The Iceman Cometh 2021 – Recap – West Michigan Coyotes

The Iceman Cometh Challenge is more than just a race. In fact, there are three races at the event, and even that does not begin to describe the importance and excitement around this event, the biggest single-day MTB race in the country by participation. Iceman is also the biggest game in town for any bike racer in Michigan, with talented fields showing up to contest the $60,000+ purse, which includes $1000s in college scholarships for junior racers (yeah!) and cash prizes for every age group.

The three races contested at this festival-like event are the Iceman Cometh Challenge (30 miles, point-to-point from Kalkaska to Traverse City), The Slush Cup (8-mile loop in Traverse City), and the Sno-Cone (a series of super-short races for the littlest shredders). While the long race is the most famous, the Slush Cup always features exciting racing for kids and adults alike as well.

The Pros

Iceman is unique for our team in that we have an opportunity for juniors to race the same course, on the same day, at the same distance as the professional mountain bikers contesting the race. Iceman specifically is unique in that it promises the same payout for men and women, something that is still an anomaly in sports. The result? A pro race field stacked with talented men and women milling around the finish line taking pictures with Coyotes (and other MiSCA) riders who had just finished the same course. It is truly a unique opportunity for our kids to experience the pinnacle of the sport, without leaving Michigan. Pro winners were Cole Paton (2018 USA Cycling Collegiate National Champion) for the men and Rose Grant (4x USAC MTB Marathon National Champion, and 3x USAC World Championship Team member) for the women.

Other professional finishers our riders might have recognized were former World Tour rider and 2019 Iceman champ Alexsey Vermeulen (4th place) who took the time at USAC Nationals to tutor our kids on racing in Colorado. In addition, our own West Michigan Coyote alum Kyan Olshove finished 6th place in the pro men’s race, only 23 seconds off the win! Incredible. For the women, Sofia Gomez-Villafañe (Argentinian olympian), Katarina Nash (former national champion and Czech olympian) and Savilia Blunk (2021 USAC National Champion in Elite Short-Track and U23 XCO) were close behind the leaders as well-known pro racers with multiple world cup podiums between them.

Anabel, Addison, Sofia, Katerina, Rose, Madine

The day after the race, Norte, and Orange Seal pros Cole Paton and Savilia Blunk took our varsity riders out for a group ride on the same trails they’d all raced the day before. There were also donuts. Our riders were thrilled to meet up and ride the trails at a more leisurely pace, in the great weather. Thank you Cole, Savilia, and Norte for setting up this great event.

The Course

The Iceman course feels hilly, but in reality, it’s rather flat for the majority of the ride. With 1,300′ of climbing over 30 miles, it’s closer to Addison Oaks than Cannonsburg by the numbers. The trouble for riders is that nearly all 1,300′ are in the last 8 miles, while the first 7 miles feature sandpits that even veterans of Yankee Springs would consider excessive. A party always awaits riders at Broomhead Rd. (mile 15) where the National Guard stokes campfires while directing traffic and some locals (I have no idea who) always bring a mega-sound system to serenade riders while grilling brats and enjoying canned beverages. There is a single paved-road crossing at Williamsburg Rd. about 21 miles into the course where spectators gather to cheer on riders as they crest a hill before the road crossing. Riders enter the VASA trail system soon after Williamsburg and encounter clusters of fans before climbing Icebreaker to the finish. Slush Cuppers loop the hilly parts of the VASA just like the Iceman racers, and finish with the same exciting climb up Icebreaker.

The Coyotes – Iceman Cometh

MiSCA sent dozens of kids to the start line on Saturday for the 30 mile Iceman Cometh Challenge. More than any other race we compete in, conditions and weather define this event. When it rains or snows, the relatively flat course (1,300′ over 30 miles) is often nearly impassable with peanut-butter mud, greasy climbs, sand traps that become ponds, and drive-train-devouring grit getting in every part of a rider’s bike. When the weather is nice, the course firms up and turns into a full-gas sprint from Kalkaska all the way to the finish line. 2021 turned out to be the sprint variety, with nearly every race featuring a pace-line of high-speed pursuit that eventually whittled down to a few contenders.

