Finale, Podiums, and Full Hearts
Full Results Posted At : https://my.raceresult.com/400109/
The older he gets, the more emotional these weekends feel. As a coach and the father of one of the racers, this weekend carried extra weight. It was the last NICA race his son could enter before aging out. On the bright side, Haydon von Ahnen has already committed to coaching alongside him next year. The season finale could hardly have gone better for the team. They filled podium spots, came together as a group, and nearly every rider hit the goals they had set for the weekend.
Track Setup
First, the track setup moved faster than usual. Every race weekend depends on volunteers who help set up the infield and the course for the racers. For the final race of 2026, Hutchinson Composite, the Disciple of Dirt crew, showed up in force to help. Other teams did too. What normally takes two and a half to three hours took about 40 minutes.
Camp
That left plenty of time to head off-site and get camp set up for the weekend. Team camping is one of the best parts of the series. Once the kids put down their phones and started playing Ghost in the Graveyard and Flashlight Tag, the adults settled in to talk. It felt like a different time, before every spare minute disappeared into a screen.
After camp was ready, the team headed back to the track to set up the pit zone. That area functions as the base for the weekend, where racers, parents, and coaches meet, plan, rest, and refuel before and after events.
Pre-Ride
Hot, humid weather was in the forecast, so the plan was simple, ride the course thoroughly, but keep it to two laps per person and save energy for race day.
The schedule was straightforward. Coaches rode first, then GRiT riders, then at 3 p.m. all racers were encouraged to pre-ride the course with their coaches before Sunday’s race. Hosted in Emporia, the Coyote Race Team did an excellent job preparing the trail. Many on the team said it was their favorite course of the season. One feature stood out in particular, a jump line visible to spectators, with jumps taller than most of the riders had seen before.
Some people might have objected to that added challenge. The Hutchinson riders did the opposite. They took to it quickly and spent their laps working on speed, control, and clean landings.
Each rider got at least two laps in. After 5 p.m., they were allowed back onto the trail to session any section they wanted. Haydon von Ahnen chose the rock drop around a corner and a few of the jumps. By the end of the afternoon, the team had enough riding under its belt to head back to camp for supper.
Team Supper
One family at the event sponsored dinner. Riley’s parents brought shredded pork fresh off the smoker, and the team turned it into tacos and pork platters for everyone there. The spread included shredded cheese, tortillas, sour cream, lettuce, fresh salsa, chips, and fruit drinks for the kids.
The Disciple of Dirt crew also has its own beer, Trail Fuel, brewed by Kevin Reade. After a long day on the trail, it went down well.
Breakfast
Sunday started early because the camping was off-site and the team needed time to pack up. Breakfast was strong. The leftover pork became shredded-pork, egg, and cheese burritos and tacos, along with protein pancakes, sausage, and plain scrambled eggs.
It would have been hard for another team to top a breakfast burrito with smoked pork, eggs, cheese, sour cream, and homemade salsa.
Race Day Is On, Middle School Boys
While some coaches headed back to the course and pit zone with the racers, others stayed behind to finish packing camp. The racers needed to get to the trail early for stretching and warm-up before their event. There were no fifth graders in this race, which meant the day started with middle school riders, a group Hutchinson had in solid numbers.
When the whistle blew, the field rolled out hard. Ben Woodcock was already fighting for a top-five spot in his class through the first turns. Behind him, Kellen, Brock, Riley, Riker, and Levi were all putting in work.
Each rider had a different goal, and the results reflected that. Ben Woodcock picked up another win on the season. Riley seemed determined to uproot a small tree. Brock beat his goal of a top-10 finish with a strong seventh place. Levi finished 12th, and Kellen came in 14th.
Parker earned the weekend’s “not a jump, keep both wheels on the ground” airtime award.
All of that came on a trail none of them had seen before, with obstacles they had not faced in earlier races.
Hutchinson Ladies
The GRiT field was small this weekend. Hutchinson had two riders on the line. Libby, riding her newer Specialized full-suspension bike, has looked like a new rider in the last few races. Mali, the newest teammate, has been moving up fast.
Libby was easy to spot, thanks to her bright pink helmet. The weather had cooled by Sunday, and the lower temperatures brought relief to the riders. She started her event fighting for position near the feed zone, then settled in through the Jeep corners and into the woods. On the second lap, she looked calmer and more confident than she had on the first. By the time she qualified for a third lap, she passed the feed zone with clear control and finished strong.
She missed the top 10 by one spot and finished 11th.
Mali got a strong start in the middle school girls’ race, but she was thrown off near the feed zone. A rider 20 to 25 feet behind her kept shouting, “On your left, on your left.” As Mali entered a turn, she slowed and looked back, but there was no rider there. In the next corner, a tight left-hand hairpin, she heard the same call again. She slowed once more, lost her rhythm, and then gave up three positions on the straightaway past the feed zone.
Racing brings out a lot of emotion. There was no sign of intent behind that exchange, just riders getting caught up in the moment. Mali had done nothing wrong other than slow down for someone who was not actually in position to pass. She started that moment in seventh place and finished ninth overall.
High School Boys
The high school boys’ field was also small. Haydon represented the team in varsity, while Collin and Will raced in JV3. Collin has run a winning streak all season in JV3, and it has been a pleasure to watch him grow, develop strategy, and control his race day.
Will rode a solid race and finished 14th. Collin won again, and this time he did it with authority. He opened up a lead of more than two and a half minutes over second place.
Haydon was on a new bike for this race, a dual-suspension mountain bike, when he usually rides a Trek hardtail. On the trail, it looked as if he were struggling. The times told a different story. He was nearly matching Collin’s pace and finished seventh in varsity, about 2.5 minutes behind sixth place.
Hutchinson Composite as a Team
Ethan took the podium for the team, finishing fourth overall for the season. That is a strong result for a town with no mountain bike trails of its own.
Haydon brought home first place for individual Trail Core hours. Trail Core work is time spent giving back to the trails and facilities that racers use. In the team Trail Core standings, Mali took the podium in third place.
Hutchinson reached the podium five times at the season finale.
How to Get Involved
Donations can be made through hutchcomposite.com.
Families with riders from fifth grade through senior year can get involved, and loaner equipment is available to help a kid get started. Cost does not have to be the reason a rider stays away. Corporate sponsors who want to discuss support can use the contact link on the site.
The season ended the way much of the year went, with riders, parents, and coaches filling the gaps together.
Responses