Our Northern Colorado High School racers wrapped up their MTB seasons in Glenwood on Saturday. Rocky Mountain High School’s Ben Zukowski capped an undefeated season with a State Championship in the Freshman Boys race.
Originally scheduled for October 24th and 25th, the championships were postponed one week and condensed into a single day of racing on October 31st. The decision came amid concerns about wet conditions, potential damage to the CMC’s trails and soccer fields, and muddy camping access. Spring Valley’s bentonite clay soil can become particularly challenging when wet. The forecast for the original weekend included cold temperatures and rain, adding to concerns about holding the event as scheduled.
The rescheduled race day brought cool fall temperatures, ranging from the low 40s to the mid 50s. Rain moved through during the Sophomore races, adding another variable to the championship course.
An undefeated season for Zukowski
Rocky Mountain High School’s Ben Zukowski won Freshman Boys in 48:39.55, completing an undefeated season. Zukowski won all four of his regular season races before taking the State Championship, finishing the year with five victories in five starts.
Northern Colorado at State Championships
Riders representing Poudre, Fossil Ridge, Fort Collins and Rocky Mountain High Schools accounted for 27 competitors in the championship results. All four schools race through the SendTown Bike Club’s Ciclismo program.
Fort Collins’ Jackson Murray delivered a fourth-place finish in Sophomore Boys, while Poudre’s Avery Castelli finished sixth in Sophomore Girls. Fossil Ridge’s Autumn Moore finished ninth in Freshman Girls, and Rocky Mountain’s Emmaline Jarnevich placed ninth in Varsity Girls.
Other top finishes included Fossil Ridge’s Nils Holmes, who finished 28th in Varsity Boys, and Poudre’s Elijah Winner, who placed 31st in JV Boys.
The 2026 championship results listed 792 competitors, compared with 906 at last year’s State Championships. 114 fewer racers, likely due to the schedule change.
Northern Colorado Individual Results
Varsity Girls
- 9th, Emmaline Jarnevich, Rocky Mountain, 11th grade, 1:09:07.71
Varsity Boys
- 28th, Nils Holmes, Fossil Ridge, 11th grade, 1:02:38.19
- 76th, Shane McDill, Rocky Mountain, 12th grade, 1:08:22.46
JV Girls
- 45th, Greyson Spruell, Rocky Mountain, 11th grade, 1:07:17.61
- 99th, Josephine Kinney, Fossil Ridge, 11th grade, 2:15:07.56
JV Boys
- 31st, Elijah Winner, Poudre, 11th grade, 52:09.95
- 51st, Lark Lerner, Poudre, 11th grade, 54:33.20
- 83rd, Ethan Hawley, Rocky Mountain, 12th grade, 56:16.30
- 100th, Dylan Jaynes, Poudre, 12th grade, 57:23.70
Sophomore Girls
- 6th, Avery Castelli, Poudre, 10th grade, 1:00:20.72
Sophomore Boys
- 4th, Jackson Murray, Fort Collins, 10th grade, 48:55.36
- 10th, Julian Crum, Rocky Mountain, 10th grade, 51:12.75
- 19th, Theodore von Fischer, Fort Collins, 10th grade, 52:49.25
- 69th, Mason Watkins, Fossil Ridge, 10th grade, 59:31.31
- 86th, Elias Wright, Fossil Ridge, 10th grade, 1:01:01.38
- 91st, Rio Blank, Rocky Mountain, 10th grade, 1:01:09.41
- 93rd, Maks Spezzano, Rocky Mountain, 10th grade, 1:01:27.06
- 106th, Miles Clary, Fossil Ridge, 10th grade, 1:03:42.22
- 107th, Peter Domanski, Fossil Ridge, 10th grade, 1:03:46.08
- 110th, Jack Farley, Fort Collins, 10th grade, 1:04:40.38
Freshman Girls
- 9th, Autumn Moore, Fossil Ridge, 9th grade, 59:23.28
- 45th, Keira Fitzsimmons, Fossil Ridge, 9th grade, 1:09:35.10
- 53rd, Reese Karam, Fossil Ridge, 9th grade, 1:13:27.54
Freshman Boys
- 1st, Ben Zukowski, Rocky Mountain, 9th grade, 48:39.55
- 30th, Jerome Rondeau, Fossil Ridge, 9th grade, 56:46.65
- 55th, Jackson Powelka, Fort Collins, 9th grade, 59:57.55
- 105th, Carter Vigil, Rocky Mountain, 9th grade, 1:04:56.08
Trailcraft Cycles
YGR’s coverage of the 2026 High School Mountain Bike season is brought to you by Trailcraft Cycles, born and raised right here in Fort Collins, Colorado. Trailcraft now offers 29-inch full-suspension and hardtail mountain bikes in a full range of adult sizes. Check out the new carbon 120/120 Maxwell full-suspension and the Timber hardtail at trailcraftcycles.com.
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 60+ athletes and roughly a dozen coaches and staff who work to develop training plans and foster a supportive team environment.
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, Canyon City, Eagle, and Nathrop, culminating in the State Championships in Glenwood Springs. The league’s popularity is evident in its numbers, with around 1500 high school athletes participating in the opening-weekend races alone.
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