Six current, two former MCHS mountain bike team members compete at US Nationals

Carson Beckett took second in the U23 Elite race at USA Cycling Mountain Bike Nationals, joined in the podium sweep by Bear Pro Team teammates Sandy Floren in first and Jerry Dufour in third.

USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships were held July 18-21 at Snowshoe Mountain, West Virginia. Six current Marshall County High School mountain bike team members and two alumni were on the mountain in competition last week, coming away with three podiums and massive efforts by all riders.

In his first nationals, in-coming sophomore Jaxon Story took first in the Junior 15-18 Cat 2/3 race on Wednesday, July 18th. Story won the Tennessee Interscholastic Cycling League JV State Championship this past fall. An unfortunate mechanical forced him to abandon the Junior 15-16 Cat 1 race on Saturday. Clay Austin took 23rd in Wednesday’s 15-16 Cat 2/3 race and also suffered a mechanical in Saturday’s 15-16 championship race.

Presleigh Jennings, the Tennessee League Sophomore State Champion, earned a fifth spot on the podium in Wednesday’s Junior 13-14 race while Claire Austin was just off the podium in sixth. In the women’s Junior 13-14 championship races on Friday, Jennings placed 14th and Austin 20th. Jennings competed in the Junior 11-16 Short Track race on Sunday and placed 35th. Also in the 13-14 non-championship division Wednesday, Jace Story placed 18th in the boy’s race and in Friday’s 13-14 championship race crossed in 51st.

MCHS alumni Jaron Wood placed 25th in Saturday’s Junior 17-18 Cat 1 race in a large field of nearly 100 riders, while in-coming senior, Grant Wilson who earned third overall in the Tennessee League Varsity division last fall, had to leave the race with a mechanical. In Sunday’s Short Track races, Wood placed 16th and Wilson 19th, among a field of 50 plus riders.

Carson Beckett, three-time Tennessee League Varsity State Champion and 2016 MCHS graduate, took second in the U23 Elite race Saturday. Beckett placed 15th in the field of 62 Pro/U23 riders in Sunday’s Short Track race. Wrapping up a busy season of national and international racing, Beckett is headed to Vermont for this weekend’s US Cup race in Williston then on to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.

The five-time state champion MCHS Mountain Bike Team will kick off the 2018 season September 23rd at Chickasaw Trace in Columbia, Tennessee.

Jaxon Story won the Junior 15-16 Cat 2/3 race at Snowshoe Nationals.
Presleigh Jennings finished fourth in the girl’s Junior 13-14 race at Snowshoe.
Claire Austin during the girl’s Junior 13-14 race Wednesday at mountain bike nationals.
Jace Story rode to an 18th place finish in the boy’s 13-14 race on Wednesday.
Clay Austin in the boy’s 15-16 race Wednesday at Snowshoe Mountain.
Jaron Wood navigates the popular “rock garden” section in Saturday’s Junior 17-18 cross country race.
Grant Wilson (715) rode to a 19th place finish in Sunday’s Junior 17-18 short track.
Carson Beckett topping the hill with the lead group in Saturday’s U23 cross country national championship race.
Jaxon Story starts another lap in the Junior 15-18 Cat 2/3 race.
Presleigh Jennings on the course in the Junior 13-14 race.