Heritage Park to Host GA League MS and HS MTB Races this Weekend

Over 850 Georgia and South Carolina middle and high school student-athletes on 54 teams will hit the race trails this weekend, Saturday, October 20th and Sunday, October 21st, at Heritage Park in Watkinsville for the 4th race of the Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League (Georgia League) season. To accommodate the continued growth and interest in the league, the league has gone to a 2-day race format – Middle Schoolers will race on Saturday and High Schoolers will race on Sunday.

This is the league’s 5th year racing at Heritage Park. Thank you to Oconee County Parks & Recreation for their partnership and support with the race. The Race course is approx. 4-5 miles of Georgia’s finest traditional single track with a few challenging up hills and technical sections. All racers will be rewarded with some very fast and fun downhill sections of the course as well. This course is a great challenge of all around skills and is one fun course.

Heritage Park Start Times

Saturday, October 20th

8th Grade Girls – 2:00pm 8th Grade Boys – 3:00pm

7th Grade Girls – 2:04pm 7th Grade Boys – 3:04pm

6th Grade Girls – 2:08pm 6th Grade Boys – 3:08pm

Sunday, October 21st

Varsity Boys - 10:00AM Varsity Girls- 1:15PM

JV Boys - 10:03AM JV Girls – 1:18PM

Sophomore Boys – 11:30AM Sophomore Girls – 1:21PM

Freshman Boys - 11:33AM Freshman Girls– 1:24PM

On Saturday, October 20th, all female student-athletes can join UCI Women’s Enduro Pro, Terri Watts, prior to the Middle School race for a special meet and greet and pre-ride! Terri is a member of the 706 Project from Athens p/b United Healthcare of Georgia. She was the 2017 USA Cycling Enduro National Champion and the 2017 IMBA National Enduro Series Champion! MORE INFO

The North Forsyth High School team is currently first place in the Division I (High School teams) overall race series. And the Oconee County Composite MTB team is currently in first place in the Division II (Composite Teams) overall race series. View the Individual and Team Race Series Results HERE. View the remaining race schedule HERE.

The League has experienced explosive growth since its inception in 2014 – growing from just over 10 teams and 121 student-athletes that inaugural year. “We are experiencing substantial growth across all areas of our league,” said League Director, Kenny Griffin. Not only are the athletes and their families recognizing the value of our mountain biking youth development programs; but corporate partnerships, volunteer recruitment, and board engagement are all on the rise.” In just five seasons, the Georgia League has trained 2,200 student-athletes and over 1,300 coaches through its Mountain Bike Youth Development programs. We have also awarded over $85,000 in financial aid and loaner bikes to student-athletes and coaches in need! The League is comprised of teams across Georgia, including Rabun County in the North, Columbus in the West, Milledgeville in the East, Albany in the South, and multiple teams in between; as well as 4 teams in the South Carolina Upstate Region. View a map of all teams HERE.

The Georgia League is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, and an affiliate league of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) umbrella, providing exclusive mountain biking programs for middle and high students. The Georgia League is one of twenty-five leagues in twenty-four states overseen by NICA, established in 2009, with 17,119 student-athletes and 8,402 licensed coaches participating across the nation. The Georgia League is open to all Georgia students, regardless of ability, believing that cycling is about lifelong health, not just today’s win. Scholarships and loaner bikes are available to students in need. For more information about starting a team in your area, League Sponsorship or Volunteer information, or for more information on the Georgia League, visit www.georgiamtb.org or connect with them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/georgiamtb, on Twitter at @gamtbleague, on Instagram at georgiamtbleague, on YouTube at Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League, and on LinkedIn at Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League.