Welcome to the first race weekend of the season, and guess what? The West Michigan Coyotes have already shown that we’re ready to lead the pack! 🏆 We came out strong in both the Elementary and Middle School categories, setting the tone for what’s sure to be an epic season. If you weren’t there, don’t worry, I’ve got all the highlights, laughs, and standout moments right here. So, settle in, because this recap is going to be almost as fun as the rides themselves!
Saturday Highlights: The Elementary Charge
Saturday kicked off with the elementary races, and let me tell you, it was like the Coyote pups had taken over!
The afternoon brought out the Advanced Elementary racers, where James Broughton decided he was allergic to anything but the top step of the podium, clinching 1st in his very first advanced race. Easton Johnson and Raylan Hansma rounded out the crew with 3rd and 6th places, respectively. Way to bring it home, team!
On the female side, Hadley Ruch was out there schooling everyone on how to own those flowing turns. She nabbed 3rd place with a performance that had us all cheering. Pretty cool, right?
The 2nd/3rd grade Novice field was an absolute beast at 62 riders deep; seriously, I think we might have broken a record here. Future pros in the making? Absolutely.
In the Novice Elementary categories, our Coyotes were out there in full force, proving that age is just a number when it comes to shredding trails. For the 5th grade females, Alida snagged a solid 9th place, with Dallas close behind in 14th. These girls were on fire, showing the competition that Coyotes don’t back down, they just keep pushing harder.
In the 4th grade male category, Ryder rode his way to a 7th place finish, while Oliver and Aksel took 13th and 25th, respectively. These boys were flying out there and I’m pretty sure I saw them grinning the whole way, because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love a little friendly competition?
Now, let’s talk about the 4th grade females. Anneke, Lola, Amelia, and Emery decided that sharing is caring, so they blocked out the competition and claimed 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th places all for themselves. It was like watching a perfectly synchronized dance on two wheels, absolutely brilliant teamwork, ladies!
The 2nd/3rd grade male race was one for the books, with Sawyer charging ahead to claim 5th place in that monster field. Alden, Diego, Jeremiah, Finn, Oliver, Caleb, and Emmett rounded out our Coyote crew, each showing off their skills and determination. These young riders were relentless, and the future looks bright with talent like this. Watch out for the future Nino Schurter in this group.
On the 2nd/3rd grade female side, Aspen and Gracelyn were neck and neck, finishing 5th and 6th. Alta, Lucy, Winnie, Rainey, and Zollie were right behind, dominating the field and showing everyone how it’s done. Watching these girls race was like awesome!
And Now for the Cutest Race of All…
Want to see some of the cutest riders ever? Stick around on Saturday afternoon during race weekends for the PreK-1st grade races! These little shredders are proof that you’re never too young to start tearing up the trails. In the male category, Titus snagged 3rd, with Wyatt right on his heels in 4th. Zion, Layton, and Matthew rounded out the crew, each giving it their all and leaving the crowd in awe. Seriously, if you weren’t grinning ear to ear watching these little ones, you might need to check your pulse!
Sunday Funday: Heat, Haze, and High-Flying Action
Sunday morning rolled in with a haze thicker than a foggy morning on the lakeshore. The forecast promised a classic Michigan scorcher, and Mother Nature did not disappoint—she brought the heat, and so did our Coyotes.
The Varsity males were up first, with Ray, Drake, and LJ turning the Sawtooth course into their personal playground. These guys made it look effortless as they floated over roots and powered through technical sections, leaving us all cheering like crazy in the woods. We don’t have any Varsity females this season, but we’re putting out a call…let’s get more girls on bikes and show the boys how it’s done!
Over in the JV female category, Ocean and Sadie made their debut and crushed it like seasoned pros. Those technical skills we’ve been working on in practice? They were on full display, and the competition didn’t stand a chance. Well done, ladies you made us all proud!
The JV males hit the start line with huge smiles and finished with some impressive stories to tell. Gavin Peters powered his way to 2nd place, while Cormac and Bridger faced off in a huge field, finishing 20th and 22nd, respectively. For the 9th-10th graders, Camden, Easton, and Henry battled it out with the best of them, with Camden taking 9th, Easton 10th, and Henry crossing the line in 35th. Nice work, gents you left it all on the course!
Middle School Madness: Coyotes Take Over
Our Middle School Advanced females were unstoppable, with Reese, Landree, Laila, Kaitlyn, and Sammy taking charge and dominating the course. These five girls were like a well-oiled machine, charging into the singletrack drop and leaving the competition in the dust. It was a full-on Coyote takeover, and we couldn’t have been prouder.
For the Advanced Middle School males, Cruz showed everyone why he belongs in the advanced category, ripping through the course with finesse. And Tristan, whoa what a comeback! After spending most of the summer sidelined with a broken arm, he returned to the race like he never left, finishing in 5th place after a fierce battle. Luke, Will, and Owen Rookus (who rode his mom’s bike after an epic pre-ride bike frame fail IYKYK check Band for the pic!) rounded out the team, giving it their all and putting on a great show. Owen, enjoy the UP, and maybe take it a little easier on the bike this week, okay?
