The Mohawk Mountain Bike Club got off to a great start at MCHS, and many students started a new and exciting chapter as student athletes. The Mountain Biking Club is a co-ed team of 7th-12th graders coached by Coach Steve Bailey. Practices are held on Mondays and Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30. According to senior Ben Swegle, “It’s been going great so far! It’s a very relaxed sport as in everyone is welcoming and encouraging to each other. It’s just a lot of fun getting to ride trails with friends, and you learn new things all the time too.”
The first Iowa Scholastic Mountain Bike Club League race was held on October 7th in Ewing Park, Des Moines. According to Ben, “the first scholastic race we had we swept the podium. In the other race, we had a 3rd place finish. It was our first mountain bike race for most of us so it was a great way to start.” Ben Swegle’s brother Sam Swegle recounts, “There would always be 2 or 3 coaches giving us advice about our bikes and guiding us around many kinds of trails and obstacles and teaching us good ways on how to efficiently ride them. Some practices were fast rides to work on endurance and others were a little more adventurous riding trails we hadn’t gone on before and learning new tactics on how to ride them. We are already looking forward to next year, and we will be very glad to accept any new members to the team.”
The core values of the team are inclusivity and equality, where every finish matters and everyone rides. There are no try-outs, and the team emphasized a strong body, strong mind, and strong character. This is shown in some final words from Ben, “What I like the most is how anyone can come and join at anytime. It’s an individual sport. At the same time, you get the feeling of being on an awesome team where everyone is supporting you and helps to make you a better rider.” Check out this exciting new opportunity!