By Spencer Lintonsmith ’18
If you ask a high school athlete if they think a program can be successful in their first season as an organized team, it’s likely the answer will be no. High school sports has proven time and time again to be extremely competitive, so it only seems logical that a team in its inaugural season would fail, right?
Eric Lindquist, a Regis Jesuit senior and leader on the mountain bike team, would disagree. Lindquist represented Regis Jesuit by qualifying for the Colorado High School Mountain Bike League 2017 State Championship in Eagle, CO.
“I just love to be out there on the bike,” Lindquist said. “It was awesome to represent my school especially in something like mountain biking which is so unique.”
Becoming an accomplished racer doesn’t just occur overnight however. It takes lots of training, dedication, and a simple love for the sport. “I started training hard the summer before the season,” Lindquist said.
Sports has the ability to create a great community, and since mountain biking is quickly growing as a sport, the community is as well. “I showed up to the first race in Frisco, CO expecting a couple hundred kids, but there were about 900 at the race,” Lindquist said. “The community behind the racing is awesome, everyone is super supporting of each other and fun and I really enjoyed it.”
Although Lindquist didn’t win state, it was still a huge honor and accomplishment just to qualify. “It was an awesome experience,” said Lindquist. “Going into state I had no idea what to expect. We were on a custom made course, which was awesome. The town of Eagle was super supportive as well.”
Some athletes have superstitions in the way they prepare for races or games. Lindquist’s preparation on race day focuses on nutrition. Nutrition plays a big role in the biking world. Hydration is key 24 hours leading up to the race. Sometimes a cyclists will neglect eating before, or during a race. This is because they don’t want that food sitting in their stomach, causing stomach aches which hinders the riders ability to compete to their maximum capacity. However, according to most experts, it is important for cyclists to eat before and even during a race.
What foods to eat and how much to eat is very tedious when it comes to cyclists. Since it is different for everybody else, it’s important to find out the amount of food and what types of foods work for you. For Eric Lindquist, he likes to stick to what has worked for him. “I drink a lot of coconut water and will usually eat something like a breakfast sandwich on race day,” said Lindquist.
As the first Regis Jesuit High School student to qualify for Colorado High School Mountain Bike League, Lindquist has paved the road for many to come. Lindquist is a great role model for future Regis Jesuit mountain bikers. He’s shown others that it’s possible to accomplish what others might doubt. In the inaugural season for Regis Jesuit Mountain Biking, Lindquist managed to qualify for state, showing the legitimacy of what Eric is about. He worked for a goal, and because of that he has given inspiration to Regis Jesuit mountain bikers in the future.
In everything ever done, there was always a first person to do it. Lindquist now has that title as “the first.” Instead of being headstrong though, Lindquist has been very humble and has shown true character throughout the process. The future for the Regis Jesuit mountain bike team is bright, thanks to Eric Lindquist.
