WENATCHEE – The Gear Grinders, Bainbridge Island’s composite mountain bike racing team, successfully concluded its 2018 season at the Washington Student Cycling League State Championships at Squilchuck State Park in Wenatchee on June 3, with both the high school and middle school team’s placing in the top 10 of their respective divisions.
The high school team, led by Coach Herman Vroom, took home the trophy for third place in the overall, four-race series, competing against 26 teams.
The middle school team, led by Coach David Joslin, finished strong in 10th place out of 26 teams.
The mountainous, mostly single track 5-mile course for the June 3 race climbed more than 680 feet per lap, officials said, and wound through more than 25 switchbacks and banked turns in the forests near Mission Ridge.
For the final race, high school team riders winning medals on the podium were: Cole Albee, second place, Intermediate Boys; Aiyana North, fifth place, Intermediate Girls; and Kellen Hungerford, second place, Beginner Boys.
Additional high school team members finished their final race as follows: Abe Muldrow (14th, Junior Varsity boys), Olivia Cavalluzzi (seventh, Intermediate Girls), Erin Thackray (10th, Intermediate Girls), Nolan Joslin (13th, Intermediate Boys), Will Robertson (22nd, Intermediate Boys), Duncan Rutherford (eighth, Beginner Boys), Micki Wilkinson (29th, Intermediate Boys), Edgar Flynn (34th, Intermediate Boys), Connor Lacroix (42nd, Intermediate Boys), Martin Vroom (43rd, Intermediate Boys), Tyler Pickett (50th, Intermediate Boys), Erik Hammer (23rd, Beginner Boys) and Ezra Tweiten (29th, Beginner Boys).
In the Overall 2018 Race Series, Bainbridge High School riders winning places on the podium were: Olivia Cavalluzzi, fourth place, Intermediate Girls; Cole Albee, first place, Intermediate Boys; and Ezra Twieten, third place, and Duncan Rutherford fifth place, Beginner Boys.
Coaches said additional high school riders with strong finishes in the 2018 series were: Ashlynn Brady, Aidan Brady, Colin Lindquist, Eamon Nalefski, Jake Webber, Max Hale, Aidan Meidell and Thomas Schuler.
Middle schoolers on the podium for their June 3 results were: Will Siebert (fifth place in Advanced Middle School Boys), TJ North (fifth place in Eighth Grade Boys) and Lu Apel (fifth place in Sixth Grade Girls).
Also turning in impressive race results on June 3 were: Jackson Stoehr (sixth place, Advanced Middle School Boys), Milo Mcintosh (13th place, Advanced Middle School Boys), Adam Barsotti (15th place, Eighth Grade Boys).
Strong finishes were also earned by Sixth Grade Boys Payton McPhail (21st), Koen Fritsche (27th), Jasper Witten Carr (35th), Ian Brock (54th), Gabe Phillips (44th), and, in Seventh Grade Boys, Logan Price (38th) Ben Stone (41st) and Max Morse (63rd).
Bainbridge middle school riders winning Overall 2018 Series medals were: Will Siebert (fifth place in Advanced Middle School Boys) and Lu Apel (fifth place in Sixth Grade Girls).
Turning in strong overall series results were riders: Xin Munson (eighth place in Sixth Grade Girls); Jack Stoehr (sixth place in Advanced Middle School Boys); Milo Mcintosh (14th in Advanced Middle School Boys); Adam Barsotti (14th in Eighth Grade Boys); Logan Price, Henry First and Quentin Ikuse (Seventh Grade Boys); and Cameron Albee (Sixth Grade Boys).
