Bass Coast Mountain Bikers competed on the National stage at the annual MTB Interschools at Thredbo held from March 3–7, 2025.

Perfect weather blessed 17 competitors and their families who made the annual trek to Thredbo with 14 students from Newhaven College’s MTB’s Academy, two students from Cowes Primary School and one from Bass Coast Secondary College all representing their schools at this prestigious event.

Thredbo MTB Interschools event is the largest schools Mountain Biking Event where 1700 students represent over 300 schools. Students compete in four events in an action packed, week-long schedule, participating in All Mountain, Flow, Pump and Downhill Races.

With strong results from everyone across the Bass Coast MTB contingent a standout performance came from Year 3 Kody Sheers from Cowes Primary School placing fifth in both the All Mountain and Flow events being bottom age in Division 5 (Years 3 and 4). Another rising star from Cowes Primary School Year 6 Isla Basterfield also but in two strong performances in Division 4 (Years 5 and 6) with a sixth in the All Mountain and eighth in the Flow events.

Other very strong showings came from Newhaven College’s Year 8’s Maxen Mills and Miller Macillef in the ultra-competitive Division 3 (Years 7 and 8). Maxen placed 11th in All Mountain, 16th in Flow and 22nd in downhill out of 250 competitors earning event bragging rights over his fellow teammates and important points for his school. Ride of the week went to close friend Miller who placed 11th in the gruelling Down Hill race on Thredbo’s notorious Cannon Ball run finishing with a massive whip on the humongous tabletop jump at the finish much to the excitement of his supporters.

Overall Newhaven College’s MTB teams’ depth was on display with a successful showing taking an impressive fifth in the hyper competitive Division 3 where 110 schools were represented. 

With MTB’s popularity on show with representatives from Years 3 to 10 a hot topic of discussion between Bass Coast MTB families is the pending implementation of the Bass Coast MTB strategy where they all agreed on the urgency for our own local MTB infrastructure to be invested in as soon as possible.