop, Mt Borah, Life Time Cycle, Karma Race Management, AAA, HealthPartners Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, Muscle Milk, the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series, Park Tool, Peace Coffee Racing Team, Salsa, Ipsity Marketing, Random Bikes, and Valley Bike and Ski. For more information on the MN League, visit minnesotamtb.org.