Beach to Boulders - Lake Perris - Race #3

The St. Francis GOLDEN KNIGHTS Mountain Bike Team

“Beach to Boulders Race”, Lake Perris CA – March 24, 2013

It was a day of many firsts – the first podium of the season, and the first ever Varsity podium for the St. Francis Golden Knights mountain bike team! Held at the beautiful Lake Perris State Park, the Golden Knights tackled a very unusual mountain bike course, one that featured sand, asphalt, and very fast speeds with each 5.2 mile loop taking the riders from the beach sand to high in the mountain boulders. High temperatures and challenging conditions tested the riders to the fullest.

The first race of the day featured four Golden Knight freshmen taking on 46 other freshman riders from throughout Southern California. In only his 3^rd mountain bike race, George Orloff showed his strength and power and continued improvement with a fine 8^th place finish, his best result yet. Close behind were his teammates Andrew Schiller and Andrew Palaski, in 12^th and 14^th, and battling through the tough conditions was Michael Vega in 20^th. Once again, the Golden Knight freshman team showed great ability and represented the Golden Knights well.

Four riders from St. Francis represented the Golden Knights in the Sophomore Division 1 class. Remi Roth used his climbing talents to full-effect to gain ground on his competitors and end up with his best result ever, a fantastic 7^th place finish. Nathaniel Blakely earned 12^th, and Skyler Payne and Alex Marshall battled through the heat to earn 20^th and 23^rd. 

By the time the JV Division 1 race got started at 1:00pm, the temperature had reached close to 90 degrees. Austin Hamilton paced himself well with very consistent lap times within 10 seconds of each other to earn a solid 8^th place. Daniel Balsam was the next Golden Knight JV rider in 19^th. Matt Kubly rode the final mile of the race through sand and deep grass with a flat tire and narrowly missed a top-20 result, coming in 22^nd. Hunter Nalley and Kenny Larsen both had their best results of the season coming in 26^th and 35^th. Will Towne worked hard through the heat for 30^th, and rounding out the Golden Knight JV field were Keenan Koch in 42^nd, Carl Demolder recovering from a flat at the beginning of the race to finish in 45^th, and Chris Perez with his best result of the year finishing in 46^th.  

The Golden Knight Varsity team was once again represented by junior Sean Bird and senior Scott Marshall. Sean felt that the fast-paced course would be well-suited to his road race background, and he was right! Sean helped set a very high-paced tempo and led or was in the leaders group most of the 4-lap race. Sean sprinted with another rider out of the beach sand to the finish line and narrowly missed a win, but still earned an incredible 2^nd place finish. This was the first Varsity podium result for the Golden Knights in their 5 season history, and the first podium result for the team in the 2013 season. Scott Marshall also rode a smart race to narrowly miss a top-20 result, coming in 21^st.  

The Golden Knights again showed grit, courage, and perseverance to have all 19 riders complete their race. That’s 22 straight races without a single DNF! The Golden Knights head to race # 4 in Keyesville (near Lake Isabella) in three weeks. More intensity in their upcoming training should help them improve on their speed as they enter their final two races and the State Championships. 

The Golden Knights mountain bike team is 100% volunteer managed and coached and is very grateful for all of the support they have received from the parents, alumni, and their generous sponsors, including: Design Imports, Hollandays, Merchants Building Maintenance, Mountain Pine Shutters, Strategic Law Partners, Nu-Hope, Kevin Martin/UBS, Stratz & Company, Financial Guaranty Insurance Brokers, Lucas Horsfall Murphy & Pindroh, Lantern CycleWorks, Montrose Bike Shop, Crescenta Valley Insurance, and Church and Larsen.  GO KNIGHTS!

Sean Bird gets the Golden Knights first ever Varsity podium. 2nd Place. 

Andrew Schiller

Remi Roth has been working hard on his descending. Looking pretty good. 

Nathaniel Blakely with his game-face on. 

Andrew Palaski

Keenan Koch leading teammate Kenny Larsen

Sean Bird leading the Varsity Boys

Matt Kubly rode the final mile on a flat - huge nail!

Carving Canyons - Riverside - Race #2

The St. Francis GOLDEN KNIGHTS Mountain Bike Team

“Carving Canyons Race”, Riverside CA – March 10, 2013

Under beautiful blue skies with snow-capped mountains in the background, the St. Francis High School Mountain Bike Team competed in the 2^nd race of the SoCal League High School Mountain Bike Series at Sycamore Canyon Park in Riverside, CA on March 10th. Rolling, twisty, trails through meadows and boulder-strewn terrain made for an exciting day of racing. For the second straight race, a large team of 21 riders represented the Golden Knights in a race featuring over 350 high school students from all over Southern California.

