SALEM— On Sunday, June 14, the Galena Growlers traveled to Salem, New York, in the northeastern corner of the state for their fourth and final race of the season—the Crazy Uncle's New York State Championship Race at Franhofer Farm.

The weather could not have been better for racing. Riders were greeted with sunny skies, warm temperatures, and a refreshing breeze across the open sections of the course. Once racers entered the woods, the tree canopy provided welcome shade from the summer heat.

The championship venue featured two race courses: a 1.7-mile loop for middle school riders and a challenging 2.8-mile course for high school athletes. The trails were dry and fast, featuring technical switchbacks, a sustained climb to the top of the mountain, and plenty of flowing berms that allowed riders to carry speed and race aggressively. The Growlers embraced the challenge and delivered an outstanding day of racing.

Middle School Results

The Growlers fielded three middle school racers at the State Championship.

5th Grade Boys

Elliot Mondics capped off a tremendous season with a 13th-place finish out of 35 riders in the State Championship race. Elliot completed the two-lap event in 30:27 with lap times of 14:48 and 15:38. His strong performance secured 13th place overall in the season standings.

Elliot showed consistent improvement throughout the year and should be proud of an excellent season.

5th Grade Girls

Adeline Vazquez continued her remarkable growth as a rider, finishing 11th in the State Championship race. Addie completed the two-lap event in 53:32 with lap times of 25:24 and 28:07.

After joining the Growlers just two months ago, Addie made tremendous strides in her riding ability and confidence, finishing the season ranked 11th overall.

Middle School Advanced Boys

Elijah Mondics delivered one of the team's top performances of the day, earning a fourth-place podium finish in the highly competitive Middle School Advanced category.

Eli completed three laps in 37:14 with remarkably consistent lap times of 12:14, 12:35, and 12:24. His performance at States capped off a season in which he achieved one of his primary goals—earning a podium finish in the Advanced Middle School division.

Eli finished third overall in the season standings and demonstrated what dedication and hard work can accomplish.

High School Results

The Growlers brought five high school racers to the State Championship and continued to prove they can compete with the largest programs in New York.

Freshman Girls

Margaret Kemnah raced to an impressive second-place podium finish at States, completing three laps in 59:19 with lap times of 18:52, 20:39, and 19:47.

Throughout the season, Margaret engaged in an exciting back-and-forth battle with McKenzie Empie of the Otsego team. One week Margaret would claim the top spot, and the next McKenzie would answer back. The competition pushed both riders to new heights and made for one of the most exciting rivalries in the league.

Margaret finished the season ranked second overall in New York State.

Freshman Boys

John Gracey turned in one of his strongest rides of the season, battling through a field of 27 riders to earn an outstanding eighth-place finish at States.

John completed the three-lap race in 53:11 with lap times of 17:36, 18:11, and 17:24. His effort secured an 11th-place finish in the season standings and demonstrated the steady progress he made throughout the year.

Sophomore Girls

McKenzie Hagenbuch showed incredible determination in overcoming adversity during her race.

After suffering a chain issue on the opening lap that cost her at least two minutes, McKenzie fought her way back through the field to claim a third-place podium finish at the State Championship. She completed the race in 1:04:10 with lap times of 23:18, 20:51, and 19:59.

McKenzie finished the season ranked fourth overall in the state.

Both Margaret and McKenzie represented the Growlers with outstanding performances throughout the year. Growing girls' participation in mountain biking remains a major focus of our team, and we hope to welcome even more female riders to the Growlers next season.

Sophomore Boys

Malakai "Kai" Hagenbuch raced to an eighh-place finish at States, completing the three-lap race in 54:17 with lap times of 17:20, 18:46, and 18:10.

Kai's consistency throughout the year earned him an eighth-place overall finish in the season standings, matching his State Championship result.

Varsity Boys

The Growlers' lone varsity rider, Amon Oliver, continued his strong season with a seventh-place finish at States.

Racing four laps totaling approximately 11.2 miles, Amon completed the course in 1:10:13 with lap times of 16:47, 17:53, 17:48, and 17:43.

As a junior, Amon still has another year of racing ahead of him, and his seventh-place finish both at States and in the season standings provides a strong foundation heading into 2027.

Team Results

Entering the State Championship, the Galena Growlers were ranked sixth overall in New York.

The team scored 1,935 points at States, finishing just 15 points ahead of Rochester Youth Cycling and only 56 points behind the Niskayuna Mountain Goats. Point-scoring riders for the Growlers were Amon Oliver, Margaret Kemnah, McKenzie Hagenbuch, and John Gracey.

When the final season standings were tabulated, the Growlers finished sixth overall in New York State with 7,728 points. The team finished only 270 points behind the fifth-place Grey Ghost Composite Team and 84 points ahead of Rochester Youth Cycling.

The four teams ahead of the Growlers were large programs from Saratoga, Albany, Syracuse, and Niskayuna. Throughout the championship weekend, many teams and coaches stopped by to tell the Growlers they were rooting for the small but mighty squad as they battled programs with significantly larger rosters.

For a team that brought just five high school racers to the State Championship, finishing sixth in the state is an accomplishment everyone associated with the program can be proud of.

Looking Ahead to 2027

The 2027 season will bring significant changes to New York NICA racing.

The New York league will transition from its traditional spring season schedule (December through June) to a fall racing calendar running from July through October. Riders will compete in a three-race spring series followed by a three-race fall championship season.

The Growlers are excited about the change and hopeful that warmer weather, longer daylight hours, and improved riding conditions will help attract even more young athletes to the sport.

The future is bright for the Galena Growlers, and we are already looking forward to the 2027 season.

#MoreKidsOnBikes

Congratulations to the Galena Growlers on an outstanding season and a sixth-place finish in New York State. For a small team competing against some of the largest programs in the league, that's an impressive accomplishment.

-Information from the Galena Growlers