From Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — The Hewitt Trussville middle and high school mountain bike teams wrapped up the season with the final of the five-race series at Fort McClellan in Anniston last weekend.
The trails for the race were built on the former Fort McClellan Army installation and feature switchback climbs that take riders up the mountain to the ridges and valleys, and big turns and high-speed trails coming back down to the infield. At the state championship, awards were given to teams and riders for the final race, as well as season awards based on cumulative points for the entire season.
After an undefeated 5-race sweep of wins, the middle school team won the Alabama Middle School State Championship. This is the first time the middle school team awards have been given in the Alabama league.
The two individual state champions in their division are Evelyn Lolley for 7th grade girls and Isabelle Garver for 6th grade girls. In the 6th grade division, Lenwood Jones finished the season 2nd overall and Jude Lolley 5th overall.
For the results of Race #5, eight grader Lelan Neal, who has missed every race due to injury, returned for the final race. Lelan started the race in the very last line up position, 109th place, and finished the race with a first-place win. Evelyn Lolley finished first for 7th grade girls. In 6th grade, Isabelle Garver and Lenwood Jones both finished second. Jude Lolley finished fifth.
Three riders finished in the top 5 for the season. Conrad Jones, the only sophomore racing varsity in the state league, finished fifth overall for the season. Shazie Bryant finished fifth for the season in the JV1 division. Teague Jones finished fourth for the season in the freshman division. For Race #5, our podium winner was Conrad Jones who placed 4th in the varsity division, his best finish for the season.
Many riders, including Will Phillips, Davis Sharp, Nathan Harris and Lleyton Sharp, had sprint finishes to the finish line.
Nearly 300 high school riders and more than 300 middle school riders from all over Alabama, and parts of Mississippi, Georgia and Florida competed in the race series.
“Our team values all of our athletes, from those who are just getting started to the more advanced riders,” Lovin said. “We love to make mountain biking accessible to riders of all ability levels and hope to instill in them a love for a sport they can continue to do for the rest of their lives. We welcome all Trussville students and homeschool students within the TCS school zone to reach out and find out how to join us next season.”
You can contact the mountain bike team via social media at Facebook: Hewitt Trussville MTB Racing Team or Instagram: hewitt_trussville_mtb. They can also be reached though email at hthuskymtb@gmail.com.
Top Ten for Race # 5
Varsity Division: Conrad Jones – 4th Place, Alex Davis – 6th place
Junior Varsity One Division: Shazie Bryant – 6th place, Noah Clark –6th Place, Mary Ann Dukes – 10th place
Freshman Division: Teague Jones – 6th Place, Davis Sharp – 8th place
8th Grade Division: Lelan Neal- 1st Place
7th Grade Division: Evelyn Lolley –1st place
6th Grade Division: Isabelle Garver –2nd place, Lenwood Jones – 2nd place, Jude Lolley – 5th race, Lleyton Sharp – 6th Place, Abe Cox – 10th place
Season Overall TOP 15
Varsity Division: Conrad Jones – 5th Place, Alex Davis -7th place
Junior Varsity One Division: Shazie Bryant – 5th place, Noah Clark – 6th place, Mary Ann Dukes – 9th place
Junior Varsity Two Division: Guy Bethune – 11th place
Freshman Division: Teague Jones – 4th Place, Davis Sharp – 7th place
7th Grade Division: Evelyn Lolley –1st place
6th Grade Division: Isabelle Garver –1st place, Lenwood Jones – 2nd place, Jude Lolley 5th Place, Lleyton Sharp – 7th Place, Abe Cox – 11th place, Lily Neal – 12 place
SEASON MOST IMPROVED
Riders who improved their place ten or more places for the season overall are:
Brian Elmore 26 places
Oliver Dawkins 23 places
Nicholas Davis 21 places
Tyler Steele 19 places
John Toczko 17 places
Noah Touchton 13 places
Cade Williams 13 places
Nathan Harris 12 places
Blake Burns 10 places