Oakland, Calif.—Gritty performances in tough conditions defined a successful and historic first national championship campaign by the NorCal Travel Team, a nine-rider ensemble representing the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League, which competed at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Nationals held in Granby, Colorado, July 17-19.

Six boys and three girls comprised the team, which was selected on performance at the 2009 Invitational Camp. The team included: Karli Haugen, Lauren Catlin, Sofia Hamilton, Zachary Valdez, Andrew Taylor, Bryan Duke, Adam O’Camb, Noah Hanagen, and Nik Dommen.

Conditions were difficult for the lowlander NorCal riders. After a 21-hour drive, riders faced a technical course with a start line elevation of 8,400 lung-searing feet.

A challenging, steep climb right from the gun pushed riders to their limits, and then kept them climbing until they reached a descent that was more technically difficult than anything they face in the NorCal series. “It’s the hardest descent I’ve ever done in a cross country race. Instead of picking the best line, I was picking the best rut,” said Andrew Taylor, who raced his first Cat 1 XC race this weekend.

Sofia Hamilton seemed to have overcome the challenges and good for the national title, but a flat tire three quarters of the way through the race denied her the top honors. Gamely she fought her way back to a very impressive fifth place finish. “I was in the lead for the first three quarters of the race until I flatted on the descent. It was frustrating, but I was proud that I was able to fix my flat and get back out on the course to get on the podium,” she said at the end.

Nik Dommen, who cracked the top 20 in the Cat 2 junior race said: “The last switch backs near the finish worked to my advantage. It reminded me of a World Cup downhill course. But there was one part of the course that was the steepest hill I’ve ever descended.” Adam O’Camb and Noah Hanagan raced in the Cat 2 junior race, as well.

Karli Hagen, Lauren Catlin, and Bryan Duke competed in the Cat 1 junior race, with Catlin and Duke claiming 8th and 7th places, respectively.

The lone SoCal representative, Zach Valdez, impressed his SoCal and NorCal comrades with a powerful ride in the Cat 1 Junior Men 17-18 race that kept him in the top 10 until the last lap, when a flat tire brought him down to a still- respectable 19th place finish.

Overall, the number of NorCal League racers at the National Championship race was awe-inspiring. Katie DeClercq, the head manager of the Travel Team and Event Coordinator for the NorCal League, stated, “I saw at least 50 NorCal racers amongst the vast number of junior racers – that’s the most that has ever represented the NorCal League at a National Championship race. They were all at a slight disadvantage coming in to such a high elevation race. But every one of our riders tried their best and had fun, and that’s what matters the most.”

Other notable NorCal finishes include Nate Byrom with an 18th place finish in the men’s U-23 race, Will Curtis with an 8th place finish in the Cat 1 Junior Men 17-18 race, and Tony Smith with a 6th place finish in the Cat 1 Junior Men 15-16 race. In Cat 2, Evan Shorter and Samantha Geist can both be proud with solid 2nd place finishes.

The NorCal High School Mountain Bike League is a non-profit organization open to students from both public and private schools. The League exists because of generous donors and sponsors such as Clif Bar, Inc., CamelBak, Fox Racing Shox, Gary Fisher Bicycles, Ritchey Bicycle Components, Creation Engine, Galaxy Granola, Mike’s Bikes, The Pedaler, Paradigm Cycles, HappyGoFun, REI, Mountain Hardwear, WTB, Tecnu Extreme, Touchstone Climbing Gyms, Vanderkitten, Whole Athlete, Dream Works, and NCNCA. The League provides coaching and camaraderie to help students achieve both competitive and non-competitive cross-country mountain biking goals in a safe and enjoyable manner. Each season includes a Coaches Training Conference, winter riding camps, the six-race series, and a variety of summer camps. For more information visit www.norcalmtb.org or call (510) 653-2453.

source: Tyler Dibble