Marshfield Mountain Bike Club enters second decade

MARSHFIELD – Ten years ago, Tony and Rachel Krentz founded the Marshfield Mountain Bike Club, which recently wrapped up its 11th season.

“It’s been here for ten years and it is not known at all I would say, and by word of mouth is the best way we probably recruit, by kids talking to their friends and family,” Head Coach/Team Director Candace Pernsteiner told us, during the club’s end-of-season celebration Oct. 28 at Marshfield School Forest. “I learned about it from my coworkers whose kids participated in the team. Otherwise I would never have any idea.”

The team was first organized in 2015 and that first squad consisted of six riders. Enrollment peaked at 20 members a few years ago. This year’s team had 13 members.

“It has grown and fluctuated,” said Pernsteiner. “We ride together every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30, weather permitting, at the school forest, and basically put the kids through training, just like any other sports. We do conditioning. We have different challenges and different drills for the kids. Then, kids can choose to race the five NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) races. They do not have to race, but they can race if they so choose, so we travel to the five races to compete.”

The Marshfield Mountain Bike Team doesn’t just compete; they compete at a high level.

In their first race of the season, at Mt. Telemark near Cable Aug. 31, the team finished sixth overall, out of 76 teams in Div. 2.

Paige Pernsteiner, one of just two girls on the team, took first place among 43 racers.

Varsity boys’ Zane Hill placed sixth out of 63 competitors, while teammate Connor Reisner came in 27th.

In the club’s third race of the season, held Sept. 28 at Englewood Farm in Fall River, the team finished fifth among 78 teams.

Pernsteiner was first among the female JV3 competitors, while teammate Naomi Berg finished 26th out of 41 racers.

Among the Varsity boys’ racers, Hill came in seventh and Reisner 17th, among 62 participants.

At the Hodag Hustle, Oct. 4 at Camp Tesomas in Rhinelander, the Marshfield squad grabbed a first-place finish among 75 teams.

Zane Hill took home first place among the Varsity boys, while Reisner was 18th.

Pernsteiner, 15, again took the top spot among the girls in her JV3 category, out of 42 riders.

“My mom was the one who told me that I should try the club out because I was trying to find another sport to do besides soccer, so I tried it out seventh grade year on a not-so-good bike and it was fun, so then I got a better bike and I just stuck with it,” Paige told us during our end-of-season visit. “I like being outside. I like that, with mountain biking, every trail is different. You can go so many places to ride. There are so many different features and there’s always skills you can improve upon, and you always meet such great people through it, too. I’ve made so many friends by doing the races. I think I enjoy the races the most because that’s where I get to see everyone and that’s where I get to see all my hard work pay off.”

Naomi Berg, 16, is a junior at Marshfield High School and in her third year with the team.

“The fun part for me is watching the spots go by, saying, ‘Well, I don’t have to do that spot again,’ because there are certain technical areas. But the fun parts are the downhills and then the really fun technical spots where you just fly through and you go pretty fast,” Berg said.

Isaac Ryner, 14, is an MHS Freshman in his second year with the team.

“Probably just the community and the interactions that you get with other teams,” Ryner said, when asked what his favorite aspect of the sport was. “Everyone’s really, really kind, really thoughtful. This is a sport that I’ve never really seen much negativity. It’s really awesome. If you love nature and you like to go fast and you like competition, this is probably a good sport for you. If you like building up your endurance and stamina and getting stronger in the legs, for sure it’s going to be helpful.”

Other team members include Lucas Syth (JV3), Lee Wagner (JV2), Euan Hopper (eighth grade), Emery Fellenz, Aaron Luther and Mark Smith (seventh grade), and Rowen Pernsteiner (sixth grade).  

Racers in grades 6-8 compete in single-lap events on a standard 4-to-5-mile course, while the freshmen and JV2 competitors do two-lap events, JV3 racers cover three laps and varsity team members race on a six-mile loop for four laps.

“It’s based on age level, so sixth grade races other sixth graders, and then we have our seventh-eighth grade. Once the kids are in high school they break them into categories of your freshmen, JV2, JV3 and varsity. So, based on times they are placed in categories. The kids are able to petition into categories if they feel they have trained, we can petition them up or down, based on ability level,” Coach Pernsteiner said. “At practice, we break the kids up into beginner, intermediate and then our advanced group, and then we have coaches assigned to each group that can basically keep up with the kids at that level.”

The team, open to all 6-12 graders in Marshfield, Pittsville, Stratford, Spencer, Colby, Loyal, Granton and Port Edwards regardless of abilities, starts training and practicing in July, typically at the Marshfield School Forest or a public park in the city of Marshfield. The group also utilizes the Hewitt-Marsh trails, the new trails at Powers Bluff, Levis Mounds near Neillsville and occasionally Nine Mile Forest near Wausau.

“I’d say just get out there and try it,” Berg added. “It’s a lot of fun, you don’t have to be really good at it right away, there are no cuts, you can go your own pace, you’re constantly getting better and there’s always somebody to help you and ride with you.”

For more information, visit the Marshfield Mountain Bike Club page on Facebook or email Candace Pernsteiner at cdpernsteiner@hotmail.com.

The Sports Den in Marshfield also has information about the team.