Salinas High School Cowboy Racing Mountain Bike Team

May 2017 update: Cowboys photos and news are included in “Monterey County Teens Bike: California State High School Mountain Bike Championships and elsewhere.”

5/24/15 update: Congrats to the Cowboys on winning third place in state championship! http://www.thecalifornian.com/story/sports/2015/05/23/cowboys-ride-third-place-state-championship/27832993/

5/3/15 update: This year’s team has 31 boys and 11 girls. Read about their win of the Northern California South Zone Conference team title: http://www.montereyherald.com/sports/20150503/county-clipboard-salinas-bikes-to-championship

8/6/14 update: Help KC Fontes beat cancer. https://bikemonterey.org/sept-17-kc-fontes-benefit-twilight-ride.html Background: http://www.montereyherald.com/golf/ci_23420250/salinas-high-school-mountain-biker-competes-prosthetic-leg

Fall 2013 Update: Got bike? Some Salinas High freshmen do not–and want to ride with the cycling team!

2012 Team Photo

See most current posted roster of Salinas High Cowboy Racing team members.

Salinas High School boasts the distinction of having Monterey County’s first organized public high school mountain biking team—Salinas High School  Cowboy Racing Mountain Bike Team.

Questions about the team?  For 2013-14 school year, the Assistant Coach and Team Advisor is Jim Warwick, and Head Coach is Jeff Lindenthal. For current contact info, refer to section 7 of Bicycling Monterey’s directory of Monterey County bicycling resources; click here.

Salinas High, the NorCal League, and NICA

As does Monterey Composite (a Monterey County high school mountain biking team that includes students from a variety of public, private, and home schools countywide), Salinas High operates under guidelines and is sanctioned by The NorCal High School Cycling League, established in 2001, and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, founded in 2009. Visit the NorCal and NICA websites for detailed info.

NorCal works to create a climate for high school racers that includes to “Create an environment in which they may discover new friendships and find role models,” “Develop an awareness of what it is to be an amateur athlete that is both gracious and respectful to their community,” and “Provide students who have the desire to mountain bike with the coaching and camaraderie that will help them achieve both competitive and non-competitive cross-country mountain biking goals in a safe and enjoyable manner.”  Click here to read more on NorCal’s  About page.

Read about the winning perseverance of freshman team member K.C. Fontes in Dennis Taylor’s 6/8/13 story in the Monterey County Herald; click here.

[Photos above and below courtesy of  Salinas High School Cowboy Racing Mountain Bike Team.]

Coaches for the Salinas High School Cowboy Racing Mountain Bike Team are:

• Robert Estrella, Head Coach
• Mike Cerna, Head Coach
• Jeff Lindenthal, Assistant Coach
• Jim Warwick, Assistant Coach

Questions?  Contact the Head Coach. Refer to contact info in section 7 of Bicycling Monterey’s directory of Monterey County bicycling resources; click here.

 

4/7/12 update:

With regard to the 4/1 NorCal League event at Laguna Seca, it was a challenging weekend between the wind and rain.  Nevertheless, the race went well, and the conditions challenged all riders.  The Cowboys took 2nd place overall, and many of the Cowboy riders achieved personal best results.  New photos at the team’s Shutterfly page.  Also see http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20120407/LIFESTYLE/204070308

3/23/12 report:

Special congrats to Andrew Mchaney, Bryan Duke, and Madison Giger.  The Monterey County bike community is super proud of you and the entire Salinas High Cowboy Racing team! http://reviews.mtbr.com/norcal-league-race-2-central-coast-classic-race-report

3/19/12 update:

How’d it go? The event in the East Garrison was amazing: wind, rain, hail, some 600 NorCal riders from schools across Northern California, and great effort and several podiums by the Salinas High Cowboys!  View photos in the team’s Shutterfly album: http://salinashighschoolcowboyracing.shutterfly.com/

The Cowboys will race again in two weeks at Laguna Seca.

3/17/12 update:   See Amy E. West’s story, “CATCHING A RIDE: Salinas mountain bike team gaining interest, success” in today’s Monterey County Herald.

With participating youth ranging from freshman Chantel Duliba to senior Bryan Duke, this team of five years is “95 percent parent-driven,” and depends on other support as well.

Read Amy E. West’s story to learn how NorCal Cycling league, the Sea Otter Classic, Bobcat Bicycles, DC-10 (AKA Doug Chandler Performance),  farms, and others–including the coaches named in this post–all play a part in the team’s success.

Check the sponsors page on the Salinas High School Cowboy Racing Mountain Bike Team site for more names.

A varsity rider, Bryan Duke, is ranked #1 in the Nor Cal High School Cycling League.  It is going to be an exciting season, which kicks off the weekend of February 25-26, 2012 in Folsom with the Granite Bay Challenge.

Last year, six team members qualified for and rode at the US Nationals. They expect to have at least several make it that far this year too.

Visit the team’s website http://www.shscowboyracing.org to learn more about these young athletes.

Bike the talk

No coach on the bench for the Salinas High Cowboys–they get out there riding themselves!

Jim Warwick is also a Salinas High teacher and the team’s school liaison.  To see Coach Warwick biking Salinas to Solvang with his daughters during the summer, click here; and to see him with his daughters and friends after participating in the Critical Christmas 2011 ride, click here.

Love seeing teens high on pedal power? 

To help bring more youth into the bike community, click here.

The energetic young women and men who make up the Salinas High team are among the various hosts of the monthly Twilight Rides at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca.  See tips on this site.

Not a racer? No worries, just come have fun cruising the track on your bike at twilight.  Light and Motion is usually there to loan out their LED bicycle lights.  Bring your own helmet and bike, and $10–a portion of which benefits hosts, like the Cowboys.