West Plains Mountain Bike team finishes Race Series
Wed, 11/20/2024 - 11:21am
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By:
Sue Fiorino, contributing writer
Mountain biking in West Plains?
Yes!
West Plains has been home to a team since 2020.
Troy Witte, a coach since the beginning, said, “It’s been a long five years but I feel like we are gaining traction. This is a youth development program. This is NOT just a bike race thing.”
Nine students from the West Plains area participated in the Missouri NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) race series this fall. The races took place in several different venues around the state: Jefferson City, Rolla, Warsaw, and Highlandville (Springfield).
“The motto is that no one sits on the bench, everyone rides. The whole idea of NICA is that there is a space for every kind of student-athlete to participate. If they just want to be on a team and have fun, they still get to ride. If they want to really race, I can guarantee they will get coached hard,” said Coach Stephanie Hullinger.
Caleb Hullinger, a homeschooled freshman, was the fastest student-athlete for the West Plains Mountaineers this season and competed in the ninth grade “B” division which required two laps of each course. His highest finish was 8th place on the Tussle at Two Rivers course outside of Springfield.
Kane Ball placed first in the State in the ninth grade boys “C” division (only one lap). Ball was the first Mountaineer to ever wear the “Leader Jersey” after finishing in first place at the Rolla race. He was required to wear a different jersey as the pacesetter for his division. Ball, a freshman at Koshkonong High School, said, “I feel like mountain biking helped me in my other sports, especially cross country. It definitely improved my endurance and stamina,”
Naomi Hullinger was the fastest student-athlete among the West Plains girls. She finished 3rd in the State in the 8th grade “A” division which required two laps of each course.
Youth cross country mountain bike racing is among the fastest growing, non-traditional sports in the nation. In 2021, the Missouri NICA race series started with 20 teams and 281 student-athletes. This race season saw over 600 athletes participate on 35 teams in Missouri.