Our People
The People Behind Catamount
Great development starts with great people.
Our coaches, specialists, and leadership bring together experience in competitive cycling, athletic performance, education, youth mentorship, and community building.
Their backgrounds are different, but their purpose is shared: helping young riders pursue meaningful goals while growing into confident, capable people.
Team Leadership & Coaches
The people guiding our riders and their development.
Carson Benjamin
Team Manager
From junior racer to mentor
A former NICA racer and national short-track champion, Carson understands the progression from local trails to national competition. A credentialed teacher and former lead counselor at Ross Valley Mountain Bike Camp, he combines firsthand racing experience with youth education and mentorship—helping Catamount riders develop the skills, confidence, and mindset to succeed on the bike and beyond.
Chris Brown
Coach
Racecraft meets endurance development
A former elite mountain bike racer and NCAA Division I runner, Chris brings a deep understanding of endurance competition and athletic preparation. With experience coaching high school cross-country running and mountain biking, he helps young athletes build the fitness, racecraft, and resilience needed for higher-level competition while developing habits that support long-term success.
Caleb Guest
Coach
Purposeful training. Sustainable progress.
Caleb is an endurance athlete and certified cycling, triathlon, and strength coach with a degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Sports Nutrition. Drawing on decades of racing and coaching experience, he brings a science-informed approach to training that helps young riders build fitness, understand their bodies, and make consistent progress while balancing performance goals with long-term athletic development.
Specialist Partners
Additional expertise supporting strength, skills, bike fit, mental performance, and whole-rider development.
Ryan Mowbray
Strength & Conditioning
Building stronger, more resilient athletes
Ryan is a physical therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with over 15 years of experience, including work with professional athletes. A mountain biker and trail runner, he brings an understanding of the physical demands of cycling to helping young athletes develop strength, mobility, and healthy movement patterns that support performance and long-term athletic development.
Patrick Brady
Bike Fitting
Better fit. Better performance.
Patrick is a cycling writer and bike fitter with more than three decades of experience and certifications through Fit Kit and Serotta. He helps Catamount’s growing riders find comfortable, efficient positions that improve their connection with the bike, support confident handling, and adapt to their changing bodies and racing demands.
Brian Astell
Technical Skills
Turning skills into confidence
A professional mountain bike racer and NESTA-certified coach, Brian brings more than 18 years of racing experience across disciplines including cross-country and enduro. His focus is helping riders sharpen their technique, navigate challenging terrain, and expand what’s possible on the bike—building the technical confidence to ride faster, safer, and with more control.
Omar Vasquez, PsyD
Mental Performance
Developing the mind behind the athlete
Omar is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and clinical therapist with Performance Psychology Center. As a Catamount advisor, he helps riders develop mental skills for competition and life, including managing pressure, building resilience, and navigating the challenges of competitive sport. His approach supports strong performance while keeping well-being, perspective, and the joy of riding central to the experience.
Board of Directors
The people helping shape Catamount's mission, opportunities, sustainability, and long-term direction.
Matt Fritzinger
President
Creating pathways for young athletes
Matt founded the NorCal High School Cycling League and NICA, helping build high school mountain biking into a national movement. A Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee, longtime coach, and father of two riders, he brings that same pioneering spirit to Catamount—creating opportunities for young athletes to pursue bigger goals while keeping community, character, and the joy of riding at the heart of the experience.
Paul Finn
Treasurer
Financial stewardship with a coach's perspective
Paul combines a background in finance and governance with 15 years of bike racing experience and hands-on youth development as Head Devo Coach for Annadel Composite. A lifelong cyclist and Catamount parent, he brings a valuable combination of financial stewardship, organizational leadership, and firsthand understanding of what young riders and their families need to thrive.
Greg Guensch
Secretary
Technical expertise on and off the bike
Greg is a NICA Level 3 coach, Head High School Race Coach for Annadel Composite, and accomplished mountain bike racer with a passion for endurance sports and technical riding. A civil engineer and Catamount parent, he brings precision, practical problem-solving, and strong organizational skills to the board. His coaching philosophy is straightforward: challenge kids, build capable riders, and make sure everyone has fun along the way.
Joel Pyska
Board Member
Connecting people through technology
Joel combines a career in software development and digital product solutions with hands-on youth cycling leadership as Team Director for Middletown Composite. A Catamount parent and dedicated youth sports advocate, he brings technical expertise to the team’s website, digital tools, and applications—helping build the infrastructure that connects riders, coaches, and families and keeps the organization running smoothly.
Phil Notheis
Board Member
Building the brand and community
Phil brings over 20 years of cycling and outdoor industry experience in product leadership, brand development, and marketing to Catamount’s identity, communications, and partnerships. A NICA Level 3 coach, Annadel Composite board member, Petaluma Composite Head Devo Coach, and father of two Catamount riders, he’s passionate about building a team culture where competitive ambition, belonging, and positive youth development go hand in hand.