Mountain Bike Team enters 8th season of competition in inaugural Kentucky League

During a recent practice at Mike Miller Park, Head Coach Ralph Jennings addresses some of the team members before running through skills.

Entering their eighth season, the Marshall County mountain bike team will compete this fall in the inaugural Kentucky Interscholastic Cycling League (KICL). Since 2013, the 7-time state champions have competed in the Tennessee Interscholastic Cycling League but with the announcement from the National Interscholastic Cycling League (NICA) in October 2019 that Kentucky had been accepted as a league, work began right away and the fruition of that effort will become reality with the state’s first event – a Prologue on August 22 at the Barren River State Park in Scottsville, Ky.

League Director and KICL Co-founder, Steve Beckett, has been head coach of the Marshall County team since its inception and retired his position with his new responsibilities with the Kentucky League. Ralph Jennings takes over as head coach as the team prepares for their first season in the KICL. Jennings has been involved with the team as a coach and parent almost as long as it’s been around, with son Parker who competed and daughter Presleigh who is entering her sixth season with the team.

“This team was built on hard work and dedication while keeping it fun and enjoyable for all skill levels”, Jennings said. “The team culture we’ve created has been very successful and I am working diligently to continue the success.”

Practices began July 10 and Jennings said the kids and coaches are working very hard to be prepared for the first race and hope to bring the first KICL overall team state championship as well as several individual titles back to Marshall County.

“We are very excited for the 2021 season, especially racing in the newly formed Kentucky Interscholastic Cycling League”, Jennings said. “The state championship race will be held on our home BBMT course at Kentucky Dam Village State Park.”

The 2020 season in Tennessee was canceled due to the pandemic which would have been their eighth and final season racing in that league. From the 2019 season, along with the team title, five team members finished with individual overall series state titles – Presleigh Jennings (Varsity), Olivia Myhand (JV), Chase Binkley (Sophomore), Allie Burkeen (Freshman) and Claire Austin (8th grade). Many more riders finished the 2019 season on the podium for overall series as well as the final state championship race.

The team heads into the new season with 39 riders ranging from sixth through 12th grade.

With the experience of the Marshall County team in NICA along with the Paducah-McCracken County Composite Team that formed in 2016 – the new Kentucky Interscholastic Cycling League has a great base of knowledge to kick off their first season. With the addition of Kentucky, there are now 29 states with leagues.

Beckett, League Director and Co-founder is joined by Denile Hill of Lexington who is the KICL Co-founder and League Development Chair. Board members from across the state are David Haines (Elizabethtown), Jennifer Hester (Louisville), Michael Yarbrough (Benton), Ralph Jennings (Grand Rivers), Troy Hearn (Frankfort), Vanesa Boyette (Lexington) and Vince Carman (Elizabethtown). Carson Beckett who was a founding member of the Marshall County team, is a League Supporter.

“We are looking forward to kicking off our first season in Kentucky”, Beckett said. “A lot of hard work has been taking place behind the scenes before and since the announcement of the league in 2019 to make this happen. We are very fortunate to bring the community spirit that only mountain biking can provide to our region and state. Confidence, fitness, skills and most importantly FUN is our motto and they are all interconnected in this sport.”

2021 Kentucky League Race Series
Race #1 – Aug. 22, Prologue at Twisted Oliver in Scottsville (Bowling Green)
Race #2 – Sept. 12, Capitol View Park in Frankfort
Race #3 – Sept. 26, Buffalo Lake in Elizabethtown
Race #4 – Oct. 10, Veterans Park in Lexington
Race #5 – Oct. 24, State Championship at Ky. Dam Village State Park, Gilbertsville

Marshall County Mountain Bike Team