Tag Archives: Victoria Voss Rochester MN

MN HS Cycling League begins its 2019 race season in Austin, MN

The MN High School Cycling League returns to Austin, MN this Saturday and Sunday (August 24-25) for an action-packed weekend of mountain bike racing. This will kick off the 2019 racing season for almost 2,000 middle school and high school students throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

Freshman Boys D1 | Wyatt Peterson, Burnsville | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

Freshman Boys D1 | Wyatt Peterson, Burnsville | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

Cycling League season highlights

Get ready Minnesota – a new race venue will be added for the Sept. 14-15 race. Each year, the MN League moves their race weekends to different venues across the state. This brings the sport to different locations around the region and to offer new and exciting race opportunities for the students. This year, the League is thrilled to be a part of the Chequamegon Festival the weekend of Sept. 14 and Sept. 15. Working with a variety of partners, including the Chequamegon Festival, a new trail has been built near Stone Lake, WI (Summit Lake Game Farm) that will become an exciting race venue for years to come – and a new mountain bike trail for people to ride and enjoy year-round. A special thanks to Tom Gujer and Chad McDonald for their help to make this trail happen!

Growing Interest and demand for younger mountain bike racers

They are all ready for challenge in Mankato at Mt. Kato.

They are all ready for a challenge. Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

As the interest in mountain bike racing has grown across the region there is also an increasing number of younger students interested in riding and racing with the MN League. To accommodate this demand, each MN League team has been given the option of adding in 6th-graders to their middle-school teams. They are thrilled to announce that there are over 160 sixth graders already signed up!

Schedule moves to two-day race weekends to accommodate growth

Due to a 30% growth in teams and racers, the MN League has adjusted their races from one day to a two-day racing schedule weekend for each scheduled race. Middle school racers will compete on Saturdays and high school racers will compete on Sundays.

“Last year, due to required race day schedule changes, we had to remove Sunday pre-ride time – this year, we were determined to find a way to bring back the ability for student-athletes to pre-ride and race on the same day,” said Josh Kleve, MN League Director, and Co-Founder. “By shifting the middle school to Saturday, this enabled us to add 6th grade, a long-requested addition, and spread the races out providing a more enjoyable experience for all of our middle school and high school student-athletes.”

Race Weekend Timeline at Austin, MN – Race #1

Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

For race #1 a full weekend is lined up at Schindler’s Way Trail near Todd Park, in Austin, MN. This Saturday, August 24th the middle school racers (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) will kick off the weekend schedule at 1 pm, with the last race of the day starting at 3:40 pm. Racing will resume on Sunday. August. 25th, with high-school racers starting at 9:30 am and wrapping up with the last race of the day starting at 3 pm.

With over 70 teams registered, the MN League has implemented a bye-week schedule to balance the riders across the venues. See the teams competing in Austin, MN.

For a full weekend #1 schedule of race start times, review the Austin Race Flyer.

The MN League is the sanctioned NICA organization of mountain bike racing for middle school and high school-aged student-athletes, since 2012. View the full schedule of racing for the 2019 season.

About the Minnesota High School Cycling League

The Minnesota High School Cycling League is a state-wide independent activity provider for student-athletes in 6th to 12th grade. Their mission is to build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling, regardless of ability level. Each MN League season includes summer programs, a seven-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. For more information on the MN League, visit minnesotamtb.org.

MN HS Cycling League JV2 Girls | Izzy Rasmusen #551, Alexandria Area | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

Highlights to the MN HS Cycling League championship race in Mankato

by Libby Hurley, MN HS Cycling League /Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

For the fourth consecutive year, the MN High School Cycling League headed back to Mt. Kato, for Race #7. This State championship race was held in Mankato, MN on Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28, 2018. A favorite course for many young racers, the location, and venue easily accommodated the 3,500+ racers and spectators that attended the event.

