On a rainy Thursday afternoon, several Pea Ridge students trekked into a classroom room on the south side of Pea Ridge High School, some with muddy splatters on their backs.
"What did you learn?" Anya Bruhin asked the youngsters, some of whom were sheepish in their response. "Do not assume," she said, advising them that even with rain, there would still be practice.
Bruhin's dedication to training the students is paying off. This weekend, in their first race, a Pea Ridge Middle School student took first place in her division.
Avery Escajeda earned first place in Eighth Grade Girl's Division Sunday at the Razorback Rumble on Lake Fayetteville.
This was Arkansas' first mountain bike race at the school level, assistant coach Bobby Rickard said.
On Thursday, each of the students exercised, stretching, strengthening their muscles and preparing for the upcoming race. They are members of a new club at school -- The Pea Ridge Cycling Team. It is a part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association and it is the inagural year for Arkansas. Other states that participate, according to Bruhin include California, Utah, Alabama and Minnesota.
"These kids are amazing," Bruhin said. "They spent their whole weekend on this race. Between pre-ride on Saturday and the race Sunday they rode between 12-18 miles of singletrack with sweat pouring down their smiling faces. After their finish gasping for breath, jumping off bikes they tell us what they could do to improve next time."
The students exclaimed:
"I sprinted too early."
"I could have overtaken her but I dropped something."
"I chose the wrong gear."
"Coach Rickard and I could not possibly be more proud. Every one of them rode hard and finished strong," Bruhin said.
The team is not a part of the Arkansas Activities Association but operates under the Pea Ridge Blackhawk name thanks to permission from superintendent Rick Neal and athletic director Kevin Ramey, Bruhin said.
"We are able to operate thanks to a grant from NICA and our sponsors Community First Bank, Phat Tire Bike Shop, Mojo Cycling and Pepsi Co. and the countless hours of time our team parents put in. We have the best team parents," she said.
Volunteer coaches Bruhin and Bobby Rickard along with volunteers Josh Johnson, Keln Taylor and Blake Williams work with the kids purely for the love of the sport and the chance to get out and ride, she said.
Team members include captain Bryce Wall, sophmore; Eli Wiggins, seventh grade; Avery Escajeda, eighth grade; freshmen Jeffery Wall and Carter Williams; sophomores Robert Barnett and Christion Campbell; and juniors Cameronn Power and Josiah Means.
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Editor's note: This is the first in a three-part series on the new mountain biking club at Pea Ridge High School.
Sports on 09/14/2016