Coyotes Finishers – Iceman Cometh

FOURTEEN Coyotes lined up and finished the Iceman Cometh Challenge in 2021 with an additional 15 Coyotes completing the Slush Cup. That is by far the most Coyotes we’ve ever had make the trek to this epic event, and we were super excited to see Coyotes kits all over the finish venue all day long. GREAT JOB EVERYONE! We hope you had as much fun as your coaches (who I’ve also listed below!).

Podiums:

Luke Zuelke – 1st, Boys 17-18 – 1:42:08
Madine Whitmer – 1st, Girls 17-18 – 2:05:53
Anabel Miller – 2nd, Girls 15-16 – 2:02:38
Addison Forrester – 3rd, Girls 17-18 – 2:16:19

Other Finishers:

Bryce Natter – 6th, Boys 17-18 – 1:43:27
Gerrit Boer – 6th, Boys 15-16 – 1:50:18
Eric Hoffman – 11th, Boys 17-18 – 1:56:50
Jacob Boon – 13th, Boys 17-18 – 1:57:20
Easton Foster – 17th, Boys 15-16 – 2:02:35
Haydon Frehr – 19th, Boys 15-16 – 2:05:40
Evan Mosher – 21st, Boys 15-16 – 2:08:39
Sam DiLaura – 24th, Boys 15-16 – 2:13:55
Luke DeWall – 26th, Boys 9-14 – 2:37:41
Henry Wert – 27th, Boys 9-14 – 2:38:06

Coyotes Finishers – Slush Cup

Podiums

Reese “The Killer” Drajka – 1st, Women OVERALL, 1st Girls U10 – :41:39
Will Hughes – 1st, Boys U10 – :38:32
Tristan Hubbard – 2nd, Boys U10 – :39:02
Matia Battjes – 3rd, Girls U10 – :44:37
Easton Roberts – 3rd, Boys 11-12 – :37:41
Grant DeWall – 4th, Boys U10 – :40:25
Sammy Weaver – 4th, Girls U10 – :45:44

Other Finishers

Hazel Cherney – 6th, Girls U10 – :47:43
Carson Andrews – 7th, Boys 11-12 – :43:07
Landree Darnell – 7th, Girls U10 – :47:48
Laila Hubbard – 8th, Girls U10 – :49:10
Owen Eves – 10th, Boys U10 – :47:26
Harper Roberts – 12th, Girls U10 – 1:01:01
Chema Galvez – 13th, Boys U10 – :48:05
Baker Battjes – 20th, Boys 13-14 – :47:03

Coyotes Coaches!

More than any other race, we had Coyotes Coaches in the field! Here’s my best attempt at a full list of the Coyotes Coaches that finished the Iceman (Slush Cup writeup below as well!). If I missed you, let me know. I want to add you for posterity!

Pro Men: Rob Martin – 42nd, Pro Men
Pro Women: Maddy Frank – 31st, Pro Women
Age Groupers (Iceman)
- Aaron Zuelke – 1st, Men 45yo- 1:43:51
- Chris Boer – 9th, Men 49yo – 1:55:41
- Brian Miller – 16th, Men 47yo – 1:56:55
- Jeff Drajka – 5th, Men Clydesdale 40-49yo – 1:58:36
- John Frehr – 22nd, Men 49yo – 2:06:44
- Ross Todd – 28th, Men 45yo – 2:14:55
- Mark Hughes – 40th, Men 42yo – 2:16:05
- Hugo Galvez – 43rd, Men 42yo – 2:20:15
- Alan Hoffman – 52nd, Men 52yo – 2:27:31
- Nate Aerts – 48th, Men 49yo – 2:27:32
- Paul Weaver – 60th, Men 39yo – 2:36:45
- Lisa McLean – 25th, Women 50-54yo – 2:55:38
- Megan Martin – 40th, Women 40-44 – 3:29:07*
- Jason DeWall – 78th, Men 41 – 3:29:19*
Age Groupers (Slush Cup)
- Maegan Wert – 9th, Women 45-54, :51:36
- Nicole Eves – 15th, Women 19-44, :52:32
- Lynn Cherney – 18th, Women 19-44, :54:03

*Special thank yous to Megan Martin and Jason DeWall who accompanied Luke DeWall and Henry Wert on their Iceman adventure.