Hoërskool Nelspruit’s (NHS) mountain bike team defended their title by once again winning the high schools division of the 2025 TWK MP Schools MTB League on Saturday, September 6.

The final event of the five-leg series was held at Mankele on a new-look track that was superbly prepared by 2D Adventures, with the help of some of the NHS riders’ parents.

The Nellies team had topped the log after winning the series-opening first leg in Piet Retief on June 21.

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Hoërskool Secunda came out tops in their home event, the second leg, on July 26, with NHS second. But the Nellies did enough to hold onto the overall points lead.

NHS won the third leg in Lydenburg and the fourth in Ermelo to go into the final leg as log leaders. They dominated their home event to finish the season with a total of 3 050 points to be crowned 2025 champions.

Secunda finished second on 2 699 points and Hoërskool Lydenburg third on 2 143.

Local high schools’ placings
• Curro Nelspruit – 9th (473 points)
• Uplands College – 10th (464)
• Rob Ferreira – 16th (87).

There was plenty of exciting racing at Mankele on Saturday but the junior boys’ 18 race thrilled the mass of spectators.

Dalmyn Pretorius of NHS and Samuel McIntosh of Penryn College went head to head. Samuel had won the third leg race with Dalmyn second, and Dalmyn the fourth leg with Samuel second. The fifth and final was going to go down to the wire.

The two pushed each other all the way with no more than a wheel’s length separating them over the six laps. Samuel crossed the finish line just ahead of Dalmyn to claim first place. Both were credited with the same time – 00:56:59.

The Laerskool Secunda MTB team were in class of their own, comfortably winning all five legs for a series total of 4 198 points and the 2025 primary schools’ champions title.
Laerskool JJ van der Merwe were second with 1 404 points and Laerskool Goedehoop third with 1 192.

Local primary schools placings
• White River Primary – 5th (98 points)
• Curro Nelspruit – 10th (414)
• Laerskool Bergland 12th (105)
• Summerhill Prep – 13th (202)
• Uplands Prep – 17th (29).