Somewhere between “Send Me an Angel” on Saturday night and Tristan’s mom screaming at the finish on Sunday, Heritage Park turned into our own slightly less choreographed version of RAD.
A bunch of our high school riders had homecoming Saturday. They got dressed up, took pictures, went to the dance, and then had to become mountain bikers again by morning. In the movie, Cru Jones brings his bike onto the dance floor…our kids left the bikes at home, which saved the chaperones some paperwork.
The parents still had the harder event. Get everyone home, get some sleep, wake up before the sun, find the race kit, make breakfast, load the bike, and hear “I thought you had my shoes” while standing next to a fully packed car. If you pulled that off, coffee was your co-pilot and we salute you.
Sunday paid off with a Varsity Male sprint that needs no dramatic music added. T-Dawg. T-Man. T-Money. Tristan won it, and his mom caught the whole thing on video. Please watch with the volume up. She is absolutely screaming, as she should be. If you watch it on mute, you’ve missed the best part. If you watch it at full volume in public, congratulations, everyone around you is now a Tristan fan.
Heritage has its own little Helltrack moment…the famous drop on the Advanced, JV and Varsity courses. It’s one of the best places to spectate, mostly because you can stand at the bottom with a coffee and have very confident opinions about a hill you aren’t riding. Some kids rode it, some sent it, some walked it. All good. The goal is to get through your race, not give the crowd a stunt show.
Easton Johnson and Hadley made it past the drop and found the sweet mud hole waiting on the other side. Heritage really said, “Nice work. Here’s some laundry for your parents.” If their race clothes went straight into your washing machine, you may now have a topographical map of the course in the bottom of it.
Tyler Veley sent it and broke a spoke. His dad called us over with, “Come listen to the rear wheel.” It was clicking, and the mystery turned out to be the spoke nipple rattling around in there. That’s a very small part making a very large announcement. We spoke too soon when we thought the bike was done making noise. Sorry Tyler….that joke was sitting there.
Max’s post race discovery was a shifter nearly falling off his handlebar. We were about to make a “Dad, check his bike!” joke, then remembered the Clemo family has six riders. That man isn’t doing bike checks. He’s managing a fleet. We’ll give him a pass and perhaps a bulk discount on hex keys.
Cam DeJong got a flat, too. We think a loose valve stem was the culprit. Give yours a look before Bloomer, because Bloomer is coming and it will not wait while you tell your tire, “But you held air in the driveway.”
Cruz Control picked up another win. Nice riding Cruz. Cru Jones got a whole movie. Cruz gets this paragraph and whatever’s left at the snack table.
Alexander was back racing, and it was awesome to see him in the mix again. Some moments deserve a joke. That one just made us happy.
Owen was back at Heritage too, cast off and riding his bike. He didn’t race, but we heard he and some buddies were on mini bikes, sending them down a hill behind the disc golf course. No race plate, no official results, still managed to find a hill. That sounds like Owen.
The JV girls started later this week and ended up mixing with JV boys on course. We noticed. Is there an investigation? Probably not in this recap. Our video review department is currently occupied replaying Tristan’s finish with the sound on.
The coaches race brought the RAD theme and new rules where you had to be slow to be fast. Finally, a race where “I could have gone slower” is a legitimate post race complaint. Try explaining that one to your kid while also reminding them you’re qualified to give riding advice.
Twenty five Coyotes coaches joined in, giving the kids a chance to watch the adults be ridiculous on bikes for a change. That’s the whole point. We spend plenty of weekends asking these kids to try things, put themselves out there and have fun. It’s only fair they get to watch us do it too, preferably with enough footage to bring up at practice.
We also tied HVU for the Coach Participation Award for the highest percentage of coaches racing. Apparently getting adults to show up with their bikes is an award worthy achievement. Having tried to coordinate adults…we agree. That’s pretty RAD.
