Sports Writing CSMA BOC '22

“

Going downhill is so exhilarating, and seeing personal growth and growth in others' strength is really fun.

Camille Deranleau, senior

Benjamin Yenter, senior

WHEN IN DOUBT, PEDAL IT OUT Hattie Carpenter, sophomore, rides in the Snowmass mountains. Carpenter was faulted after a bike malfunction. “This was the race I was most excited for, and I lost several places from a bike flaw,” Carpenter said. photo by a. miller IT'S ALL ABOUT BALANCE Before the racing season, Tyler Swearingen, sophomore, keeps up the practice. He would soon take on his first race. “I love to race,” Swearingen said. photo by a. miller

“

I wanted to make my senior year count after the previous COVID season.

I completed my goal of finshing the racing season.

Benjamin Yenter, senior

page by a. miller, l. yenter

ROLLING

DOWN THE TRAILS mountain biking's road to state

W

hen you think of sports, you might think of Football, Baseball, or even Soccer. However, most people won’t think about mountain biking. Even though it wasn't a sport that first came to mind, mountain biking was one of Conifer’s most successful team sports.

The culture of the sport is one thing junior Sawyer Gneiser liked best.

“I really like the culture of mountain biking. You’re super aggresive in the moment but then you’re bascially all best friends after the race,” Gneiser said.

Last season was a bust for the sport, as no in-person races were allowed. Despite this setback, the team came back strong this year, sending a record number of riders to

the state championships in Durango. Seniors Camille Deranleau and Benjamin Yenter led the team to multiple individual victories.

“My favorite part of biking is being able to do my favorite thing with my favorite people. The racing environment is also so cool, because everyone comes together to support the team while their teammates are racing their hearts out,” Deranleau said.

Juniors Sawyer Gneiser and Alex Miller finished all their regular season races in the top ten, and sophomore Danica Wehr won at the Leadville pursuit race.

“Biking makes me feel happy and healthy. I also made lots of friends this year,” Wehr said.

GREAT MINDS RIDE A BIKE Danica Wehr, sophomore, rides her first real race in Leadville.

Wehr raced for the podium finishing first in the sophomore girls category. “I love racing,” Wehr said. photo by a. miller

CYCOPATH Ryan Shaw, freshman, jumps over the flyover at his state race in Durango. Shaw enjoyed the season, riding quite strong for his freshman year. “The season was incredible. I had never raced before and I really had a fun time racing,” Shaw said. photo by l. yenter

BIKEOHOLIC Riding his first season after COVID, McIntyre Ripp, sophomore, fights to finish his race in Snowmass. Like Ripp, most riders lost a year of racing due to COVID, but this never kept him from fighting to the end. “I'm a calm rider but during this race, I was very aggressive,” Ripp said. photo by a. miller

WORDS TO RIDE BY Sawyer Gneiser is a junior rider fighting his way to the top.

Sawyer tried to make a podium finish at the 2021 Snowmass bike race. “ You regret the things you didn’t do in life more than the things that you did,” Gneiser said. photo by l.yenter

BLOOD, SWEAT, AND GEARS Alex Miller, junior rider, pushes for a podium finish at Snowmass 2021. This was Miller’s second year racing as the year before was cancelled because of the pandemic. “I was very excited to race Snowmass after the previous race season,” Miller said. photo by l. yenter

Fall Sports

Mountain Biking

73