Conrad Will, senior, loves the thrill of mountain biking.
“It’s just fun, going downhill as fast as you can and just getting as close to the edge as you can, but don’t crash,” Will said.
Will said the Rockwood Composite team, made up of middle and high school students from Rockwood and Parkway, are nicknamed the Vipers. The team competes in the Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League (MICL), part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).
The team practices at local parks with mountain biking trails. On competition weekends, the team goes early to make sure they understand the course.
“We always have a ‘free ride’ on Saturdays, where we go out and just preview the course, and then on Sunday we actually race,” senior Landon Buscher, Vipers member, said.
The Vipers compete on weekends every two weeks. They have competed all across the state, including competitions in Jefferson City, Warsaw and Springfield.
“You get there about an hour before you race, you just do a quick warm up, and then when they start the race, it’s a mass start,” Buscher said. “They honk the horn and then everyone goes at once.”
Buscher said that although it is called the Rockwood Composite team, it is not affiliated with Rockwood.
“It’s just a club team that operates under the Rockwood school district and also all the high schools that have their own team,” Buscher said. “So it’s similar to the hockey team in that it’s just a club sport that’s not directly affiliated with the school.”
DJ Monzyk, Vipers coach, coaches for his sons, Caleb Monzyk, senior, and Evan Monzyk, junior.
“My job duties typically revolve around helping instruct the kids, showing them how to do things,” DJ said. “I also lead rides. They go out in groups on trails and basically I’m there to help build the community.”
DJ said the experience in competitions is good for anyone.
“It’s a very inclusive environment,” DJ said. “There’s a very large body of student athletes, and there’s a lot of different varied skill levels.”
DJ said having his sons on the team means a lot to him.
“It’s good to have time with your kids when they’re teenagers,” DJ said. “It’s not always easy to have similar interests, so it’s a great way for us to spend time together.”