Coach race results are at the end, after the rider results. Yes kids, you can look up your coach. Please allow them to finish explaining the slow motion rules before beginning your performance review.
One last thing before we talk about the race results…a few parents found out this weekend that we have a Coyotes swag store. We do! Here’s the link. Get yourself something to wear while you stand beside the course with a coffee, offer completely unsolicited advice about a drop, and ask your kid one final time whether their tires have air.
Tristan Hubbard won Varsity Male by 0.236 seconds. First through fifth finished within two seconds, so if your video contains five blurs and your own voice yelling “WHO GOT IT?” you captured the experience accurately. Easton Roberts finished seventh, and Will Hughes came through in 15th. Cam DeJong recorded a DNF. Four very different race days, and all four get a spot back under the tent. Preferably a spot where someone hasn’t parked a bike across three chairs.
Varsity Female had Reese Drajka 2nd, Sammy Weaver 4th, and Ocean Trierweiler 11th. Nearly 20 miles on the advanced course for all three. That’s a wheelie big morning. These girls rode for roughly an hour and a half while some parents were still trying to open a folding chair without pinching a finger.
Kellen Rottier finished 3rd and Henry Wert 5th in Junior Varsity 11–12th Grade Male, separated by 0.331 seconds. A finish that close is why the timing crew has equipment and the rest of us have opinions. “I think he got third” is helpful Dad, but unfortunately your progressive lenses are not certified race technology.
In Junior Varsity 9–10th Grade Male, Sawyer Willink took 3rd, Tyler Veley 5th, and Jakob Boer 7th. Tyler Whipple came through in 23rd, and Calvin Host finished 34th. Five Coyotes, two laps each. Two Tylers also means yelling “GO TYLER!” gets you twice the coverage. We love a good deal. It helps offset the fact that every time someone says “bike parts,” a parent’s wallet flinches.
Kaitlyn Tungl finished 13th in Junior Varsity Female. Another two laps completed, followed by the traditional parental interview. “How was it?” “OK.” “How did you feel?” “Fine.” “Did you have fun?” “Yeah.” Outstanding. We have enough footage for a documentary if we include 11 minutes of Dad saying, “Are you sure you don’t want a sandwich?”
Advanced Middle School Male had Cruz Woodbury 1st, Max Clemo 3rd, Ryland Modzeleski 4th, Michael Eicher 9th, and Easton Johnson 11th. Five Coyotes in the first 11 places. That gives the adults plenty of chances to shout the correct name at the wrong kid. Helmet, sunglasses, yellow and blue jersey. Could be yours. Could be someone else’s. Just keep cheering. We’ll handle the identification back at the tent.
In Advanced Middle School Female, Lola Clemo finished third and Hadley Ruch fifth. Lola made her second lap faster than her first. That’s how you finish strong. The adults generally make their second trip to the car slower because they’re carrying a cooler, two chairs, and resentment toward whoever parked so far away. We parked there. It was us.
Alida Ward finished 16th, Anneke Willink 18th, and Jeannie Reckner 21st in Intermediate 6–8th Grade Female. Two laps each. We’re proud of all three, and of the parents who managed to stand up from a camping chair without announcing it to the entire tent. “OPE. THERE WE GO.” That’s the other Heritage soundtrack. Send Me an Angel for the kids. Send me an armrest for the adults.
In Novice 6–8th Grade Female, Emily Eckert took the win and Fiona O’Byrne finished 9th. Nearly four miles completed by both. That’s your braking news, although we assume they’d prefer less braking and more riding. Parents, your helpful reminder to “PEDAL!” has been received. Next week we’ll stand beside the parking lot yelling “DRIVE!” while you try to leave. Same energy.
Intermediate 7–8th Grade Male delivered a Coyotes 1/2 with Michael Count 1st and Dylan Grenier 2nd, just over three seconds apart. Wyatt Kirsch finished 12th, Ethan Kirsch 13th, and Brayden Bender 14th, with less than two seconds covering those three. Three Coyotes arriving practically together. We can get these kids through a finish line within two seconds, but getting three families out of the parking lot together requires a group chat and a hostage negotiator.
