Briefly In Sports

St. Francis Mountain Bike Team on a roll

The St. Francis Mountain Bike Team has had some success this season. In its second year, the team has attracted more than 20 students who have been training and racing since early December.

With weekly rides and skills clinics, many students who had never raced a mountain bike are now experienced enough to compete against other high school students.

Coaches Lee Bird, Patrick Donovan and Nick Gualtieri have educated the team about bicycle mechanics, racing skills, nutrition and effective athletic conditioning in preparation for the races.

As part of the So Cal Interscholastic Cycling League, the team opened its season March 14 at Vail Lake near Temecula with a race consisting of single track and fast fire road climbs.

The second race of the season took place March 28 at Warner Springs Ranch and consisted of a fast single track over rolling hills.

Wicked winds set the stage for race No. 3, the Lake Arrowhead Challenge, which occurred April 11 with a mixture of winding single track, double track and fire roads in the San Bernardino National Forest.

The final competition this season will take place on May 2 in the hills of Los Olivos.

Golden Knights in action can be found on the team’s blog, www.stfrancis racing.blogspot.com.