ONE YEAR LATER: A love letter to junior cycling in Virginia and a community that has carried us forward

It Started With Two Athletes

One year ago, Sam Braden and Nathan believed junior cycling could be different.

They wanted a team where athletes could pursue ambitious goals without sacrificing friendship, kindness, or the joy that brought them to the sport in the first place. They believed science-based coaching, accountability, and community could exist together, and that success should be measured by more than race results alone.

With support from families, coaches, and volunteers, that idea became 3 Cats Racing.

The 2025-2026 season marked a major step forward for the program. What began as a small athlete-founded, women-led junior mountain bike development team grew into a community built around ambitious goals, leadership, service, and the belief that Fun Is Fast.

Throughout the season, our athletes competed across Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and beyond while coaching younger riders, volunteering in their communities, mentoring teammates, balancing academics and athletics, and proving that success is about far more than podiums.

The Numbers

• 9 Junior Development athletes

• Launch of the U23 Development Squad

• Athletes from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania

• 2 VAHS Overall Champions

• 8 VAHS Race Victories

• 2 Virginia State Championships

• National Championship appearances

• U.S. Pro Cup appearances

• NICA Eastern Regional competitors and podium finishers

• Countless volunteer, coaching, and community service hours

More Than Results

The most important accomplishments of the season cannot be measured by podiums alone.

Our athletes volunteered at races, coached younger riders, served as mentors, balanced demanding academic schedules, and represented the values of the program everywhere they raced.

Mat Hultgren served as a coach and mentor for younger athletes. Lia Hultgren stepped into a coach-in-training role.

Owen McMurray continued his internship at Scott's Automotive while competing at a high level.

Sam coached elementary and middle school racers at every NICA and VAHS race, as she has done for years.

Across the team, athletes demonstrated that excellence in sport and excellence in life are not separate goals. They are the same goal.

Spring In Virginia

The Virginia High School MTB Series became the breakout showcase for the growth of the program.

Nathan delivered a perfect season, winning all four VAHS events and securing the overall championship with a perfect score. Nathan also earned a top-ten at NICA Eastern Regionals to cap a Fall NICA season where he stood on the podium at every Virginia race.

Piper Allee matched that achievement, sweeping all four VAHS events and capturing the Sophomore Girls overall championship.

Mat Hultgren finished second overall in the VAHS Sophomore division while also claiming both the Virginia State Uphill Time Trial Championship and Virginia State Cross-Country Championship.

Owen McMurray continued his rise through the ranks with podium performances throughout the season, including his first victory and top finishes in both regional and championship competition, including earning second place at the 2025 NICA Eastern Regionals.

Lia Hultgren continued her progression with multiple podium finishes and earned the first victory in team history at Monster Cross, a milestone that helped define the season.

Bigger Start Lines

While our roots remain firmly planted in Virginia, our athletes increasingly tested themselves against the best competition in the country.

3 Cats Racing riders competed at USA Cycling Endurance Mountain Bike Nationals in every discipline, the U.S. Pro Cup in Fayetteville, the UCI Showdown at Angler's Ridge, the NICA Eastern Regional Championships and Unbound in Emporia, Kansas..

These races provided more than results. They gave our athletes an opportunity to measure themselves against some of the strongest junior development programs in North America while gaining experience that will continue to pay dividends for years to come.

Building The Ladder

The biggest milestone of the season was not a race result. It was the expansion of the athlete pathway.

With the launch of the 3 Cats Racing U23 Development Squad, led by Sam Braden, the organization now supports athletes from their first middle school races through the critical years between junior racing and elite amateur competition.

The inaugural U23 campaign immediately demonstrated its potential. Sam earned a podium spot at Appalachian Journey and finished one of the toughest editions of Unbound 100 in recent years while serving as a mentor and role model for younger athletes throughout the season.

A middle school athlete should be able to look across the team and see a future version of themselves. A junior athlete should see a pathway into U23 racing. A U23 athlete should become a mentor and leader for the next generation, and local elementary riders should be able to look at the middle and high schoolers on 3 Cats Racing and imagine being them one day.

It Takes A Village

No development program succeeds alone.

During our first year, we were fortunate to receive encouragement, advice, and support from people who believed in our athletes and our mission.

We are especially grateful to Pete Stetina, Jip Palakawongs and Shawn Tevendale of Blue Ridge Cyclery and Ian MacGregor from Skratch, who helped us think bigger about what 3 Cats Racing could become.

We had TIfosi make us look cool and stay safe with amazing eyewear.

Flo Bikewear rushed us when no one else could get it there on time - hoping for a hat trick so that Nathan can have a new jersey for nationals.

And we were invited to be HandUp Ambassadors and carry on sharing “Good Vibes” everywhere. 

We are also proud to partner with the Haystack Factory Team in a shared effort to get more kids on bikes. While our programs may look different, we share a common belief that the future of cycling depends on creating opportunities for young riders to discover the sport.

When programs work together, the entire cycling community becomes stronger.

Year Two

The vision that Sam and Nathan imagined a year ago remains unchanged.

We will continue to develop athletes, support families, serve our community, and create opportunities for young people to discover what they are capable of achieving.

The podiums and the championships matter but the real success is creating an environment where young athletes can discover what they are capable of becoming.

Fun Is Fast.