Jack Witte finished 32nd, and Spencer Bundy came through in 36th. Seven Coyotes completed that category’s two lap race. That’s 14 laps altogether, which is a lot of actual riding while the adults are still negotiating whether they’re cold, hot, hungry, or all three. Race-day parenting is mostly changing layers while holding food.
Camden Host took 2nd in Intermediate 6th Grade Male and made his second lap more than 30 seconds faster than his first. Great finish Camden. We’d like to borrow that acceleration for getting everyone out of the house. The bikes are loaded, breakfast is packed, and suddenly somebody needs to locate a sweatshirt they haven’t worn since February. RAD never showed this part. Huge omission.
In Novice 7–8th Grade Male, William Scholz finished 4th. Christopher Scholz also finished 4thin Novice 6th Grade Male. Different races, matching places. We appreciate them keeping the family report simple. Grandma gets one number to remember, and Dad gets to say, “May the fourth be with you.” Wrong movie Dad….still counts.
Advanced Elementary Male had Ryder Pankey 3rd, Sawyer Weaver 4th, and Raylan Hansma 7th. Ryder and Sawyer finished just over a second apart after three laps, with both riding their fastest lap last. Three laps and still something left in the tank. The adults also had something left in the tank, but it was mostly coffee. Completely different fuel strategy.
In Elementary 5th Grade Male, Ivan Rookus finished 4th and Coleman Erb 7th. Nolan Widmayer came through in 15th, Gavin Ebeling in 17th, Diego Martir in 21st, and Miles Eicher in 25th. Two laps each, with Gavin making his second lap faster than his first. Six kids racing nearly 7.5 miles, yet asking a kid to bring the recycling bin up the driveway can still require a formal negotiation. We’re beginning to think the driveway needs a start line and cowbells.
Rainey Broughton finished 10th in Elementary 5th Grade Female. Nearly 7.5 miles done. If she’s tired afterward, that makes sense. Her bike is two tired all the time. Somebody get her a snack before a parent says, “Dinner is in a couple hours.” Race weekends are elaborate picnics with bikes, and we should respect both halves of the business.
Elementary 4th Grade Male had William Bernatche fourth, Jeremiah Fisher fifth, and Caleb Grenier 22nd. William and Jeremiah finished less than two seconds apart, and both made their second lap faster than their first. Strong riding from all three. If you got a good video, excellent. If you got your own feet and 40 seconds of breathing…save that too. Someday we’ll need footage for RAD 2: Dad Thought It Was Recording.
In Elementary 4th Grade Female, Aspen Trierweiler finished 2nd, Lucy Clemo 4th, Adalyn Sytsma 7th, and Winnie Richardson 12th. Aspen’s laps were within three seconds of each other, Adalyn’s within four, and Winnie’s within seven. Fourth graders pacing that consistently, and four adults still can’t agree on where to get lunch. “Anywhere is fine” has delayed more race day departures than a mechanical.
Titus Broughton won Elementary 3rd Grade Male, with Wyatt Johnson 3rd, just over two seconds behind. Lincoln Nemer-Kaiser finished 21st. Nearly four miles completed by all three. If your child finishes racing and immediately wants to ride around with friends, you may wonder where that energy comes from. We don’t know either. Apparently the snacks are renewable and the parents aren’t.
In Elementary 2nd Grade Male, Lucas Sytsma finished 3rd and Ashton Naum 4th. Almost four miles of racing for second graders. At that age, some of us were putting plywood on a brick and announcing we were going to be in RAD. These kids have an actual course and coaches. The production quality has improved. The dads’ belief that they could still do a sweet jump has unfortunately remained unchanged.
