Mountain Bike Team earns sixth State Championship title

Marshall County’s Mountain Bike Team won their sixth consecutive Tennessee Interscholastic Cycling League State Championship at the final race of the season on the campus of St. Andrews-Sewanee School in Sewanee, Tenn.

Season six of the Tennessee Interscholastic Cycling League wrapped up on Sunday at St. Andrews-Sewanee School in Sewanee, Tenn. The Tennessee League is a part of the National Interscholastic Cycling League (NICA) which was founded in 2009 and develops mountain bike programs for student-athletes across the nation. Currently there are 28 states with leagues and growing. Middle School through High School, 327 riders competed in the Tennessee State Championship race Sunday.

Sophomore Jaxon Story earned the boy’s Varsity State Champion title for the 2018 season.

The Marshall County Mountain Bike Team team has been a part of the Tennessee League since its inaugural season and has won the State Championship each year, including taking their sixth straight title on Sunday.

Marshall County placed 11 individuals on the podium in the state championship race and 14 took podium spots in the overall series state champion competition. Individual State Champions for Marshall County: Jaxon Story – 2018 Varsity State Champion, Presleigh Jenning – 2018 JV State Champion, Natalie Norwood – 2018 Freshman State Champion, Chase Binkley – 2018 8th Grade State Champion, Claire Austin – 2018 8th Grade State Champion.

Coaches Steve Beckett and Jourdan Griffith are proud of the effort the team has put in since practices began in the July heat and culminated in the teams sixth state title, in November’s near-freezing temperatures.

“I’m really proud of our team and their hard work all season long”, Beckett said. “It takes a lot of people to make this happen from our certified volunteer coaches…the majority of whom are parents…and families of the kids who get them to practices, travel to races, keep bikes in good condition and all the many things that go into making our season a success.”

Freshman Alyssa McClain took second in Sunday’s race and finished second on the overall State Champion podium.

Beckett said the support at each race has been tremendous and not only just for the team, but for the league as well, which relies on volunteers to run a smooth and successful event saying, “Many of our parents step up in a big way as volunteers at each race.”

Following Marshall County in team standing with 19 competing, Smoky Mountain Bears from Knoxville, Tenn. placed second and Harpeth Youth Cycling from Kingston Springs, Tenn. took third. Rounding out the top five, Williamson County Composite of Nashville, Tenn. was fourth and Christ Presbyterian Academy of Nashville, Tenn. was fifth. Paducah-McCracken Composite team placed seventh.

Marshall County individual race and state champion podium results.

State Championship Race State Champion Podiums
Overall Points Leaders
Varsity Girls Varsity Girls
2nd Alyssa McClain 2nd Alyssa McClain
Varsity Boys Varsity Boys
1st Grant Wilson 1st Jaxon Story (State Champion)
6th Kaleb Cosby 3rd Grant Wilson
7th Jaxon Story JV Girls
DNF Clay Austin 1st Presleigh Jennings (State Champion)
JV Girls JV Boys
1st Presleigh Jennings 3rd Kaden Jameson
9th Grace Boatright Freshman Girls
JV Boys 1st Natalie Norwood (State Champion)
7th Kaden Jameson 2nd Olivia Myhand
10th Dusty Bass 8th Boys
23rd Kyle McClain 1st Chase Binkley (State Champion)
28th Joseph Roberts 3rd Jace Story
Freshman Girls 8th Girls
1st Natalie Norwood 1st Claire Austin (State Champion)
2nd Olivia Myhand 7th Boys
Freshman Boys 3rd Memphis Ford
9th Caleb Pahl 5th Ty Elrod
10th Trae Harbison 7th Girls
25th Marshall Gregory 3rd Aniston Barnes
39th Gabe Driskill 6th Girls
8th Boys 2nd Evie Powell
1st Chase Binkley
5th Jace Story
8th Rex Wadkins
24th Gunner Boatright
8th Girls
1st Allie Burkeen
4th Claire Austin
7th Boys
2nd Memphis Ford
5th Ty Elrod
6th Korbyn Scheidler
7th Girls
4th Aniston Barnes
6th Girls
2nd Evie Powell
Three seniors competed for the final time with the team at Sunday’s State Championships – Grant Wilson (left), Grace Boatright (center) and Kyle McClain (right).
Eighth grader Presleigh Jennings, won all four of the girl’s JV races this season earning the overall series State Champion.
Natalie Norwood (center) is the girl’s Freshman State Champion with teammate Olivia Myhand (right) finishing second.
Chase Binkley took the top step on the podium to win the 8th grade State Champion title. Jace Story finished third in the overall state series standings.
Claire Austin led in overall series points to win the girl’s 8th Grade State Champion title.
Marshall County coaches Steve Beckett and Jourdan Griffith atop the podium in team results joined by coaches from Smoky Mountain Bears (2nd), Harpeth Youth Cycling Composite (3rd), Williamson County Composite (4th) and Christ Presbyterian Academy (5th).