High School Novice and Beyond: Speed, Skills, and Smiles
The High School Novice race kicked off with a fast start that left everyone scrambling to keep up. Hudson snagged 3rd place, while Sam rolled in at 12th, proving once again that knowing the Merrell lines pays off big time.
In the 8th grade male race, Tyler battled to an 18th place finish, and a big shout out to Kearen, who completed his first-ever MiSCA race with a solid 29th place. Meanwhile, in the 7th grade race, Sawyer was just 30 seconds behind the leader, taking 2nd place, with Jakob, Calvin, Declan, and Ian putting in strong efforts. Great job everyone, you represented the Coyotes with pride!
And now, the 6th-8th grade female race. Harper left everything on the course and finished in 5th place, with Ellie, Nora, and Lucy putting in some solid performances too. Watching these girls tackle the trails was like watching a masterclass in determination and teamwork. You all rocked it!
Did you see all of the race faces? I didn’t get a chance to chat with everyone (especially Sunday afternoon) but I think we got most of our team. I asked each rider to “give me your best race face”. Check them out!
I need another cup of coffee after that!
What a weekend, Coyotes! From the littlest shredders to the seasoned pros, everyone gave it their all, and we couldn’t be prouder. The camaraderie, the laughs, the epic ride stories at the team tent, it’s weekends like this that remind us why we love being part of this team.
Keep those wheels rubber side down, keep having fun, and most importantly, keep being awesome.
Yip, yip.
Full Results:
- Varsity Male:
- LJ Nycamp 4th
- Drake Marine 11th
- Ray Muehlenz 14th
- JV Male 11th-12th
- Gavin Peters 2nd
- Cormac Staggs 20th
- Bridger Hoogeveen 22nd
- JV Male 9th-10th
- Camden DeJong 9th
- Easton Roberts 10th
- Henry Wert 35th
- JV Female
- Ocean Trierweiler 7th
- Sadie James 8th
- Advanced Middle School Male
- Tristan Hubbard 5th
- Luke Dewall 7th
- Will Hughes 8th
- Cruz Woodbury 10th
- Owen Rookus 11th
- Advanced Middle School Female
- Reese Drajka 1st
- Sammy Weaver 2nd
- Laila Hubbard 6th
- Landree Darnell 7th
- Kaitlyn Tungl 10th
- Novice 10th-12th Grade Male
- Kaden Spitters 1st
- Hudson Roberts 3rd
- Sam Baziun 12th
- Novice 8th Grade Male
- Tyler Veley 18th
- Kearan Fitzpatrick 29th
- Novice 7th Grade Male
- Sawyer Willink 2nd
- Jakob Boer 4th
- Calvin Host 7th
- Declan Vandewarker 19th
- Ian Taelman 24th
- Novice 6th Grade Male
- Liam Cox 7th
- Max Clemo 8th
- Dylan Grenier 12th
- Ryland Modzeleski 13th
- Finn O’Byrne 18th
- Caleb Rottman 22nd
- Gavin Lake 23rd
- Spencer Bundy 24th
- Novice 6th-8th Grade Female
- Harper Roberts 5th
- Ellie Pankey 16th
- Nora Fitzpatrick 24th
- Lucy Baltruczak 27th
- Advanced Elementary Male
- James Broughton 1st
- Easton Johnson 3rd
- Raylan Hansma 6th
- Advanced Elementary Female
- Hadley Ruch 3rd
- Elementary 5th Grade Female
- Alida Ward 9th
- Dallas Stein 13th
- Elementary 4th Grade Male
- Ryder Pankey 7th
- Oliver Cote 13th
- Aksel Hillen 25th
- Elementary 4th Grade Female
- Anneke Willink 7th
- Lola Clemo 8th
- Amelia Cox 9th
- Emery Stein 10th
- Fiona O’Byrne 14th
- Elementary 2nd-3rd Grade Male
- Sawyer Weaver 5th
- Alden Roff 24th
- Diego Martir 27th
- Jeremiah Fisher 28th
- Finn Cote 33rd
- Oliver Glass 37th
- Caleb Grenier 42nd
- Miles Eicher 44th
- Emmett Katerberg 48th
- Elementary 2nd-3rd Grade Female
- Aspen Trierweiler 5th
- Gracelyn Host 6th
- Alta Woodbury 10th
- Lucy Clemo 13th
- Winnie Richardson 19th
- Rainey Broughton 20th
- Zollie Watts 21st
- Elementary PreK-1st Grade Male
- Titus Broughton 3rd
- Wyatt Johnson 4th
- Zion Woodbury 12th
- Layton Watts 17th
- Matthew Gallagher 18th
Full weekend results are here -> RESULTS
Full series results are here -> RESULTS