CLOQUET—Ely’s high school and junior high mountain bikers wrapped up their regular season races as Team BOREALIS competed here on Oct. 5 and 6. Forty-three teams, with nearly 1,000 riders converged at the Pine Valley mountain biking trails for the final regular season competition of the Minnesota Cycling Association, or MCA.
The racecourse at Pine Valley took riders on a 3.2-mile tour of ski trails and technical single track and included 330 feet of climbing each lap. Races took on the typical MCA format with junior high riders each racing a single lap, while high school riders completed two or more laps depending on their category.
The dry conditions present across northern Minnesota were in evidence on the trail resulting in dusty conditions throughout the weekend. Loose gravel in the corners and on steep climbs made this race the most technical of the courses Team BOREALIS has competed on so far this year.
While some Team BOREALIS riders were participating in their first race, many were attempting to punch their ticket to the state championship races held Oct. 12-13 at Redhead Mountain Bike Park in Chisholm. To qualify for the state championship riders must achieve a regular season score among the top 100 in the state in their race category. Points are awarded based on finish position at each of the regular season races the team attends.
Eight of the team’s riders did make it to the state competition. Beck Sponholz, who finished in seventh place at Cloquet, took 17th place out of 68 racers in the seventh-grade girls category at Redhead, the top finish for any member of the team. Addison Kannes, who finished tenth in Cloquet, notched a 25th-place finish among 64 competitors in the eighth-grade girls category.
George Sponholz, meanwhile, notched the team’s top boys finish in Chisholm, finishing 29th out of 89 racers in the JV boys category, with a time of 38:35.00. Sponholz finished 11th at the meet in Cloquet.
Others who qualified for the state meet included Wyatt Carlson, Sawyer Anderson, Siiri Nelson, Amelia Strom, and Rena Johnston.
The state championship weekend in Chisholm attracted over 2,000 riders and several thousand spectators from more than 80 teams racing during the two-day event. More information on the state championships can be found at minnesotacycling.org.
More information about Team BOREALIS or the state championship race at Redhead can be found at the following: teamborealismn@gmail.com.