46 riders lined up to compete in the Freshman Division 1 class race. Representing the Golden Knights were George Orloff, Andrew Palaski, Andrew Schiller, and Michael Vega. This strong freshman group improved over their first race results, including another top-10 finish. Andrew Shiller came in 8^th, Michael Vega in 15^th, George Orloff in 18^th, and Andrew Palaski in 25^th.

Five riders from St. Francis represented the Golden Knights in the Sophomore Division 1 class. A large accident at the start of the race took down Golden Knights Alex Marshall and Skyler Payne. Both riders battled back, with Marshall finishing in 25^th and Payne, riding on a broken rear wheel for 15 miles, coming from dead last to pass 19 riders to finish in 12^th! Skyler’s battle was one of the most inspiring efforts ever in the 5 year history of the St. Francis mountain bike team. Remi Roth and Nathaniel Blakely both had their best race results ever finishing in 8^th and 9^th place, and Owen Shain ran the final 2 miles with a broken bike to finish in 26^th. These sophomores won’t quit!

The JV Division 1 race saw the largest field of the day with 53 riders. The Golden Knights were a significant contributor with 10 riders lining up for the afternoon race start. Austin Hamilton almost had the Golden Knights first podium of the day and finished in a well-earned 6^th place. Daniel Balsam and Michael Togneri rode in together in 16^th and 17^th, with Matt Kubly not that far behind in 26^th. Will Towne was the next Golden Knight in 31^st, Carl Demolder battled an illness to finish in 33^rd, Hunter Nalley finished in 35^th, Keenan Koch in 38th, Kenny Larsen in 40^th, and Chris Perez finished a hot race in 50^th.  

St. Francis junior Sean Bird and senior Scott Marshall represented the Golden Knights in the 4-lap Varsity race. Bird jumped into a fast group of 10 Varsity riders on the first lap and led the group for 2 laps in a break that splintered the field. Bird hung on during a blistering last lap to finish in 7^th. Scott Marshall worked hard all day and made 2 passes on the last lap to get his personal best Varsity finish to date of 20^th.

The Golden Knights again showed grit, courage, and perseverance to have all 21 riders complete their race. 13 of the 21 improved on their results from race # 1 by dedicating themselves to hard work over the last two weeks of training.

The Golden Knights head to race # 3 in Lake Perris in two weeks, and with the team hitting its stride at the middle of the season, they should be able to come away with some podium finishes.

The Golden Knights mountain bike team is 100% volunteer managed and coached and is very grateful for all of the support they have received from the parents, alumni, and their generous sponsors, including: Design Imports, Hollandays, Merchants Building Maintenance, Mountain Pine Shutters, Strategic Law Partners, Nu-Hope, Kevin Martin/UBS, Stratz & Company, Financial Guaranty Insurance Brokers, Lucas Horsfall Murphy & Pindroh, Lantern CycleWorks, Montrose Bike Shop, Crescenta Valley Insurance, and Church and Larsen.  GO KNIGHTS!

Photos courtesy of Brother Chris. Thank you!

Owen Shain ran the final 2 miles with a broken chain - but finished! 

Sean Bird - Varsity

Andrew Palaski and George Orloff - Freshman

Kenny Larsen - JV

Alumni Matt Misetich and Christian Breitschwerdt out to support their team!

The Guys - Post Race

Remi Roth had his best result ever - a well deserved 8th place!

Skyler Payne rode 15 miles on a broken rear wheel to finish 12th!

Austin Hamilton - 6th in JV

Incredible riding through boulders

Sean Bird leading a Varsity train through the boulders

Hunter Nalley - JV

Vail Lake - Race #1

The St. Francis GOLDEN KNIGHTS Mountain Bike Team

Vail Lake Challenge, Temecula CA – February 24, 2013

The St. Francis High School Mountain Bike Team competed in the opening round of the 5th season of the SoCal League High School Mountain Bike Series at Vail Lake in Temecula, CA on February 24th. Perfect weather conditions and a fast race course made for an exciting day of racing.