Freshman Boys D1 | Wyatt Peterson, Burnsville | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

Freshman Boys D1 | Wyatt Peterson, Burnsville | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

MN HS Cycling League highlights

For two days, over 1,200 racers from 64 teams across the state of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota. South Dakota and Western Wisconsin came together to compete in the final MN HS Cycling League race of the 2018 season.

Since there was a bye-week schedule in place for the season, each of the six previous races had a reduced number of teams competing, resulting in less impact to the event venues and students were able to compete against different racers. But, at this race event, all of the MN League teams were able to compete in one race; resulting in the largest MN League race to date.

Freshman Girls | Victoria Voss, Rochester | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

Freshman Girls | Victoria Voss, Rochester | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

As the team tents went up on Friday evening, the race course and community came together. People were laughing, dogs were barking, cheers of encouragement were heard along with excited voices shouting out greetings – the MN League race venue had arrived in Mankato for two days of action-packed mountain bike racing and not a speck of snow in the forecast.

This year, the weather cooperated, two days of brisk, bright days made for an amazing race weekend. Against a backdrop of brilliant fall colors, racers wound their way up the mountain, and then into the wooded singletrack, to complete a lap in the just under 4-mile course. Based on a rider’s skill level, the number of laps increases, with varsity riders completing four laps or 16-miles.

As the last race of the season, and for many seniors, the last race of their high school careers, the finish line was filled with cheering spectators and close finishes, but there were also tears and hugs, as competitors shook hands one last time.

Thank you to the folks at Mt. Kato for their support before and during the race. And, thanks to the team members and volunteers from the Mankato Composite team for their gracious hosting of our core staff dinner on Friday night and their volunteer efforts before and during the race.

Get ready Minnesota – racing will be back soon. Watch for news regarding the 2019 racing schedule, later this month.

JV2 Girls | Izzy Rasmusen #551, Alexandria Area | Mt. Kato 2018

JV2 Girls | Izzy Rasmusen #551, Alexandria Area | Mt. Kato 2018

MN HS Cycling League race #7 – Results and more photos

FULL RACE RESULTS
View Full Results

RACE DAY PHOTOS
View Race Photos. Photo Credit: Todd Bauer and David Markman – MN League Official Photographers.

LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE
Kristine Goodrich, covered the event for Mankato Free Press. View News Story

KEYC, a local Mankato television station covered the event. View News Story

HALLOWEEN FUN

Since it was Halloween weekend; amidst the cheering fans, there were a few interesting characters: a life-size banana, an elephant, Yeti, a giraffe and even a zebra! Tutus were out, tiaras were on helmets and there was even a racer that went by in a full bear costume.

RACE RESULTS

Freshman Boys D2 | Owen Skroch, St. Croix Composite | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

Freshman Boys D2 | Owen Skroch, St. Croix Composite | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

In the Middle School D1 race, Stillwater and Prior Lake almost tied for first place, with a difference of three points. Stillwater secured the first place over Prior Lake and Washburn took home the third place trophy.

In the D2 Middle School Team competition, Rochester decisively took the first place trophy over Alexandria Area with Mankato taking third place.

Varsity Riders from SW Mpls, Hopkins and Stillwater at the finish line | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

Varsity Riders from SW Mpls, Hopkins and Stillwater at the finish line | Mt. Kato 2018 | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com

In the High School Team Competition, Division 1: Stillwater with podium wins in over 5 categories, took home the first place trophy, with Edina High School securing second place. Southwest Mpls was close behind to take third place. Division 2: Crosby-Ironton High School beat out Highland Park for the first place trophy. Chaska took the 3rd place trophy.

Season overall winners will be announced at the Year End Ceremony on Fri. Nov. 9 at Northrup Auditorium in Minneapolis, MN. Details

About the Minnesota High School Cycling League 

The Minnesota High School Cycling League is a state-wide independent activity provider for student-athletes in 7th to 12th grade. Our mission is to build strong bodies, strong minds, and strong character through cycling, regardless of ability level. Each MN League season includes summer programs, a seven-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 and NICA national sponsors. For more information on the MN League, visit minnesotamtb.org.