A gold medal performance from the senior boys relay team was the highlight of results for 10 TAS riders who competed in Mountain Bike Australia’s Schools’ Championships at the Gold Coast on 3-5 August.
Duncan Chalmers, Hamish Chalmers, Archie Chick and Marcus Worth (Great Lakes College but riding for TAS) completed 11 laps of the Year 11/12 boys XC Enduro course (6km) in a time of 4:21:55, and were the first full school team to complete the challenging event. In the Year 9/10 division, Archi Lawrence, Jack Sewell and Josh Armstrong’s team placed 14th while Jack Armstrong, Riley Simmons, Toby McMaster and Angus Goudge’s team placed 20th.
“Part of the track was used for the national titles last year which we had all ridden at, so our who team was familiar with that section which helped,” said Duncan.
“There were a lot of quick riders there from the national series, so that made for some quality competition.”
Individually, Riley Simmons and Hamish Chalmers placed fifth and sixth respectively in the Year 9/10 observed trials (OT) from 102 participants; Marcus Worth placed sixth and Archie Chick 20th in the Year 9/10 boys cross country Olympic style (XCO); Archie Chick placed 12th in observed trials (OT) and 20th in XCO, and in the Year 11/12 men’s division Duncan Chalmers placed 14th in the XCO.
Sixty six schools represented by around 260 students took part in the championships across a range of events and age divisions. Overall, TAS placed seventh of the 66 schools that took part.
The championships started on the same day as two former students, Michael Harris and Brent Rees, were named as part of the six-man under 23 Australian cross country team to compete at the 2018 Mountain Bike World Championships to be held at Leznerheide, Switzerland on 5-9 September.
The TAS team at the Mountain Bike Australia Schools Championships was (l-r) Mr Richard Newton, Toby McMaster, Riley Simmons, Josh Armstrong, Jack Sewell, Jack Armstrong, Angus Goudge (holding bike), Duncan Chalmers, Hamish Chalmers, Archi Lawrence, Marcus Worth (Great Lakes College), Archie Chick and Mrs Jo Benham
