California High School MTB Championships

How big was this event? Even from an airplane you can't see all of the parked cars and campers! Charlotte's Meadow is at the top of the photo and was where the finish line was. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

It was hard to tell how twisted some of the single track was until you see it from an airplane. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Numerous important events have taken place over the years at Charlotte’s Meadow in the Santa Ynez Valley near Los Olivos, and the 2011 California State High School Mountain Bike Championships can now be added to the list. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

The founder of the high school mountain bike racing movement and current Executive Director of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), Matt Fritzinger, took on the role of videographer at Los Olivos. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Early in the Varsity Girls race, Kate Courtney (009, Branson HS) leads eventual winner Shayna Powless (027, Independent), Sophia Hamilton (016, Sir Francis Drake HS), Alexis Ryan (026, Independent) and Maren Cosens (023, Trojans Composite). Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Shayna Powless (027, Independent) was able to open a gap on the final lap of the Varsity Girls race, but ended up winning by just two seconds. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Redwood High’s Josie Nordrum (402) was the runaway winner in JV Girls. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Flower power: Molly Radosevich (702, El Cerrito HS) led the Sophomore Girls race from start to finish on a blooming, scenic, six-mile Santa Ynez Valley circuit. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Amanda Winne (774, Woodcreek HS) closed out a perfect season in Freshman Girls, winning every NorCal event as well as the State Championship. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

There’s an amazing amount of encouragement in high school racing, both verbally and literally. Signs like these dotted the course. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

The Sophomore Boys Division 1 NorCal and SoCal League season champions went at it, with Dillon Charlton (520, Tamalpais HS) narrowly defeating Wyatt Myers (501, Independent). Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

The top three stayed close in Sophomore Boys D2. Here, eventual winner Nathan Murcia (602, Woodcreek HS) leads Derek Hobden (621, Monte Vista HS) and Ivan Robles (601, Bike Bakersfield). Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Tanner Peery (801, Woodcrest Christian HS) blasts through the last creek crossing, knowing fellow SoCal competitor Kenny Valdez (Hemet HS) was hot on his heels for the Freshman Boys D1 title. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Hunter Olivier (902, Woodcreek HS) attacks the climb on the back side of the course on his way to the Freshman Boys D2 class victory. In his wake are Kyle Skeen (916, Ramona HS) and Daniel Hall (968, Independent) who finished third and fourth, respectively. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

This was the first time the three-year-old SoCal League hosted the State Championships. Leading the way was SoCal Executive Director Matt Gunnell. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Four riders broke away early in the Varsity Boys class. Tobin Ortenblad (139, Independent) and Taylor Smith (134, Marin Catholic) hammered to first and second at the end of four laps, despite the best efforts of Casey Williams (132, Independent). SoCal champ Cody Phillips (101, San Gabriel Valley Composite) had an off day and finished fifth. They will all be back next year, as none are seniors. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

With half a lap to go in Varsity Boys, Casey Williams (132, Independent) put in a furious attack to drop his breakaway partners. Tobin Ortenblad (139, Independent) had more energy in reserve, however. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Heading into the switchback climb early in JV Boys D1, Jonathan Kaufman (223, San Rafael HS) leads eventual winner Lucas Newcomb (202, Sir Francis Drake HS), David Reeves (210, Woodcrest Christian), Miles Lim (246, Drake) and Joel Turner (201, Hemet HS). Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

SoCal’s Shane Skelton (352, Independent) started at the back but finished well in front of the JV Boys D2 class. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

It was a battle for second in JV Boys D2 between SoCal League riders Garrett Gaither (310, Ramona HS) and Joel Titius (301, Corona Composite). Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Yeah, it matters: Graham Jessup (221, Branson) and Yuval Gannot (217, Berkeley HS) lay it all on the line for 25th place in JV Boys D1. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

The Woodcreek High School Cycling Team from Roseville, California captured the overall Division 2 Team Championship at Los Olivos. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League

Marin County's Sir Francis Drake High School was once again the top team in the Division 1 overall State Championship results. Photo courtesy SoCal MTB League