Representing Hutchinson, Kansas, the Hutch Composite (Disciples of Dirt) Mountain Bike Team not only brought home two podiums, but in general had a very winning first race weekend of the season. Held at a group favorite location, Palen Family Farms, Glen Elder, Kansas.
With a couple of our teammates able to arrive early on Friday to secure our camping and pit area, the scene was set for success as logistically, everything was consolidated. There was just an access road between the camp and the pit. Palen Family Farm is a beautiful and well-maintained venue. Known for the big red barn with the giant American Flag, this farm has been home to bicycle racing for over 100 years.
New Teammates
Let’s start with the newbies. This weekend served as the first race for a few of our newest kiddos and each has a story to tell. Mali, is our newest female rider. Being new, she started at the very end of the grid. Well, on the start we were able to grab an awesome photo of her going from “Last to Not Last”.
Later, after things settled into more of a rythm, she was able to knock out 2 laps. Of note in this type of racing is the number of laps. In order to get the laps, you need to finish the ones before within a certain cutoff time. For a first outing and to beat the cutoff time – earning that second lap – is saying something about her grit.
Speaking of Grit… “Girls Ride Together“. It was reported that the league had over 70 young ladies participate in the GRiT ride this weekend. That is more than the league had for overall riders just a few short years ago.
Here is a second shot of Mali, in the woods.
Riley had an adventure and staked his claim to be a “TEAM-PLAYER” this weekend. As you can see by the photo below, he got a great start. Hands on the levers, head down, and eyes set forward… he was off to a wonderful start. Then…
Then his bike suffered a mechanical. The bike was no longer able to shift and he was afoot. When asked by the marhalls if he wanted to exit the course or walk around (nearly 3 miles), he responded by asking if his team got any points if he were to walk it. When they said yes, he responded with “I guess I am walking it then”.
It was a great decision as the race organizers were able to get word back to the team, where the coaches were able to orchestrate some assistance and get Riley back in the saddle to finish.
Ryker had a lot less “exciting” event as he got out on the track and simply put his head down. Ryker has been putting in the work, joining the extra conditioning practices led by an older teammate as well as upgrading his equipment prior to the start of the season.
In the foreground of the photo, we can see another one of our new riders, Parker… leading from Ryker at the start.
Parker, you ask… Yep, Parker is one of the newest members of the Hutch Composite Team and deserves a special shout-out. Not only did he slay it in the race, but he could be heard shouting out to his teammates while putting in the work.
As a new member of the team, Parker is a shining example of what being on a team represents. Even at the award ceremony, he was seen hanging with the coach’s younger son, Miller. This sport is about being inclusive, and this is a great display of this in real life.
So How About the Others?
Ben Woodcock jumped out in his class with authority and nabbed fourth place. Our first solid podium of the 2026 season.
Our other teammates had great rides as well. We had Brock, Kellen, and Levi out there doing their thing and having a blast at the same time. Brock must have grown 10 inches since last season! Seeing him lay down the power and pass down the front straight, through traffic, was awesome.
Here are some other team shots in the younger classes.
Our GRiT High Schooler
Newly crowned official cheerleader at Hutch High School, is still representing the team. Libby had a great showing in the GRiT ride Saturday with newcomer Mali, and our newest coach Jacayla.
She didn’t disappoint on Sunday either, overcoming a persnickety shifting issue and laying down a hot lap. We were able to get a couple of shots of her in action. Here is one off the start. She is hard to miss on the track in her bright pink livery.
The Highschool Boys
Let’s get right to it. Collin Patton smashed his class and came up with a second-place podium finish. (featured image) It was like magic from the onset. As I watched the start from feedzone, I could literally see him picking up positions moving forward through the pack.
This is an example of hard work paying off. Collin has been working out on the bike consistently and attending every practice. He has also been attending the unofficial conditioning practice held by an older teammate. Serving as a phenomenal example to the team, his dedication and hard work are able to be recognized.
Past that, he is a really great kid too.
Back in the saddle again this year, supporting our non-varsity (JV) classes were Will, Ashtun, and Kye. Ashtun had a mechanical distraction with his shifting in the race and pitted at Feed Zone. In the excitement, Will cruised by and missed a Hand Up (where we supply water and nutrition). Kudos to him as he wasn’t expected so quickly behind Ashtun.
Kye seemed to have a solid run, and his unmistakable stance on the bike in the race tells you he is in the game.
Our Varsity rider, Haydon von Ahnen, is newly upgraded to Varsity. He ran in JV last season. He had his challenge in front of him. Gridded in the last row, he got an awesome start and was working up a bit.
As the high school boys race went on, the cooler winds died down the temperature crept up. Haydon did not originally plan on having dump bottles at the Feed Zone. These are open bottles of water the riders will pour on themselves to cool down. Thankfully we were able to improvise and help him stay cool.
His lap times were very consistent at 17-18 minutes per lap for 5 laps. This yielded him a sprint to the finish to earn 8th place over a rider from “Shred”.
Final Thoughts
Racing takes work, time, and finances. This is a shout-out to the families, organizers, and coaches that can make most of this happen… but also a shout to the sponsors that help us tie up the loose ends and get us over that finish line.
This sport for sure works the body, but also the mind. It is the experiences of competition in a young life that may very well spark an entrepreneurial or leadership journey later in life. It is an honor to be part of that cycle in this way, doing something we love.
Check out our site at https://hutchcomposite.com to learn more about our team, sponsors, and support.