Elementary 2nd–3rd Grade Female had Lynlee Widmayer 5th, Emalyn Fisher 16th, and Adalynn Widmayer 24th. All three completed their lap. Parents packed for that lap like we might need to spend the winter at Heritage…wagon, cooler, blankets, spare shoes, emergency snacks, backup emergency snacks. Then the kid asks for the one snack you didn’t bring. There’s your plot twist.
Alexander Clemo completed his ride in Non-Competitive PreK–1st Grade Male. Nearly four miles on little legs is a big adventure. We love seeing him out there with the team. That race number takes up a substantial amount of real estate on a little bike. Fortunately, enthusiasm doesn’t require much storage space.
Alaia Naum completed her ride in Non-Competitive PreK–1st Grade Female, too. Nearly four miles for her as well. Small bike, small legs, big day. These youngest Coyotes are where the whole story starts, and they deserve the cheers just as much as everyone who comes after them. Dad can carry the bike to the car. Consider it his cooldown.
Going into Bloomer, our High School team leads the series by 558 points, Middle School is second, just eight points behind Huron Valley United, and Elementary is second, 46 points behind Rochester. Apparently the middle school standings weren’t stressful enough, so we’re taking a single digit gap into the finale. Parents, bring the cowbells and whatever coffee arrangement got you through Heritage. The kids’ assignment stays the same…ride their race, support their teammates and have fun. The adults can handle refreshing the results like we’re tracking a package marked “out for delivery.”
All 64 Coyotes in the Heritage results. At Bloomer, cheer for your kid, their friends, and the kid whose name you haven’t learned yet. If you accidentally yell the wrong name, follow it with “GO COYOTES!” and look confident. If you accidentally cheer for a different team, congratulations. You’ve made friends. We’re pretty flexible about that part.
Full results below the gallery!
Full Results:
| Name | Category | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Tristan Hubbard | Varsity Male | 1st |
| Easton Roberts | Varsity Male | 7th |
| William Hughes | Varsity Male | 15th |
| Camden DeJong | Varsity Male | DNF |
| Reese Drajka | Varsity Female | 2nd |
| Sammy Weaver | Varsity Female | 4th |
| Ocean Trierweiler | Varsity Female | 11th |
| Kellen Rottier | Junior Varsity 11–12th Grade Male | 3rd |
| Henry Wert | Junior Varsity 11–12th Grade Male | 5th |
| Sawyer Willink | Junior Varsity 9–10th Grade Male | 3rd |
| Tyler Veley | Junior Varsity 9–10th Grade Male | 5th |
| Jakob Boer | Junior Varsity 9–10th Grade Male | 7th |
| Tyler Whipple | Junior Varsity 9–10th Grade Male | 23rd |
| Calvin Host | Junior Varsity 9–10th Grade Male | 34th |
| Kaitlyn Tungl | Junior Varsity Female | 13th |
| Cruz Woodbury | Advanced Middle School Male | 1st |
| Max Clemo | Advanced Middle School Male | 3rd |
| Ryland Modzeleski | Advanced Middle School Male | 4th |
| Michael Eicher | Advanced Middle School Male | 9th |
| Easton Johnson | Advanced Middle School Male | 11th |
| Lola Clemo | Advanced Middle School Female | 3rd |
| Hadley Ruch | Advanced Middle School Female | 5th |
| Alida Ward | Intermediate 6–8th Grade Female | 16th |
| Anneke Willink | Intermediate 6–8th Grade Female | 18th |
