Herron Park was a beautiful setting for the Herron Hustle!
Herron Hustle, Kalispell Montana – The second race of the inaugural Montana NICA season was held on September 7 at the scenic Herron Park in Kalispell, MT with hints of Fall slipping into the last warm weather of summer. Among the picturesque stables of the equestrian center host site you’d find dozens of Montana riders, parents, campers, tents and even a few horses getting exercise among the NICA racers – MTB racing true Montana style!
The shorter race trail increased the laps and course length for the middle school and some high school categories with Rylie, 6th grade girl’s points-leader from Bozeman, describing the course as, “More ups and downs consistently and the longest course ride so far this season.” Megan, a JV rider from home team Kalispell noted, “With this course you need an extra kick to get you past that second lap and onto the third.” Bozeman middle school rider, Maggie, summed up the additional course length, “I thought the uphill was really tiring, especially for two laps, and it was a good time to use that motivation that everybody has taught us at NICA.”
As the MT NICA season progresses, confidence grew amongst riders and teams as they began to get the feel for the exciting fledgling program. Melinda, a 7th grade rider from Team Helena, attended the first race in Bozeman but chose not to compete. Melinda loves mountain biking but was unsure about the racing aspect. “As I cheered my teammates on during the first race, I saw everyone finish with smiles on their faces and high-fiving,” she said. “So, I decided I wanted to race in today’s race.”
As NICA riders got the feel of the program, so did NICA parents. Kara, parent of a Missoula middle school rider, explained, “When you think of mountain biking you often think of it as an individual sport.” She continues, “But the scene with NICA and what’s happening feels like you are getting that team spirit, sportsmanship and supporting each other feeling – way more team feel than I ever expected.” Another NICA parent remarked, “Today, cheering and cowbell ringing is just as loud for the riders at the back of the pack as it is for the riders at the front of the pack.”
As the MT NICA season progresses, NICA team coaches are also finding their stride. Angie, Helena coach and GRiT (Girls Riding Together) coordinator described the GRiT course pre-ride (event where all MT girl NICA racers are invited to pre-ride the course) as, “Awesome, the girls amaze me every time with those big smiles as the girls and female coaches get to know each other from other teams.” During one recent practice, Angie asked her team what they liked best about NICA and what would you say to a new girl that was interested in joining? Angie noted that her team senior rider, an avid all-around athlete, reported that everybody was cheering on everybody, not just your own team. This multi-team support meant a lot to Angie as it embodied her team philosophy. She concludes, “This is exactly the feeling we are trying to create.”
When asked about preparation for Saturday’s race, NICA riders noted a variety of practice regimens and areas. Racers described practices everywhere from 2-3 times per week on a variety of trails styles. Bode, a first time 6th grade racer from Fort Peck, described the Herron Hustle race course as what he was expecting, and that he and his brother prepared for today’s race by riding the miles and miles of cow-trails near his home-town.
Harry, an 8th grade rider from Missoula, summed up the second race of the MT NICA season, “All in all It was a wonderful course…you just had to get out there and race your own race.” Well said, Harry! Next up is the Lolo Liftoff nestled in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley, MT. Terry Miller
MT NICA Race Day Reporter
For full race results, visit our results page. For more information on the Montana NICA League, go here: http://www.montanamtb.org/
