Midwest MTB Report

It has been another great season for the school cycling circuit with record numbers yet again. The Minnesota season concludes this coming weekend in Mankato with the State Championship race, and Wisconsin wraps up their season the weekend of October 21st-22nd at the Trek Trails in Waterloo.

Both school programs share a mission with the purpose to build strong minds, bodies, and character through cycling, and their vision is that every youth should be empowered to be part of a thriving and engaged cycling community.

For Minnesota, this season is the first time that the All Team Finale will be rebranded as the State Championship for which riders in the top 100 for points will qualify to race. This event is unique in that it is the only time that all teams come together and race. For riders not in the top 100 for points, there is a SRE open class so that everyone can have a chance to race.

One of the riders that will be toeing the line in the boys varsity race is Jacob Olson who is a senior on the Northwest Composite Mountain Bike Team. The Northwest Composite Team is unique in that team members live up to two hours apart!—a big commitment for coaches, parents, and kids meeting up at at neutral point, usually Detroit Mountain, for practice two days a week. I have watched Jacob develop into a strong, technically skilled rider over the years and have enjoyed having the opportunity to ride with him and his dad, including at the Tuesday night rides at Maplelag when the Varsity team comes out to practice, and where I can witness his high competitive level and passion for the sport. I caught up with Jacob this week to ask him a few questions before the big state race this weekend, his final high school race:

Hard to believe your last race of the season is approaching! How are you feeling about it going into it this last week?

Going into Mankato I'm excited to see what my training has led up to this year. In my last two races I had some bad luck that kept me from being at the front where I wanted to be, however I'm hoping I can finish my senior season off with a race I'm proud of. It's definitely bittersweet with Mankato being my last high school race after seven years of racing it has felt like home every fall.

What has been the highlight of the season?

The highlight of my season has been witnessing all the hard work I've put in this year and in prior years finally come to fruition. This year everything just started to click for me on the fitness side. Finally being able to compete at the front of varsity races has made my senior year all the more special.

What has been your favorite course?

My favorite course this year is White Tail Ridge. It's more technical than other race courses in the high school league and has a gravel hill at the start that does a sufficient job at separating the field.

What has been different this year compared to other years as far as training and preparing for this season?

This year I didn't start biking until June, which I felt helped prevent end of the season burn out. In April and May, I was running in Idaho. Running along with some kayaking, helped keep my fitness up.

I spent 6 weeks of my summer training with my dad in Red Lodge, MT where we were able to train at altitude. Training in the backcountry in Montana helped my technical abilities especially with cornering and descending at speed

The Wolves are one of the most unique teams in the states with 5 schools involved? What has it been like meeting kids from other schools?

Yeah, NorthWest Composite is quite unique in that we aren't composed of all one high school or city. Our geographic area stretches from Wadena, Minnesota into North Dakota. This is a very interesting dynamic on our team as some of my best friends are those who live an hour and a half away in Fargo.

The commitment to travel to practice is pretty impressive? What is that like?

Most families travel at least an hour each way at least once a week.

How many years have you been part of the team?

I've been part of the Wolves for seven years, starting in sixth grade racing freshman working my way up to varsity, which I've raced the past three years now. I've had the great fortune of being chosen to be a team captain for the last three years as well.

You've had a bit of a different but very interesting path including some time with the Alzar school where you were completely off the bike during that time? What is the Alzar school?

Yeah this spring I wasn't training until June, since I was in Chile and Idaho for the spring semester of my Junior year. Alzar is a semester school that offers rigorous academics which emphasizes leadership. They do this by offering advanced honors and AP courses. Another key aspect of Alzar are the expeditions. Students lead backpacking and kayaking trips in the backcountry through Patagonia and Idaho. We end up on four expeditions throughout the semester as well as many shorter adventures.

This year you are attending classes a few days a week at Concordia?

As I was trying to find the hardest classes I could in the area after my semester at Alzar, I elected to attend Concordia full time as a postsecondary student. While taking a full course load of sixteen credits, I’ve been in Moorhead Monday through Friday.

You had quite the summer, spending time in Red Lodge for 3-4 weeks and doing a week trip in the southwest part of Montana. What is your favorite part about riding out west? Most of those trails are pretty old school, correct?

My favorite part of riding out west is the nature of the rides, themselves. It feels totally different riding out west with beautiful scenery and amazing downhills. There is nothing quite like it in Minnesota. Out west, we bike uphill for two to four hours before reaching the summit, turning around to descend, reaching the bottom in ten to twenty minutes. The trails in Montana are primarily on public land and maintained by a dedicated few, with most being built by hand.

What are your plans after school? Do you plan to go to college and try to race, assuming you keep on riding?

After high school I plan to attend Colorado School of Mines with plans to study mining engineering. The school's location in the foothills of the Rockies is definitely a perk. I plan to continue mountain biking at a high level, racing various regional races. However I'm still undecided on how structured I'll be, as I want to have a little more freedom when out exploring the mountains.

Thanks Jake and best of luck on the final race this year....anything else you want to add?

I’d like to thank Jay and the whole crew at Maplelag for keeping Maplelag oldschool and providing countless childhood memories that’ll stick with me forever. A massive thanks to my coach Sam Elson as well for helping me navigate the past three years of varsity racing and become the athlete I am today.

Minnesota Cycling Association Website

Wisconsin Interscholastic Cycling League Website

Keep the wheels moving!!

About the author... Jay Richards maintains a very active lifestyle. He somehow finds time between managing a full-time resort (Maplelag) and bringing up a family of four boys with his wife Jonell, to compete in both mountain bike and a few cross-country ski races. Jay rides for Maplelag Resort, manages the Maplelag mountain bike team and enters his 33rd year of racing and promoting mountain bike races. Have an event or mountain bike related information to share from the Midwest? Feel free to contact Jay at