| Jeannie Reckner | Intermediate 6–8th Grade Female | 21st |
| Emily Eckert | Novice 6–8th Grade Female | 1st |
| Fiona O’Byrne | Novice 6–8th Grade Female | 9th |
| Michael Count | Intermediate 7–8th Grade Male | 1st |
| Dylan Grenier | Intermediate 7–8th Grade Male | 2nd |
| Wyatt Kirsch | Intermediate 7–8th Grade Male | 12th |
| Ethan Kirsch | Intermediate 7–8th Grade Male | 13th |
| Brayden Bender | Intermediate 7–8th Grade Male | 14th |
| Jack Witte | Intermediate 7–8th Grade Male | 32nd |
| Spencer Bundy | Intermediate 7–8th Grade Male | 36th |
| Camden Host | Intermediate 6th Grade Male | 2nd |
| William Scholz | Novice 7–8th Grade Male | 4th |
| Christopher Scholz | Novice 6th Grade Male | 4th |
| Ryder Pankey | Advanced Elementary Male | 3rd |
| Sawyer Weaver | Advanced Elementary Male | 4th |
| Raylan Hansma | Advanced Elementary Male | 7th |
| Ivan Rookus | Elementary 5th Grade Male | 4th |
| Coleman Erb | Elementary 5th Grade Male | 7th |
| Nolan Widmayer | Elementary 5th Grade Male | 15th |
| Gavin Ebeling | Elementary 5th Grade Male | 17th |
| Diego Martir | Elementary 5th Grade Male | 21st |
| Miles Eicher | Elementary 5th Grade Male | 25th |
| Rainey Broughton | Elementary 5th Grade Female | 10th |
| William Bernatche | Elementary 4th Grade Male | 4th |
| Jeremiah Fisher | Elementary 4th Grade Male | 5th |
| Caleb Grenier | Elementary 4th Grade Male | 22nd |
| Aspen Trierweiler | Elementary 4th Grade Female | 2nd |
| Lucy Clemo | Elementary 4th Grade Female | 4th |
| Adalyn Sytsma | Elementary 4th Grade Female | 7th |
| Winnie Richardson | Elementary 4th Grade Female | 12th |
| Titus Broughton | Elementary 3rd Grade Male | 1st |
| Wyatt Johnson | Elementary 3rd Grade Male | 3rd |
| Lincoln Nemer-Kaiser | Elementary 3rd Grade Male | 21st |
| Lucas Sytsma | Elementary 2nd Grade Male | 3rd |
| Ashton Naum | Elementary 2nd Grade Male | 4th |
| Lynlee Widmayer | Elementary 2nd–3rd Grade Female | 5th |
| Emalyn Fisher | Elementary 2nd–3rd Grade Female | 16th |
| Adalynn Widmayer | Elementary 2nd–3rd Grade Female | 24th |
| Alexander Clemo | Non-Competitive PreK–1st Grade Male | Noncompetitive |
| Alaia Naum | Non-Competitive PreK–1st Grade Female | Noncompetitive |
Coaches Race Results:
| Name | Category | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Kaden Spitters | Male Coaches | 3rd |
| Andrew Crowley | Male Coaches | 4th |
| Brett Pankey | Male Coaches | 10th |
| Brandon Bender | Male Coaches | 13th |
| Christopher Boer | Male Coaches | 14th |
| Dan Clemo | Male Coaches | 19th |
| Todd Rookus | Male Coaches | 25th |
| Luis Martir | Male Coaches | 34th |
| Andrew Naum | Male Coaches | 35th |
| Jeffrey Drajka | Male Coaches | 38th |
| Andrew Willink | Male Coaches | 41st |
| Andy Richardson | Male Coaches | 42nd |
| Kevin Johnson | Male Coaches | 44th |
| Jonathan Sytsma | Male Coaches | 47th |
| Dan Modzeleski | Male Coaches | 54th |
| Travis Bernatche | Male Coaches | 67th |
| Mike Hansma | Male Coaches | 68th |
| Justin Fisher | Male Coaches | 70th |
| Jason Reckner | Male Coaches | 79th |
| Michelle Modzeleski | Female Coaches | 2nd |
| Dawn Boer | Female Coaches | 16th |
| Sara Grenier | Female Coaches | 17th |
| Emily Johnson | Female Coaches | 25th |
| Lena Clemo | Female Coaches | 27th |
| Yidzza Pou | Female Coaches | 28th |
