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New, But Mighty Mountain Bike Team Show Great at States

The NDP Mountain Bike team capped off their inaugural season in true competitive fashion.

All five of our racers qualified to race at the state championship held this Nov. 4 and 5 at Fort Huachuca near Sierra Vista, AZ.  This was the final race for the 2023 ACA (Arizona Cycling Association) season. 

For the only time in this league, the event allowed the racers to compete against the combined North and South groups for each division.  "All of our NDP racers did great and pushed their limits on this challenging course." said coach Layne Gainer.

Luke Johnson took the podium and the 5th place medal for the Division 2 Freshman group and Kaleb Casey took an outstanding 3rd place podium and medal in the JV2 division.  "The best thing about Kaleb's win is that he crossed the finish line with a flat front tire. Amazing!" exclaimed Gainer.

JV1 rider, Kaden Casey, who has been racing in a higher division for his grade (and receiving multiple medals), was positioned for another medal in this weekend's championship race until an unfortunate mechanical failure on his bike caused him to lose his spot.  With the drive and determination he often displays, Kaden still managed to get back on another bike and finish the race strong. Last, and certainly not least, Zak Rossbach finished 12th out of 53 racers in the JV2 division, which continued his strong showing throughout the entire season.

A special shout-out to Sophomore, Luke Kanigan, who with only one year of recreational mountain biking experience, was able to participate on the team at a competitive level while advancing his standings every race.  "His success can be attributed to his hard work, dedication, and the amazing attitude he brought to all our team events," said Gainer.  'He is a valuable member of our team and a prime example that anyone looking to enter the sport has the opportunity to learn a new skill and have a lot of fun doing it.  We welcome anyone (male and female athletes) who may be interested in recreational or competitive mountain biking should reach out and join us any time! 

The Mountain Biking Team will continue recreational and skill building rides all school year and will also be looking into additional races through other organizations.  Anyone interested in joining this team should contact Coach Gaier at mountainbike@ndpsaints.org or ask Mr. Finley to point you in the right direction.

NDP junior Kaleb Casey finished 3rd to make it on the podium for his outstanding performance in the JV2 Division Arizona Cycling Association state race!=.