The Davis High Mountain bike team is hot off the heels of second place spot, just behind Park
City, at Eagle Mountain, Utah, begs the question; will Davis High continue to move up spots? Or will
Park City remain as the leading champ in the high school mountain bike league. Many people don’t even
know about the Davis Mountain Bike Team. That’s because the team isn’t school sponsored, it is
considered a club. It has double the members of the football team and works just as hard as they do. With
practices every other week during the school year and during the summer, practices start at 6:00-6:30. It is
unfortunate to see the lack of recognition that the team gets for how many hours they put into the sport
and how hard the coaches, volunteers, and riders work in preparation for the races.
The grades that are able to race and participate in practices are 7th grade, 8th grade, 9th grade, 10th
grade, 11th grade, and 12th grade. The first 3 grades can only race in the first 3 races. The grades above
that are able to race in the first 4 plus the state race, and all the seniors are allowed to go to the state race
no matter what place they get on their races.

The Davis High Mountain bike team has an acronym for DAVIS. D- dedication. Team members
work hard at each practice and learn resilience. A- adventure. Love to explore the beautiful mountains
with all of their friends. V- validation. Cheer each other on, lift each other up and pitch in when other
team members need help. I- inspire. Develop healthy habits for our mental and physical well-being. S-
safety. Maintain good nutrition/hydration and dress appropriately for each ride.
Every year, NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) hosts 5 high school-age
mountain bike races. The teams train and work hard for months during the summer and fall to prepare for
these races. The races this year were Beaver Mountain, Snowbasin, Mantua, Eagle Mountain, and the
state race in Saint George. Utah is broken into 6 separate regions who all have different racecourses until
the state race. Some years the team has to travel as far as Vernal and Richfield, and other years, like this
year, the team drives 20 minutes to get to the race. The best groups from each region all funnel into the
state race in Saint George. This is where the best of the best riders go to prove that their team, is the best
in Utah.

The team that wins is decided on by a points system. The higher you place in your race, the more
points you can earn. These points can add up with the rest of your teams’ points to get the highest position
possible. A rider can lose points by getting penalties. These penalties can range from false start, incorrect
info, or even bad etiquette on the trail and being disrespectful to other teams, riders, and other teams’
coaches.

NICA picks the courses based on a few thing: ride time, mileage, elevation gain, technical
difficulty, and accessibility. These factors contribute to the overall feel of each trail and makes each race a
new and exciting trail to ride, especially if it is a new experience for some riders.
Though other teams are considered “rival teams”, the conversations between teams are more than
just friendly banter. During races, even members of other teams will help push and even stay with and
encourage people they are around. It is uncommon to see someone who has an actual rivalry with another
team. What is common, is seeing riders from completely opposite teams pushing people who may be
slower than them and staying with them for some time to help encourage them to keep giving it their all.
NICA is guided by values of fun, inclusivity, equity, respect, and community. “Every youth is
empowered to be part of a thriving and engaged cycling community. We build strong minds, bodies,
character, and communities through cycling.” This is NICA’s motto listed on their website. This is really
shown when you watch a NICA race and watch the students push each other and help each other through
the hardest parts of the trails.

This most recent race at Eagle Mountain. It was the hardest technical course this season. The
uphill seemed never-ending, and the downhill was challenging and filled to the brim with obstacles to
break your skull on. This made watching the race entertaining and inspiring, watching the students push
their hardest to get up the climbs, then watching them with determination in their eyes as they go down
the steep, rocky descents. The teams train for a whole summer and even into the fall for just these 5 races.
The state race is reserved for riders who get top 20 (give or take a few) in their race categories.
Harvey Robbins, a senior, who is going to the state race this year says “I think its’s going to be close this
year. Right now, we’re separated by like 30 points so I think we could beat them at state.” “Park City has
nothing on us this year, we are already right on their tail and even beat them at Mantua a few weeks ago, I
think if most, if not all Davis riders move up spots at state, we can take Park City easily” says another
Senior, Cameron Littlefield.

Emma Sheppard, a junior who is going to state this year, says, “I think we have a 50/50 chance
over Park City. It mostly depends on our top point earners (our varsity riders) and how they compete
against the same varsity rider for Park City. Since there are so many varsity races from Park City this year
compared to Davis, Davis really has to work hard to even the odds at state.”
The chances for winning state are pretty high because of the past races. And the number of skilled
riders we have for Davis. Park City has lots of varsity riders as well, but Davis is just barely behind Park
City in points and for now, we can only hope that Davis is able to gain spots during the grueling Saint
Geroge state race.