Heartland Cycling Wins 2026 KY NICA Team Title

Heartland Cycling Development claimed the team crown at the Battle at Bluff Boom State Championship in Greensburg, Kentucky, as eight riders took individual series titles.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cycling

Heartland Cycling Wins 2026 KY NICA Team Title

Heartland Cycling Development won the 2026 KY NICA Team State Championship after finishing the five-race Pedal for the Roses Series with 10,850 team points. Eight student-athletes also claimed individual series state champion titles and the red roses jersey.

Why it matters

The results close out the sixth season of KY NICA, a statewide youth mountain biking program, and show how points accumulated across five races determine both team and individual champions. The season's participation numbers reflect the program's growth across Kentucky.

Series champions were determined by points earned across all five Pedal for the Roses races held from August through October, with Heartland finishing on 10,850 team points. The 2026 season drew 374 student-athletes, 229 coaches and 22 teams across eight statewide events, though the record does not give second-place or full team standings.

The players

Heartland Cycling Development

Heartland Cycling Development is the Hardin-Elizabethtown-based team that competes in KY NICA events under the Stampede name.

Andy Fortenberry

Andy Fortenberry serves as head coach of Heartland Cycling Development.

Avery Criswell

Avery Criswell is a Marshall County High School mountain biker who has raced with the team since the Tennessee NICA league era.

The details

The Battle at Bluff Boom State Championship at Bluff Boom Trails in Greensburg, Kentucky, closed the five-race series on October 24 and 25, 2026. Heartland Cycling Development, competing as the Hardin-Elizabethtown Stampede and led by Head Coach Andy Fortenberry, took the team title, while Avery Criswell of the Marshall County High School Mountain Bike Team received the KY NICA Legacy Award.

August through October 2026: Five-race Pedal for the Roses Series points were earned.
October 24 and 25, 2026: Battle at Bluff Boom State Championship was held in Greensburg.

Season Trajectory

The 2026 season was the sixth year of KY NICA, which has grown into a statewide youth program across eight events and 22 teams. Avery Criswell's career, which began in the Tennessee NICA league before moving to Marshall County, shows how the program has drawn riders in from neighboring states.

The team title and individual series jerseys are awarded on points from the five-race Pedal for the Roses Series, so the final standings reflect results across the full season rather than a single race. Families and coaches planning for future KY NICA seasons can use the 2026 event count and team totals as a baseline for registration and scheduling.

The takeaway

The 2026 season shows that consistent participation across a full five-race series, rather than a single standout event, decides both team and individual championships in Kentucky's youth cycling program.