Lots of dust (but no Elvis) for USN mountain bikers in Memphis
13 USN mountain bikers competed in the 3rd race of the NICA series, taking us past the halfway point of the season, and luckily the dusty Memphis course avoided the Sunday storms that hit everywhere else in TN.
For this race at Shelby Farms, our HS team finished 9th of 24 teams and the MS team finished 9th of 21 teams. That means overall for the 2019 race series we are 10th of 28 HS teams and 10th of 24 MS teams. The relatively flat and dry course meant that the riders took on an extra lap of racing at this stage of the season, and that extra effort pushed all riders to their limits.
Alexander Haynes had a great start in the JV Boys race and flew through his first lap, posting our team’s only sub-20 minute lap at 19:40. However, a crash on the 2nd lap slowed him considerably, such that Raleigh Parr and Haynes ended up together and rode seconds apart for the remaining 2 laps. Parr had an impressive race with 3 “negative splits” (each lap faster than the previous one), nearly breaking 20 minutes on his final lap with a 20:05. Cameron Stenhouse had a quick first lap but then slowed for his remaining laps. Haynes finished 17th, and Parr 18th only seconds back, with Stenhouse finishing 33rd out of the 50-strong field. A note that these boys are racing full-tilt for over 80 minutes, a testament to some strong mid-season fitness levels. Their consistent results over the first 3 races places all 3 in the top 3rd of 79 total JV riders, with Haynes 15th, Parr 16th and Stenhouse 25th.
Our growing and strong crew of HS girls once again collected 3 of our 4 sets of points for the HS team, with Eleanor Shepard battling for a 4th place finish after 3 laps, finishing in 1:06:57 and posting our fastest girls lap time of 21:58. Jamie List had a very strong race, also posting a negative split with her 2nd lap almost 90 seconds faster than her first, good for a 6th place finish in Freshman Girls. Lydia West and Katya Mendez were the true she-roes of the day, racing a full 2 laps (when they probably should have only ridden one lap based on lap cut-off times) and finshed together to a large crowd and cheers.
The MS cyclists also had a solid day. In the girls races, 8th graders Maya Guha and Ella Cheek joined first-time racer Claire Gilliam (just having finished her MS tennis season), with Maya riding 2 laps and finishing in 11th place after 67 minutes of racing, while Claire and Ella finished 13th and 14th. Tate Green powered through two laps, finishing a solid 16th in a big 7th grade field, finishing in 46:05. Benjamin Kampine returned to race and posted 2 consistent 22 minute laps, finishing 24th in 44:19 with fellow 8th grader Jack Wellons just a few minutes behind, riding his 2nd lap a minute faster than his second, and getting him to 32nd place in 47:35.
During Fall Break, our 4th race is way out east in Morristown, TN at a trail new to the NICA league, so the team will be “sight-reading” some new terrain at Panther Creek State Park, followed 2 weeks later by our State Championship race on November 3rd.
Back
For this race at Shelby Farms, our HS team finished 9th of 24 teams and the MS team finished 9th of 21 teams. That means overall for the 2019 race series we are 10th of 28 HS teams and 10th of 24 MS teams. The relatively flat and dry course meant that the riders took on an extra lap of racing at this stage of the season, and that extra effort pushed all riders to their limits.
Alexander Haynes had a great start in the JV Boys race and flew through his first lap, posting our team’s only sub-20 minute lap at 19:40. However, a crash on the 2nd lap slowed him considerably, such that Raleigh Parr and Haynes ended up together and rode seconds apart for the remaining 2 laps. Parr had an impressive race with 3 “negative splits” (each lap faster than the previous one), nearly breaking 20 minutes on his final lap with a 20:05. Cameron Stenhouse had a quick first lap but then slowed for his remaining laps. Haynes finished 17th, and Parr 18th only seconds back, with Stenhouse finishing 33rd out of the 50-strong field. A note that these boys are racing full-tilt for over 80 minutes, a testament to some strong mid-season fitness levels. Their consistent results over the first 3 races places all 3 in the top 3rd of 79 total JV riders, with Haynes 15th, Parr 16th and Stenhouse 25th.
Our growing and strong crew of HS girls once again collected 3 of our 4 sets of points for the HS team, with Eleanor Shepard battling for a 4th place finish after 3 laps, finishing in 1:06:57 and posting our fastest girls lap time of 21:58. Jamie List had a very strong race, also posting a negative split with her 2nd lap almost 90 seconds faster than her first, good for a 6th place finish in Freshman Girls. Lydia West and Katya Mendez were the true she-roes of the day, racing a full 2 laps (when they probably should have only ridden one lap based on lap cut-off times) and finshed together to a large crowd and cheers.
The MS cyclists also had a solid day. In the girls races, 8th graders Maya Guha and Ella Cheek joined first-time racer Claire Gilliam (just having finished her MS tennis season), with Maya riding 2 laps and finishing in 11th place after 67 minutes of racing, while Claire and Ella finished 13th and 14th. Tate Green powered through two laps, finishing a solid 16th in a big 7th grade field, finishing in 46:05. Benjamin Kampine returned to race and posted 2 consistent 22 minute laps, finishing 24th in 44:19 with fellow 8th grader Jack Wellons just a few minutes behind, riding his 2nd lap a minute faster than his second, and getting him to 32nd place in 47:35.
During Fall Break, our 4th race is way out east in Morristown, TN at a trail new to the NICA league, so the team will be “sight-reading” some new terrain at Panther Creek State Park, followed 2 weeks later by our State Championship race on November 3rd.
More USN News
List of 3 news stories.
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Ava ’26 recognized by National Council of Teachers of English
Congratulations to the rising senior, who has been selected for a 2025 Achievement Award in Writing by the National Council of Teachers of English.Read More -
Retired faculty, staff return to USN
As part of a longstanding tradition, retired teachers and professionals from USN over the years came together to celebrate, connect, and reminisce during their annual luncheon in Durnan Auditorium.Read More -
Athletes beyond Edgehill
Read MoreIt is common to have five or more University School of Nashville student-athletes sign college athletic commitment letters each year, and this year, USN saw eight more student-athletes commit to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. USN has several alumni participating in their chosen sport at the collegiate level from the Classes of 2021 through 2025. Continue reading to learn more about where Tigers are competing beyond Edgehill.
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.