The Golden Knights were well represented with 21 riders showing up for race day – the largest number of Golden Knights ever for any single race. Since December 1^st, the team has trained hard to prepare for the start of this race season where they will compete against other high school students from across Southern California.

In a deep Freshman Division 1 class of 40 riders, the Golden Knights were represented by four new riders who did not have any prior race experience and have worked extremely hard to prepare themselves for their first season of racing. Andrew Schiller rode a very consistent race and was the first Golden Knight home in 8^th place. Andrew Palaski and George Orloff finished together in 18^th and 19^th position, and Michael Vega finished strong in 24^th.   

Five riders from St. Francis represented the Golden Knights in the Sophomore Division 1 class. Nathaniel Blakeley worked hard in the off-season to improve his overall fitness and was rewarded with a hard earned 10^th place. Skyler Payne crashed on the first lap, but battled back to earn 14^th, with Remi Roth close behind in 15^th. In their first-ever mountain bike races, Owen Shain came in 23^rd and Alex Marshall finished in 26^th.

The JV Division 1 race saw the largest field of the day with 54 riders. The Golden Knights were a significant contributor with 10 riders lining up for the afternoon race start. Austin Hamilton almost had the Golden Knights first podium of the day and finished in a well-earned 7^th place. Daniel Balsam narrowly missed a top-10 and finished in 11^th. Michael Togneri and Matt Kubly raced side by side and finished together in 19^th and 20^th. (Matt is one of the team’s senior leaders and is competing in his 4^th season). Will Towne and Hunter Nalley finished in 26th and 27^th, with Keenan Koch close behind in 35^th. Carl Demolder repaired a broken chain on the 2^nd lap and worked hard to finish in 45^th. First year riders Kenny Larsen and Chris Perez finished in 46^th and 48^th.

St. Francis junior Sean Bird and senior Scott Marshall represented the Golden Knights in the 4-lap Varsity race. The race started with a blistering pace that saw Bird hang on to the lead group for the first lap. As the race progressed, Bird settled in and finished in a very respectable 8^th place. Scott Marshall had the endurance required for the longer distance of the Varsity class and worked hard for 25^th.

“Since our very first race 5 years ago, every Golden Knight has finished every race, including this one. Our riders worked through broken bikes and tired bodies to persevere. This is an incredible accomplishment in this difficult sport and something that I am extremely proud of”, said Head Coach Lee Bird.

The Golden Knights head to race # 2 in Riverside in two weeks, looking to improve on their solid results with hopes of some podium finishes. 

The Golden Knights mountain bike team is 100% volunteer managed and coached and is very grateful for all of the support they have received from the parents, alumni, and their generous sponsors, including: Design Imports, Hollandays, Merchants Building Maintenance, Mountain Pine Shutters, Strategic Law Partners, Nu-Hope, Kevin Martin/UBS, Stratz & Company, Financial Guaranty Insurance Brokers, Lucas Horsfall Murphy & Pindroh, Lantern CycleWorks, Montrose Bike Shop, and Crescenta Valley Insurance.  

GO KNIGHTS!

Camp Fire on Saturday Night

Team Dinner

Team Warmup

Nathaniel Blakely

Andrew Palaski

Chris Perez

Remi Roth

Sean Bird

Skyler Payne battled back from a hard crash

Matt Kubly with proud dad (and coach) Rod Kubly

Mt. Wilson!

On Saturday morning, 16 riders and their coaches headed up the Mt. Wilson toll-road with one goal, make it to the top! For the first time in our team's 5 year history, all 16 riders did just that - they reached the top of Mt. Wilson!

I'm so proud of this team. For the rest of their life's, these young men can point to the top of that mountain and say "I rode my bike up there". Very cool!

Vail Lake Campout

One of our favorite traditions is our Vail Lake pre-ride and campout. This fun weekend gives us a chance to see the race course at Vail Lake (sight of our first race) and to have fun camping out and enjoying great meals and friends.

This year Coach Marshall started the weekend off with a great lesson on how to BREATH. Yes, there is a right way an a wrong way to breath. We rode the Vail Lake course for a couple of hours, and then got down to some serious eating - CHILI!

On Sunday morning we awoke to below-freezing temperatures. (28 degrees). Everything was frosted and our 7:30am ride start time didn't seem like such a good idea. After warming up by the fire, most of the guys went out for some more laps. Later that morning we had a great breakfast and then we packed up and headed home.

Thanks parents and coaches for supporting the team and helping make this another fantastic weekend!

