WAWARSING – In their first event of the season on Sunday, May 3, Catskill Claws Mountain Bike Team (CCMTB) took to Lippman Park in Wawarsing. Head Coach Keith Stephenson spoke about the excitement the kids felt to finally have a chance to compete this year after an early race cancellation saying, “All our kids were excited to finally compete this year after the first event had to be cancelled. It was also the first-time 5th grade girls and boys were permitted to participate. All in all, it was a great weekend to get more girls and boys on bikes in the great outdoors. We’re all looking forward to the next league race event in Oneonta on May 17.”

The course had roughly 250 feet of elevation gain per lap- a hilly, challenging course. 

Jacob Maloney and Ryan Bakke were strong leaders for the middle school team. 

Maloney had a fastest individual lap time of 18:18 and a total time of 39:50 after two laps on the 2.8-mile course earning him a 7th place finish in the 7th grade boys’ category. Bakke finished his fastest individual lap time in 20:42 and had a total finishing time of 40:12 after two laps which earned him a 12th place finish in the 6th grade boy’s category.

Both athletes secured a solid finish, marking an impressive debut in their first mountain bike competition.

The high school teams raced the same course and was led by Aidan Dusenbury-Dalto and Tom Jolly. Dusenbury-Dalto finished his fastest individual lap in 15:49. His total finishing time after 3 laps of 51:49 was enough to earn him a 12th place finish in the JV Boys category and 454 points for the team. Jolly had a fastest individual lap time of 31:40 and completed the course with a time of 1:36:22 after 3 laps to earn an 18th place finish in the JV Boys category and 420 points for the team. CCMTB is in 12th place with 1,244 points after just one race, leading Finger Lakes Composite (1,079 points).