your MOMENT
What was your favorite memory from Coach Turner?
living life on
I loved when coach would mess around and make us feel like he was one of us. He let us warm up in his trailer before races. -Avery Aubin, 11
Riding with him as a coach, he taught me many lessons about how to pass, and how to ride faster and harder. -Hayden Brown, 11
I liked how he encouraged everyone on the team and always helped us strive to be better riders. -Cole Williams, 11
I appreciated how he treated everyone and helped everyone get better with cycling and racing. -Daniel Farneth, 12
MEET THE COACH
THEEDGE a season full of ups and downs and many turns
A
“And in first place for sophomore girls…” The Conifer Composite Mountain Bike team stopped and stared while they waited anxiously for the results. “Alexis Hall, from Conifer High School is your winner!” The team jumped in excitement as Hall represented Conifer on the podium. Others hit the podium and people took notice of the Conifer Composite team. Brand new to the team and sport, Sawyer Gneiser sped to the top of his division and took an early season win for the team. The team had finally grown into the shoes that they’d been striving toward. In past seasons, they had struggled to keep more than five riders on the team. As the sport became popular, the team grew to 32 riders from all around the Conifer area. For the first time in history for the team, the female riders made a deep footprint on the team as sophomore Alexis Hall held her place at the top of her division and sophomore Camille Deranleau climbed up the rankings. The team had a lot of unique opportunities as they had the chance to ride in Durango for the state race and travel to Aspen for a race down Snowmass Mountain. “This season was a really cool season. Many of us had the opportunity to ride tracks we’ve never ridden. Doing new things and going to new places is one of the most rewarding parts of riding ,” junior Conrad Turner said.
After six years in the head coach position, Coach Bill Turner has been through it all with the team. Starting with just four riders on the team, Turner put his passion for biking into the team and put them on the map. “Year one we only had four riders. This past season, we expanded to 36 riders in addition to many dedicated middle school riders. About three years in, we started seeing a considerable shift in the support from the school, and we finally got the exposure we needed,” Turner said. Turner has had a lifelong love for biking which made watching his kids grow up on the team even more special for him. “Cycling has always been a huge part of our family that we’ve used to spend time together and travel. Getting involved with the team was a natural sequence for them and it added a huge bonus for us,” Turner said. Out of all six seasons of coaching Turner didn’t find satisfaction in himself, but instead found it in the growth and dedication of his riders. “The most rewarding thing about coaching was seeing riders on their first practice where they would ride a mile and a half and be done. Three months later in the season, seeing their growth as an athlete and as a person helped build my confidence, and also helped build theirs,” Turner said.
TOP OF THE PODIUM
Winning with attitude
LeadingTHEPack
STANDING PROUD Standing at the top of the podium, freshman Sawyer Gneiser flexes his arms in the air as he is congratulated for taking his first victory of his mountain biking career. Gneiser was brand new to
both the team and the sport, and did something few riders had done. photo by c. kennedy NEW LEGACIES In her second year of racing, sophomore Alexis Hall won her first race, something Conifer girls had never done. “She works so hard with everything she does and was able to do things we had never seen,” coach Bill Turner said. photo courtesy of a. hall
LEAVING THEM IN THE DUST Riding in the fall race in Aspen, senior Dillon Turner rides his back wheel through the dusty track on Snowmass Mountain. Turner raced for the composite team all four years of his high school experience and gained many skills through the years of racing. photo by c. kennedy PIVOT TURN In the fall trees on Snowmass Mountain, junior Conrad Turner pivots around a turn in hopes of making a pass. Conrad Turner is the youngest of the Turner brothers and has fallen into the footsteps and is prepared to hold their legacy. “It’s been a really good experience to have been involved with my family during the races. I’ve been really motivated the
past three years,” Turner said. photo by c. kennedy ON THE ASCENT On the ascent up Snowmass Mountain, freshman Caidan White bears the sun and the dust on his second lap. White was one of the many new freshman riders on the team. photo by c. kennedy STANDING ON TOP After winning his first race, freshman Sawyer Gneiser dials in to hold his place in his division. This was Gneiser’s first season racing mountain bikes and he left big shoes to fill for incoming middle school riders. photo by s. kennedy SNOWING HARD,
PEDALING HARDER With snow coming down, junior riders Cameron Paul and Jacob Russell pedal hard off the start to get ahead of their rivals. As the season wound down, the team and coaches decided that Paul would step into the team captain position because of his hard work and dedication. photo by c. kennedy
As senior Dillon Turner graduates and steps down from team captain, junior Cameron Paul steps up to help lead the team. “At the end of season banquet, the team and coaches announced that I would be next year’s team captain which was really exciting. It was really cool to be chosen by Coach Turner. He’s been an amazing coach and a great leader for as long as he’s run the club,” Paul said. As team captain, Paul would like to pull the team closer and experience more throughout the season. “I’m looking forward to unifying the team. I’d love to do a few more team activities and I know that the upcoming coach and I have the same goals for next season,” Paul said. photo courtesy of a. hall
mountain biking Clubs / page by c. kennedy copy by c. kennedy
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