JBU Bike Trail Hosts Arkansas High School Cycling League Race
SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (Sept. 5, 2017) – John Brown University is partnering with The Arkansas Interscholastic Cycling League to host The Arkansas High School Cycling League Race on JBU’s Sager Creek Mountain Bike Trail Sunday, Sept. 10 at 9:30 a.m. This is the first of five Arkansas Interscholastic Cycling League (AICL) races in the fall season that provide the highest quality youth development races on mountain biking courses across Arkansas.
The Arkansas Interscholastic Cycling League is part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) that serves youth in 18 states across the nation and aims to build strong bodies, minds and character through mountain biking.
“NICA believes that learning how to mountain bike can be an incredibly empowering experience for middle school and high school students because they learn skills that can carry them through their athletic and regular life,” said Kyla Templeton, Arkansas NICA Project League director and race director, said. “Races are a place for all the student-athletes to come together as a community and a good goal for them to work toward.”
Over 200 student-athletes are expected to compete this Sunday. The race costs $25 and will be divided into three waves of riders: in wave one, middle school and high school girls; in wave two, middle school boys; and in wave three, high school boys. Students will be able to pre-ride the trail Saturday, Sept. 9 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 10 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
“JBU is pleased to collaborate with the Arkansas Interscholastic Cycling League and welcome Arkansas’ middle school and high school students to compete on our bike trail,” Dr. Steve Beers, vice president of student development, said. “We opened the trail last year with the hope that it would become a way for local community members to explore mountain biking. We couldn’t be prouder to see this trail utilized for local student-athletes.”
JBU’s five-mile wooded trail, which offers spectating zones, was designed to be enjoyed by riders of various skill levels – to challenge novice riders and to thrill advanced riders. Athletes will compete on a single track and will be able to improve their cornering and passing skills.
“We are so excited to have a race at JBU and expose our student-athletes to a college that embraces mountain biking,” Templeton said. “We are thankful to the staff at JBU for embracing our race with open arms and working together to create the best experience for our student-athletes, parents and spectators.”
Additional Arkansas High School Cycling League Races will be held on Old Post Trail in Russellville, Arkansas; Slaughter Pen Trail in Bentonville, Arkansas; Spring Hill Trail in Barling, Arkansas; and the Miners Rock Trail in Eureka Springs, Arkansas for the State Championship.
For more information, visit arkansasmtb.org/race-series/.
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top ranked regional university (U.S. News Best Colleges, 2017), JBU enrolls more than 2,700 students from 40 states and 37 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, degree completion and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 39 majors, with top programs including business administration, graphic design, engineering, construction management, counseling, teacher education and nursing.
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