HCRT cycling season begins

The youth mountain bike group, Highlands Composite Racing Team, kicked off their sixth season with a gathering at Lightroom Studios on March 18. Based in West Milford, HCRT is led by Team Director Jay Huggins and Head Coach Mike Moskowitz with 30-plus student athletes from grades 6-12 and 17 volunteer coaches.

HCRT is part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association and holds five races a year throughout New Jersey. Their first race of the year will be in April, and the team has been riding together since October. Preparation for these races starts with rides at some of New Jersey’s most challenging trails, including Ringwood State park and Jungle Habitat, but the rides are suited and designed for even the most novice rider.

The evening consisted of several highlights for veterans and new members to the team, including season overview, special speaker, captain announcements and, of course, plenty of food. The athletes and parents were treated to speaker Ethan Huggins, who was a member of NICA for six seasons. He spoke about his experience with the team, the great friends he made and the opportunities that mountain biking gave him throughout the years. The sport eventually led him to ride for the University of New Hampshire.

Six team captains were also announced, as leadership has always been an important part of HCRT. Middle school captains are Alicia Everett and Frank Politano. High School captains are Erin McDermott, Rachael Everett, Jacob Marcus, and Sam Spoelstra. These captains will lead the team through practices and race weekends.

As spring approaches, the team will have team rides 2-3 times a week at several different trails in preparation for each race. Throughout April, May, and June, the team will travel for weekend events with hopes to regain the state championship they won in 2019.