What is NICA?

Jason Munns

Executive Director

Jason is a passionate outdoorsman and athlete who enjoys fly fishing, fly tying, and exploring the backcountry through backpacking and cycling. During the winter months, he keeps active racing fat bikes globally, snowboarding, skiing, and guiding snowmobile trips in Island Park, Idaho. His competitive cycling journey began in elementary school, racing BMX, though a significant head injury temporarily sidelined him from contact sports. During that time, he transitioned to competitive golf, playing across the country for several years. He returned to road racing during college and has remained an active cyclist ever since.
Jason married his wife, Holly, in 1998, and together they have raised two sons and two daughters. In addition to managing several business ventures with close friends, Jason founded Box Elder Comp in 2015 as a way to give back to his community. He served as the head coach since the team’s inception until the fall of 2025, when he took the position of Executive Director for the league. Today, Jason and his family can be found competing in road, gravel, and MTB races throughout the country.

Ginger Hall

Coach Trainer

Ginger began cycling over a decade ago, but found her true love when she first touched dirt. She has been involved with NICA since her oldest son raced the inaugural season in Texas in 2012, first as a race volunteer, then an assistant coach and finally head coach of the Lubbock Bombers (8 kids strong!). Following the allure of unlimited singletrack, Ginger and her husband, Danny, moved their family to Cedar City in August 2014 and quickly signed their middle son up for the race season. Together, they formed the Iron Giants mountain bike team in 2016. Coaching the mountain bike team has been one of her biggest joys and there’s simply nothing better than cheering each and every kid on as they start and finish their race. What Ginger loves most about NICA is the community that it provides.

When not on her bike, Ginger loves hiking, fishing and sitting in the middle of rivers.

Cortney Thurgood

Region 6 Director

I have been working with the league for the last 8 years. I started with the league helping with merchandise and moved from there over to the course marshal tents! I have been working for a hospital for the last 10 years and with covid I just am not loving the healthcare field anymore!! My hope is to grow my passion for these young athletes and help them build the confidence they need to continue for the rest of their lives!

Brooke Howard

Region 5 Director

Brooke joined the UHSCL staff just in time for the 2017 season to kick off. She has been on the sidelines cheering on her boys who have been racing in the league since the junior devo program’s conception. Her oldest son is now racing Varsity and her youngest will race Freshman in 2018.

Brooke fell in love with mountain biking after watching and supporting her husband and two sons race. This inspired her to be involved in the sport and help grow the mountain bike industry. She has over 7 years of experience as a race director with the Midweek MTB- race series and has spent countless hours working on trails to give back to the community.

In her off time, you can find Brooke out riding bikes, enjoying time with her family and friends or cruising around in her Razor.

Kristine Peterson

Region 4 Director

Kristine started her biking career on the road but made the jump to mountain biking after her oldest son joined their local high school bike team. Since that time, she’s been a dedicated team mom, ride leader, and co-head coach of the Jr Devo team. Her oldest son has since graduated, her 2nd son will be racing as a Freshman and her youngest will be joining the Jr Devo Team in the 2021 season. Kristine came to the league after spending 6 years as a race director for a running event company that hosted events all over the US. She’s happiest when she’s helping huge groups of people have a good time. When not on her bike, she loves to spend time with her family and friends. One of her favorite things to do is travel, she wants to see and do everything she possibly can.

Tera Frank

Region 3 Director

Tera started mountain biking in 2015 as a way to unwind from her work as a Corrections Officer. She quickly developed a passion for the sport, which her whole family now shares. Since 2017, Tera has been actively involved with the UHSCL, taking on various roles, including her current position as the GRiT Coordinator for the state. Tera is deeply committed to the GRiT (Girls Riding Together) program. Having personally experienced the positive impact of cycling on her own life and that of her daughters, she is eager to share that experience with others. With two older children who have now finished their time in the league and her youngest just beginning, Tera is dedicated to supporting the league for years to come. Outside of her outdoor pursuits, Tera dedicates her time to working in other capacities and enjoys spending quality time with her children, friends, and extended family.

Michelle Lyman

Region 2 Director

Michelle has been involved with the Utah High School Cycling League and NICA since her oldest son raced as a freshman in 2012. All 4 of her children raced, ending with the youngest finishing his senior season in 2021. She will forever be grateful for the positive influence the league has had on her family. She taught high school before taking time off to raise her kids, and has been involved in directing several road cycling events. After finishing 10 years with the Morgan MTB team she was thrilled to come on as the Region 2 Race director in 2022.

Becky Alhborn

Region 1 Director

Becky has been involved with the Utah High School Cycling League since her son first raced in 2016. She was already an avid road biker, having raced Utah’s Triple Crown in 2017. Within a few years, she upgraded from her 90s Cannondale and started spending more time on dirt and even racing, including riding 24 Hours in the Canyon “slicks and knobbies” solo and the ICup series. She loves riding with the athletes and watching them develop perseverance and gain confidence as they fall in love with mountain biking. She has been the director of the VeloLove Elite team for 3 years and loves watching the athletes develop close friendships across school boundaries. She’s a Park City ski instructor and has worked with youth and children in many capacities over several decades. Between her 6 kids and her husband’s 5 kids, 8 of them have been NICA athletes! In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, backpacking, paddleboarding, skiing, traveling (especially with bikes in tow), games with her kids, and playing with her granddaughter.

Joseph Sasser

Director of Operations & Logistics

Joseph has been involved with the Utah High Cycling League since 2014 and has loved every minute he has gotten to race, ride, and work with the organization. He first became involved when he was out riding trails with a family friend and ran into a coach for the local team. The rest became history as he joined the team and proceeded to race the next four years through his senior season. Post racing and riding as a student athlete Joseph spent some time away from bikes physically while serving a mission and attending college, however his mind was never far from the thought of riding. This led to him becoming a part of the race crew in 2022, where he worked in several different roles including Feed Zone Manager, Operation Assistant, and Parking Co-Manager. Joseph loves to ride whenever possible and won’t be caught on a road-trip without bikes on the car. He loves to hear and experience the amazing stories of comradery, grit, fun, and shenanigans that happen throughout each season that couldn’t be made up if we tried. Mountain biking and NICA have become an integral part of Joseph’s life.