TACOMA – The Bainbridge Island Gear Grinders high school composite M-mountain bike team powered to a fantastic fourth-place finish in the first race of the Washington Student Cycling League season on April 19 at Joint Base Lewis McChord.

The Gear Grinders’ middle school team also raced to a hard fought ninth-place finish.

The Gear Grinders competed with 22 high school and 19 middle school teams, with a total of 262 riders from across Washington riding in the event.

On the winners’ podium for the Gear Grinders were: Erin Thackray, third place, beginner high school girls; Thomas Schuler, second place, beginner HS boys; Mickie Wilkinson, fourth place, beginner HS boys; Kylie Turner, fifth place, seventh-grade girls; Colton Albee, third place, eighth-grade boys; and Will Donegan, fifth place, sixth-grade boys.

Also contributing to the high school team’s overall high score were Olivia Cavalluzzi, Tessa Vroom, Abe Muldrow, Will Robertson, Edward Powers, Tyler Pickett, Jake Webber, Max Hale, Julian Bonifaci, Connor Lacroix, Martin Vroom and Duncan Rutherford.

Additional point contributors for the Gear Grinders middle school team were Edgar Flynn, Nolan Joslin, Colton Albee, Erik Hammer, Grant Hoff, Max Guerzon, Max Morse, Liam Reinders, Jackson Stoehr, Ben Stone and Logan Price.