Scott Triplett
Contributing Writer
Pocahontas County’s Youth Mountain Bike Team, the Cheat Mountain Salamanders, have started their fourth season in the West Virginia Interscholastic Cycling League (WVICL), a part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. Practices began in early July at various trails around the county.
Ten members return from last year, and we have welcomed four new members to the team, bringing us to 14 members strong. Some team members have their sights set on competition, and they are working hard to build skills and speed to take them to the front of the pack. Others joined the team to become better riders and embrace the fun and joy of just going for bike rides with friends. The fact that racing is not required is one of the great things about the NICA organization and helps them promote their mission to build strong minds, bodies, character and communities through cycling.
Chad Baldwin returns as Head Coach assisted by Charles Evans and returning coaches Mikey Valach, Hunter Skalkeas, Andy Rice and Scott Triplett. Dave Hissom, C.J. Peterson, Shawn Cassell and Zen Clements join the coaching staff this year to provide enough coaches to ensure every athlete gets the attention they need to improve their skills.
The team has been fortunate to add a new trail system to their practice schedule this year. The Salamanders have been given the opportunity to use the new Monday Lick Trail System in Marlinton for their practices. With easier access than some of our other trails it has provided a great location for athletes to hone their skills. With the technical trails providing a place for team members to get comfortable traversing obstacles and the adjoining Greenbrier River Trail providing a place to build leg strength and practice sprints that could help lead them to a better race finish.
These skills were put to the test last weekend at the Salamanders first race, The Rally in the Valley at Canaan Valley Resort State Park. This is a time trial event to set the starting order for future races. Nine riders made the trip to Canaan and after a good day of practice under the hot sun on Saturday, the team felt ready to tackle the trail on Sunday’s race day. The temperature heated up again Sunday and so did the competition. It was a very successful day for the Salamanders at Canaan, with every athlete successfully completing the course. When the bikes had all crossed the finish line the Salamanders had placed three riders on the podium and two riders in the top 10.
In his very first NICA race, Tyler Faulknier finished first in the Sixth Grade Boys Division, beating second place by over four minutes. In Sixth Grade Girls, Mia Valach finished second, in a tight race, just missing the win by half a minute. After several podium finishes the past two seasons, Brynn Clutter found her way to the top of the podium, finishing first in Eighth Grade Girls. The Eighth Grade Boys race saw Silas Dean grab a top 10, finishing ninth. Carter Faulknier also brought home a top 10, finishing ninth in JV 1 Boys. Jaxon Cassell, Nebraska Long, Blake Alderman and Dawson Depuy also competed at Canaan and all the riders completed the challenging Canaan Valley course.
The Cheat Mountain Salamanders will be back on their bikes September 8, at Big Bear Lake in Preston County.
