While it is fantastic to report on the expansion of wins for the Disciples of Dirt Hutch Composite Race Team, it is paramount to mention the continued growth of the team as a whole. This last weekend saw the team visit Louisburg, KS, for the first time, but come away with two first-place finishes. Ben Woodcock and Collin Patton secured the top podium position in their respective categories, but let’s look at the weekend as a whole.
The first point of order is to thank and give a shout-out to the Trail Cats team for their hard work in building the track that we eventually raced on. Originally, we were to race on this course in 2025. However, the weather did not play well with that plan, and we were not able to race this course until 2026 this last weekend. This particular course seemed to play well to your level of fitness. There were no obstacles on the trail from left to right that would cause a rider to fail, fall, or run off course. However, the trail was interesting enough to keep people engaged in the ride. The course was about 2.9 miles in length and had a good overall pace with lots of flow and fun turns through the woods.
There was even a water crossing halfway through to add to the fun.
Pre Ride
Pre-ride is the event that happens on the Saturday of every race weekend. It is the opportunity we get as coaches to pre-ride the course before taking out our racers to show them the course. It is the opportunity for the racers to A, see the course, B, come up with a strategy, and C. look out for anything that might be an obstacle that they need to practice before the race event on Sunday.
We had a few noticeable absences as pre-ride started this weekend. One was our head coach, Ethan Ward, who was celebrating his wife’s marathon and was absent over the weekend. The other was Mali, our youngest female rider, and Libby Inskeep (Female High School Racer), both of whom were to arrive later in the day.
Aside from the absences, everybody really seemed to like the course and had a high degree of confidence as we began to close out on Saturday afternoon. Near the end of pre-ride, both Mali and Libby arrived, and both got a chance to pre-ride the course before the official pre-ride was closed. Libby is sporting a brand new Specialized and loves her new bike!
Haydon and Collin decided to take extra sighting laps to look for optional lines through corners and obstacles that might be jumped or lifted over as opposed to following the freight train of traffic over the smoothest of spots. As a coach, when you see your riders thinking about strategy the day before the race, there is a certain level of satisfaction.
Team Supper
The camper van served as the cornerstone of our campsite again, and we served a meal to the racers and their families. It’s awesome that everybody kicks in. This race we went with the tried and true cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chips, salsa, and fun for the kids.
As the meal wound down, the adults huddled in their camp chairs with beverages and watched the kids play Ghost in the Graveyard.
Race Day
Full results at this link – https://my.raceresult.com/397087/
Race day started with a team breakfast back at camp. We had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and protein pancakes. Of which, one of our newest team members, Parker, really enjoys protein pancakes. More than I ever would have guessed.
Everyone has a role to play on race day. From getting our racers warmed up and prepped, to pre-grid in time for their respective events, to spotters around the racetrack – using the radios to update the rest of the team, to parents egging on their racers to perform and have fun. A big part of the responsibility is just being an awesome team member to others in the space… Giving people encouragement as they leave, patting them on the back, and congratulating them as they come back to the pit.
While I opened this article celebrating the wins of two of our riders, it is of the utmost importance to remember that there is no pressure on the racers to perform for a certain place or to win within the events. The goals that we focus on for the riders are self-imposed by the riders. Some want to finish two laps. Others want to make sure they finish three laps, and so on.
Obviously, when one of the riders says, “My goal is to win”, we wholeheartedly cheer and support them for the win.
Ben Blew Us Away
In the mid-school event for the boys, we had a strong showing. However, it was Ben Woodcock who managed to blow us all away. Not only did Ben go by in the lead after completing his first lap, but he continued to extend a large lead over second place. It was an incredible ride and hopefully a wonderful experience for him as an individual.
Kellen, Levi, Brock, Parker, and Ryker (finished 25th) were also out there getting things done. Unfortunately, Kellen had an incident on track and ended up a little scraped up. I was unaware of the incident until he arrived back at the pits, and I saw him getting cleaned up. Apparently, he went to pass another rider, and that rider hit the brakes and changed lines pretty abruptly, causing Kellan to fall. While disappointed, he finished the race well and came back to the pits to get cleaned up and discuss things with coaches, but not let it ruin his day. He finished 16th.
Brock is also on a new bike for the event. He went ol’ school and rides a steel-framed Niner with the best of components. I think he loved it. Brock broke the top 10 – earning a ninth place. “Steel is real!”
Parker had a different story this weekend. His Cannondale came out of the race trailer, and they noted a crack in the frame. This put Parker on a loaner for the weekend. He earned 17th in class.
Ladies!
Our ladies had a great weekend too. Libby, on her new bike, nailed down three laps! Ava and Kinley rode solidly as well without notable incidents and finished.
Libby secured 11th, with Kinley and Ava each completing 2 laps and coming in 16th & 17th, respectively. As a side note, the participation of young ladies in this event was really something to see. The GRIT ride had more females participating than the entire league had when it was formed. It’s great to see the ladies come out in force.
Now, let’s celebrate one of our newest teammates – Mali. Mali arrived later on Saturday and didn’t get the full, pre-ride opportunity. Still, she was able to grit through and turn up an eighth place in Middle School C Girls. This was a wonderful sight, especially as she was able to muster a smile on the last lap, showing this is FUN!
High School Boys
Varsity is Haydon as the oldest member of the Hutch Composite Team. His race is the last one of the day and was well-run. He completed 5 laps in his race, admittedly, almost wishing he hadn’t made the cut-off. The event is partially timed, so you have to hit certain deadlines on the trail if you are to qualify for additional laps. Haydon spent much of his time alone on the trail, except on his last lap… he heard rustling in the woods and thought another rider was on his tire, so he pushed really hard to finish… realizing only then that he was alone. He finished in 7th.
Haydon has just one more event weekend before he ages out of the league, with his graduation conflicting with the team’s last event of 2026.
Kye and Will put in strong efforts in JV3 boys. Kye squeaked into the top ten with a 9th-place finish. Will persisted past sore legs and the heat to finish in 16th.
It was Collin’s day, though. Not only did Collin win the JV3 event, but he did so with a calm, controlled demeanor that put him in charge of the psychological game as well. Collin for the win!
So, What’s the Secret?!
While the improvement, commitment, and results of each rider will vary… There is one element that has made a difference in the team’s approach to the events. Of importance is also the idea that this is a student-led initiative. This is not a coaching thing. Some of the teammates have gathered on their own both Tuesday and Thursday nights this season to run their own “Conditioning” practices.
When I asked Ben where all that power came from in his win, he credited the conditioning practices as “Making all the difference”. Beyond the physical, there is also the mental confidence that comes when you know you’ve put in work.
The Wrap Up
As we gathered the remaining team members at the end of the day for the award ceremony, it was super rewarding to see our small-town team get recognized. Let’s look at some of this recognition, so you know how your town looks outside of Hutchinson.
Money Talks – Libby Inskeep got the shout out for leading fundraising for the NICA Kansas effort
Good Works – Haydon recognized as 5th in Trail Core Volunteer hours
More Good Works – Team in 4th overall for Trail Core Hours
Wins – Collin and Ben
Team Standing – Finished weekend in 7th
How to Get Involved
If this all sounds like a ton of fun or something you’d like to support, I encourage you to go to the hutchcomposite.com website and look at our sponsorship options. Or if you have a child between the grades of 5th and 12th grade and would like to participate on the team, we would love to have a conversation with you.
