(Image Credit: CFJC Today)
Mountain Biking

Sa-Hali Secondary student finishes first at BC High School Mountain Bike Provincial Championships

May 29, 2026 | 4:35 PM

KAMLOOPS — Eight bikers from Kamloops traveled to Quesnel last weekend to take part in the 2026 BC High School Mountain Bike Provincial Championships


Ben Ovington was one of those riders. The Sa-Hali Secondary student has been mountain biking for eight years and impressed at his first BC provincials. His combined placing in the cross country and enduro race formats placed him first out of more than 400 participants and earned him Senior King of the Mountain.

“Honestly, it was a really big shock. I didn’t know that the award existed,” said Ovington. “I got fifth in cross country, which was all right. I was hoping for better. And then third in enduro, and was able to get the most points out of all of that. It was awesome standing there at the bottom by the podium and just being able to take it all in with my friends.”


(Image Credit: BC School Sports)

Ovington now takes his talents to the collegiate level, as he is committed to Lees-McRae—a Division II college in Banner Elk, North Carolina. The 17-year-old is excited to represent his country as well as his hometown.

“It was just so cool there,” said Ovington, who had the Bobcats as his number one option. “Their surrounding area, their mountains. Its just overall experience looks awesome. There’s not a lot of Canadian racers going down to the states in general, so it’d be super cool to represent Kamloops and Canada and hopefully bring more people down there. “

Ovington finished atop the senior boys division to win Senior King of the Mountain. Adam Hauk of Valleyview Secondary finished atop the junior boys division to win Junior King of the Mountain.