 Andrew Schiller

 Brother Chris

 Daniel Balsam

 Sean Bird

 Andrew Palaski

 Warmin' up by the fire

 Kenny races mountain bikes. He's not a receiver on the football team. 

 Dinner, please

 Will Towne - quarterback, who knew!

 More warmin' up by the fire

 Coach Marshall training

 Someone drew on Coach Marshall's shirt

 Ron has somewhere to go

Can't ride until ice is off seats

Yes, we ride in the mountains!

One of my favorite things about mountain biking is....riding in the mountains! This week we made two trips to Upper Brown, including a trip yesterday in some iffy weather. The mist and clouds made for a real adventure. Yes, it's better up in the mountains!

The St. Francis HS Mountain Bike Team Prepares for the 2013 Season

Since December 1^st, the St. Francis Mountain Bike Team has been preparing for the upcoming 2013 SoCal League High School Mountain Bike series, the 5^th season in the league for the Golden Knight cyclists. As a member of the SoCal league, the Golden Knights will compete against 55 other high schools on challenging cross-country mountain bike courses throughout Southern California.

Under the guidance of Head Coach Lee Bird and Assistant Coach Patrick Donovan, the Golden Knights are hopeful that they will be able to continue building upon a stellar 2012 season that resulted in 18 podium finishes and 2 podium results at the State Championships. More impressive though is that the team has not had a single DNF in its previous 4 seasons, a testament to the hard work put in by the students. “Each year we have worked hard to improve the infrastructure of this program so that we can provide an environment for the students to learn how to safely and competitively race mountain bikes”, says Coach Bird.

The team includes returning seniors Carl Demolder, Matt Kubly, Scott Marshall, and Michael Togneri.  Scott and Matt finished 12^th and 15^th respectively in the JV D1 class in 2012 and look to improve on those already solid results. “Our seniors will compete in the JV or Varsity class this season based on how their training continues to go. They have worked hard and I am hopeful that they will continue to improve”. Carl Demolder and Michael Togneri both had interrupted seasons in 2012 and are looking to represent the Golden Knights throughout the 2013 season.

Representing the junior class and racing in JV for the Golden Knights will be Daniel Balsam, Keenan Koch, Kenny Larsen, Hunter Nalley, Chris Perez, and Will Towne. Daniel Balsam finished 3^rd overall in the sophomore class last year and should be a real threat in the JV class this season. Keenan, Hunter, and Will all return for their 3^rd season of racing and have greatly improved their fitness in hopes of improved results. New this year to the team are juniors Kenny Larsen and Chris Perez.

The Varsity class will be contested by junior Sean Bird. Sean finished 3^rd overall in the JV class last year and 4^th at the California State Championships. Since leaving basketball, Sean has focused his athletic efforts on cycling and has represented the Golden Knights impressively through his two seasons on the team.

Racing in the sophomore class will be Nathaniel Blakely, Austin Hamilton, Alex Marshall, Skyler Payne, Remi Roth, and Owen Shain.  “Our sophomore team is very deep. Nathaniel, Austin, Skyler, and Remi all finished in the top 20 overall last year as freshman with Austin and Skyler finishing 5^th and 8^th respectively at the State Championships” says Coach Bird. New to the team this season are Alex Marshall and Owen Shain. Alex and Owen have shown great improvement in their technical skills through training and should make an impact in the upcoming season.  

The Golden Knight freshman class has always been well represented and the 2013 season should be no different. New to the team this year are freshman George Orloff, Andrew Palaski, Andrew Schiller, and Michael Vega. “I really enjoy working with the freshman class each year. The students are excited to be able to race mountain bikes for St. Francis”, says Coach Bird. Andrew Schiller and Michael Vega both have prior mountain bike experience and have looked very strong in practices. George Orloff and Andrew Palaski are working hard on the skills necessary to compete on the mountain bike and will be strong contenders for the Golden Knights.

“I am very grateful to the administrators and staff of St. Francis for supporting our team. The school sees the value of our program and has really supported us since the beginning”, says Coach Bird. “I am also grateful to our sponsors and the parents and parent coaches for all of the time that they have put in to help make this program strong. Because our races are all over 2 hours away, there are lots of logistics and coordination that requires many volunteers. I’m grateful for their help”.

Follow the Golden Knights all season on their website at http://stfrancisracing.blogspot.com/.

GO KNIGHTS!