The 2017 Tennessee Interscholastic Cycling League season began Sunday at Chickasaw Trace in Columbia, Tenn. as the four-time state champion Marshall County Mountain Bike Team began their quest for a fifth straight state title, a task that will not be easy in a league that has grown to 17 teams this season with 300 middle through high school student athletes racing on Sunday.
The first wave of races began on Sunday at 9:45 with the Varsity and JV girls and wave number two began at 11:45 with Varsity boys. At the end of the day, the Marshall County team took the early lead in the four-race series with a slight lead over Williamson County by 49 points and Harpeth Youth Cycling in third behind Williamson County by 58 points.
Top finishes for the girl’s team came from Audrey Grizzard with a second place finish in the Varsity race, Allyssa McClain captured the top podium spot with a first place finish in JV girls with another first place by Presleigh Jennings in the Sophomore race.
Bobby Jones placed second in the boy’s Varsity race along with another JV first place on the podium by Jaxon Story and second going to Clay Austin in a large field of 43 racers. Dusty Bass rode to a fourth place podium finish in the Sophomore race in the largest field of 48 and Kaden Jameson took third in the Freshman race among 42 riders.
In middle school races, Olivia Myhand rode to a first place finish in the 8th grade girl’s race with second going to Natalie Norwood. Claire Austin took the top spot in the 6th grade race and Kaylin Denfip crossed the finish in second in the 7th grade race.
Chase Binkley took second and Gunner Boatright third in the boy’s 7th grade race while Landon Utley finished third on the podium in the 8th grade race.
The boy’s Varsity race was tight throughout the four laps between three riders, two from Marshall County, then became a two-man race between Marshall’s Bobby Jones and Harpeth’s Harrison Klapheke after Jaron Wood was injured in a crash. Klapheke took the win on a sprint finish with Jones, winning by a bike length.
An unfortunate mechanical is always a possibility as was the case with seventh grader Rex Wadkins, who ran his bike over four of the five-mile course to finish his race.
The second race of the series will take place on Saturday, September 23rd at Lock 4 in Gallatin, Tenn.
CLICK HERE for complete Race #1 results.
Marshall County results from Race #1
| GIRLS | BOYS | |||||
| VARSITY | 2nd | Audrey Grizzard | VARSITY | 2nd | Bobby Jones | |
| JV | 1st | Alyssa McClain | JV | 1st | Jaxon Story | |
| 6th | Grace Boatright | 2nd | Clay Austin | |||
| SOPHOMORE | 1st | Presleigh Jennings | 13th | Caleb Cosby | ||
| 8th GRADE | 1st | Olivia Myhand | 16th | Kyle McClain | ||
| 2nd | Natalie Norwood | SOPHOMORE | 4th | Dusty Bass | ||
| 7th GRADE | 2nd | Kaylin Denfip | 9th | Carson Denfip | ||
| 6th GRADE | 1st | Claire Austin | 17th | Joseph Roberts | ||
| 27th | Eli Day | |||||
| FRESHMAN | 3rd | Kaden Jameson | ||||
| 8th GRADE | 3rd | Landon Utley | ||||
| 6th | Carter Green | |||||
| 10th | James Harbison III | |||||
| 20th | Gabe Driskill | |||||
| 7th GRADE | 2nd | Chase Binkley | ||||
| 3rd | Gunner Boatright | |||||
| 8th | Jace Story | |||||
| 17th | Jaggar Oakley | |||||
| 28th | Rex Wadkins | |||||
| 6th GRADE | 5th | Cooper Allen | ||||
| 15th | Ty Elrod |
