Submitted photos – Jade Lysander on the podium after his big win at Fort Ord.

It was an impressive start to the new mountain biking season for the Humboldt Composite Mountain Bike team and one young rider in particular.

The local team, made up of mountain bikers from multiple local schools, traveled to Fort Ord near Monterey Bay two weeks ago for the first of five events this spring.

And it was a very successful start to the new season for young Jade Lysander.

The sixth grader dominated his race and crossed the finish line 30 seconds ahead of the second-placed rider in a field of 32 riders.

Lysander was the only local winner of the day, but far from the only HCMTB rider to impress.

Teammate Cedar Farrell placed 18th in the same sixth-grade race, while Theo Loya was 30th.

As a team, HCMTB placed fifth overall out of 17 composite teams.

In the varsity race, 11th grader Dinon McIntosh finished 23rd in a field of 39, while in the JV1 race, HCMTB’s Béla Randles was ninth out of 50 riders.

Also in the JV1 competitions, Nolan Kavanaugh placed 30th and Asa Jules 34th.

In the JV1 girls race, HCMTB’s Evelyn Seemann crossed the finish line in 14th place out of 24 riders, while in the eighth-grade race Bodie Benzinger came in 30th in a field of 60 riders in his first-ever race.