Varsity Mountain Biking wrapped up this fall with an undefeated season capped by its fourth championship title.
This season, the team was made up of 17 riders, ranging from Preps to Seniors and including boys, girls, and non-binary athletes. Head Coach Mike Fitzgerald said “We had crazy, fun, and wild rides at off-campus trail networks on Saturdays. Riders learned to overcome their fears, challenge themselves physically and mentally, and push past what they thought were their limits to gain new confidence. Most importantly, they supported and encouraged each other.”
No experience is required to join the team, and the school provides bikes for riders who don’t have their own. Coach Fitzgerald said, “Some of our riders joined the team already having deep skills and strength, while some newcomers had hardly ridden a mountain bike before. All of them finished the season with more confidence, ability, and strength, earning the respect and support of their teammates.”
The team races every Wednesday against opponents from the Housatonic Mountain Biking league, which includes Kent, Trinity-Pawling, Berkshire, Salisbury, Wilbraham and Monson, Rumsey, and Indian Mountain School. Races are hosted on a rotating basis by member schools.
In mountain biking, riders compete in one of four race classes, depending on speed and skill. Riders earn points based on their finish order and race class. The top five riders for each school earn points for the team. CAT 4 races are for beginners and usually last around 20 minutes, CAT 1 races are the longest and most difficult and can last for as long as 75 minutes. As riders improve, they can move up in race class during the season.
Throughout the season, riders trained on Mt. Riga, in the school’s skills park, on trails in Beeslick Woods, and off-campus on Saturday mornings. Co-captain J.T. Popp ’26 said, “As a captain, I can share with the new riders the support that I received when I was a Prep. The mountain biking community is built on encouragement and support, which makes practices, races, and off-campus rides memorable.”
The team competed in the Housatonic Mountain Bike League championships on Wednesday, racing against seven schools and nearly 100 riders. The Bearcats took first place to conclude an undefeated season and captured their fourth consecutive league championship title.
At the championship race, the league recognized the top three boys, the top three girls, and the top team for the season. Asher Frankel ’26, Thatcher Meili ’27, Tiger Mutter ’26, and J.T. Popp ’26 finished the season in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place overall for the league, respectively. Greta Roswech ’29, Sasha Carmel ’27, Maya Grogean ’26, and Coco Sheronas ’26 finished the season 1-2-3-4 in the girls category.
On September 28, Meili, Mutter, Grogean, Carmel, and Sheronas and Coaches Fitzgerald and Ted Weihman traveled to Ascutney Mountain to compete in the Vermont 50 (VT50), one of the longest and most challenging mountain bike races in New England. The VT50 course runs 50 miles and includes 8,500 feet of elevation.
All five students and both coaches completed the race, with finish times ranging from 5 hours 45 minutes to just under 10 hours. Maya, Sasha, and Coco all finished in the top three of their race categories.
Coach Fitzgerald said, “While the team will graduate five Seniors this year, strong returners including Michael Ortiz ’27, Thatcher, Sasha, and Greta are poised to carry on the Hotchkiss tradition with speed, skill, and grit.”
