State Champions

It is hard to imagine a better year in cycling and mountain biking for SMS and BGS after attending the Victorian Schools Cycling Championships in Bendigo. The school finished the festival with eight state champions, fifteen medals and champion school in both disciplines against the best school riders in Victoria.

In the mountain biking, Gold medals were awarded to Susannah Bates, Lachlan Clarke and Sienna Grove, Silver medals to Erin Hanley and Olivia Weston and Bronze medal to Elise Hutchinson. In addition there were medals awarded for outstanding performance throughout the zones and state finals. Susannah, Lachlan, Sienna and Elise all won this award in their respective age groups. The entire squad went on to take out the prestigious Champion School Award for mountain biking.

In the road cycling five more Gold medals were won by Susannah Bates, Saffron Button, Ethan and Jordan McDonell and Olivia Weston. A Silver medal went to Madeline Blackwood and Bronze to Damien Freihofer, Mitchell Graham and Sienna Grove.

Several riders beat opponents who had been clearly superior in the zone finals. Special mention to the ride by Saffron Buttton, who was dropped off by the leading riders on two occasions but managed to fight her way back and then win in a sprint finish. Not surprisingly the squad easily took out the Champion School Award for road cycling as well.

Congratulations to all the students who competed in the event. We are really proud of your achievements, well done!