Mountain biking was such a popular club sport at Woodstock Union High School that it’s been elevated to a varsity sport— the only public school varsity mountain biking team in the state.
“They’re very serious athletes competing at some of the top national levels,” said Matt Stout, a member of the Woodstock Area Mountain Bike Association (WAMBA).
The varsity level recognition allows the team to have more funding and opportunities, explained Woodstock mountain bike coach Todd Uva. “It finally gives us a budget,” Uva said. “We’ve been operating for a number of years with no budget and no transportation.”
Uva launched the Woodstock High School Cycling Club in 2017. To get it off the ground, they did whatever they could. He and his wife loaded up bikes in their cars and drove kids to competitions.
“I’m just a lover of cycling,” Uva said. “I wanted to share this passion with adolescents.”
When the club team debuted there were 13 riders but had grown to 33 athletes before becoming a varsity sport. Its first year as a varsity sport, 43 students joined making it one of the largest programs in the school.
Quinn Uva, coach Uva’s son, was the first captain of the Woodstock Varsity Mountain bike team last fall, his senior year. Quinn Uva has podiumed in race circuits across the northeast throughout his teenage years —often besting riders with many more years under their belts!
Quinn and Todd Uva are continuing to develop the sport in Woodstock. This summer they’re helping to debut a new event: the Triple Crown Throwdown, Aug. 17. (See page 21.)
Like other varsity sports, the Woodstock team will start preseason in August and continue until the championship race in October.
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