2025 NoCo High School Race #1

The Colorado High School Cycling League season kicked off for Northern Colorado athletes on Sunday, August 24, with the Cloud City Challenge in Leadville—the opening race for the Platte Division. Hosted at Colorado Mountain College’s 10,152-foot campus, the event put riders to the test on a high-altitude course featuring singletrack, doubletrack, and dirt roads, with sections of the CMC cross-country trail system and Lake County trails maintained by the Cloud City Wheelers. Each lap of the 6.2-mile course included 620 feet of climbing, run clockwise from a start/finish line at the college. Varsity riders completed three laps, while most other categories raced two.

The first race of the 2025 season drew 342 racers from across the region, including 45 from Northern Colorado (38 boys, 7 girls). Athletes represented Fort Collins High School, Fossil Ridge, Poudre, and Rocky Mountain, with families, coaches, and supporters cheering them on through Leadville’s thin air.

The weekend kicked off with a community-building dinner on Saturday night, where nearly 80 athletes and family members gathered at a local hostel. “It was a huge success,” said Andy Clark, head coach for SendTown’s Ciclismo Racing program. “Events like this build friendships and camaraderie across the teams before the season even begins.”

Race day was not without drama—lightning and rain forced officials to cut short the freshman races—but Northern Colorado athletes still came away with strong results and momentum for the rest of the season.

Distances and elevation

• Varsity: 3 laps — 18.6 miles with ~1,860 feet of climbing
• JV, Sophomore: 2 laps — 12.4 miles with ~1,240 feet of climbing
• Freshman: races were cut short mid-competition due to lightning and rain

The Cloud City Challenge showcased not just the grit of the riders but also the dedication of coaches, parents, and volunteers who make the Colorado League a vibrant and supportive community.

Next up: Platte Division athletes head to Steamboat Springs on September 6 for the Showdown in the Boat, Race #2 of the season.

Team and Individual Highlights

Here’s a look at how the local high schools stacked up:

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Fort Collins High School

The Lambkins started their season strong, placing 1st in the Division 3 team category. Twelve athletes competed, with several achieving top-10 finishes:

• Abe Cooley placed 3rd in Varsity Boys.
• Olivia Helgerson finished 4th in JV Girls.
• Jackson Murray took 6th in Freshman Boys.
• Isabel Troxell earned 10th in Varsity Girls.

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Rocky Mountain High School

Rocky Mountain’s team had a great showing, finishing 2nd in the Division 2 team category with 18 athletes competing.

• Emmaline Jarnevich won 1st place in JV Girls.
• Hudson Collins earned 3rd in JV Boys.
• Shane McDill placed 7th in JV Boys.
• Korynne Collins finished 8th in Varsity Girls.

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Fossil Ridge High School

Fossil Ridge placed 4th in the Division 3 team category with nine athletes participating.

• Julian Crum came in 4th in Freshman Boys.
• Nils Holmes finished 4th in JV Boys.
• Grant Gilder took 6th in JV Boys.
• Mason Watkins placed 7th in Freshman Boys.

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Poudre High School

Poudre High School’s six athletes earned them a 5th place finish in the Division 3 team category.

• Avery Castelli finished 8th in Freshman Girls.
• Greyson Spruell placed 9th in Sophomore Girls.
• Elijah Winner earned 10th in Sophomore Boys.

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• NoCo results below
• Full weekend results here
• Photo albums here
• Colorado Cycling League info here
• SendTown Bike Club info here

Confused by how all this works? Check out my high school mtb breakdown below.

How the Colorado High School Cycling League Works in Northern Colorado

The Colorado High School Cycling League provides a competitive mountain biking environment for students across the Rocky Mountains, with teams in Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming. For Northern Colorado (NoCo) athletes, the league offers a unique and supportive structure for mountain bike racing.

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Platte Region and Team Divisions

NoCo’s high school mountain biking teams are part of the Platte region, a large conference that includes 18 high schools and composite metro teams from three states. There are 3 other conferences in Colorado.

Within the league, teams are organized into divisions based on size, not the school’s overall student population.

• Division 3 (D3) is for teams with 5 to 15 athletes. In Fort Collins, this includes Fort Collins High School, Poudre, and Fossil Ridge.
• Division 2 (D2) is for teams with 16 to 30 athletes, a category that includes Rocky Mountain High School.
• Division 1 (D1) is for the largest teams with over 30 riders. Currently, no NoCo school is in this division.

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How NoCo Athletes Participate

Local athletes race for their high school. However, if a student is homeschooled, attends a private school, or their high school does not have a mountain bike team, they race for the high school closest to their home address. This policy allows students from other cities to join Fort Collins high school teams if their local area doesn’t have a program.

All NoCo athletes train together and are supported by SendTown Bike Club’s Ciclismo Racing program. On race day, they race for their high school, wearing their high school kit, but all hang out and support each other under the SendTown tents.  SendTown provides comprehensive support, including organizing practices, paying coaches, and managing all race-day operations. The Ciclismo Racing program has a robust network of 61athletes and 13 coaches who work to develop training plans and foster a supportive team environment.

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Races and Categories

The league’s race format includes different categories for both boys and girls: varsity, junior varsity, sophomore, and freshman. This tiered system ensures fair and competitive racing for riders of all experience levels.

Throughout the season, Platte Region races are held at various locations, including Leadville, Steamboat, Frisco, and Canyon City, culminating in the State Championships in Glenwood Springs. The popularity of the league is evident in its numbers, with over 1,378 high school athletes participating in the opening weekend races alone.